Obama and the Public Option

President Obama took his health care plan(and the public option component) on the road to Wisconsin yesterday. As usual he was articulate and the audience was in favor. Getting the public vocally aroused is a necessary ingredient. They can get their representatives' phones ringing. Alas, that alone will not do it.

The health insurance industry and "big pharma" are crying they can't compete with a public option. They vow to save two trillion over the next 10 years(no snickering please). They may vocalize the need for reform making them appear they can be partners, but this is a subtrefuge. The largess they ply to certain congressional coffers is so substantial,particularly to "blue dog democrats", betray's their real motives as they and their political beneficiaries(lackeys) will do everything possible to make the public option still born.

Only President Obama can break this cabal. It will define his presidentcy. He will not be able to finess it. He must be bold and ready to throw down the gauntlet, go against his natural instincts for inclusiveness and bi partisanship and spend his political capital. Fifty million uninsured is an obscenity and a national disgrace that must no longer be tolerated and ignored. We will know shortly if he is truly the transformational figure or just another hack politician.

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