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Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
Administration Official: “Sebelius Misspoke.” — An administration official said tonight that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius “misspoke” when she told CNN this morning that a government run health insurance option “is not an essential part” of reform.
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Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Life After the Death of the Public Option — From the President on downward, the White House now seems resigned to losing the fight over the “public option”, a government-run insurance plan that would complete against private plans. It's time to re-assess the playing field in light of this development.
Michelle Malkin:
White House public option ploy: A trial balloon, not a white flag — Do you believe the Sunday spin on the White House's alleged “retreat” from the Obamacare public option? — Video of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's pooh-poohing of the public option provision is here.
Discussion:
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Ian Swanson / The Hill:
Obama picks fight with left on health reform — In backing away from its support for a public option in healthcare reform, the Obama administration is picking a fight with the liberal wing of the Democratic party. — Liberal Democrats have insisted a public insurance option is necessary to ensure competition for private insurers.
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Sorry, Can't Pass Health Care Bill Without a Public Option — The headline in The Hill says it loud and clear: … Many people are rightly upset that the White House is sending stronger and stronger signals that they are willing to jettison a public option.
Jay Cost / HorseRaceBlog:
Obama Misread His Mandate — After a rough week for health care reform, Democratic leaders appear to be pulling back on their demand for a public option. It remains to be seen whether liberal Democrats, especially in the House where they are more numerous, will go along with this.
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THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS
Ceci Connolly / Washington Post:
Key Feature Of Obama Health Plan May Be Out
Key Feature Of Obama Health Plan May Be Out
Discussion:
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Andrew Zajac / Los Angeles Times:
White House backs off public healthcare option
White House backs off public healthcare option
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The Politico, Wall Street Journal, The Swamp, Connecting.the.Dots, Canada Free Press, American Power and ABCNEWS
Jennifer Graham / Canadian Press:
Overhauling health-care system tops agenda at annual meeting of Canada's doctors — SASKATOON — The incoming president of the Canadian Medical Association says this country's health-care system is sick and doctors need to develop a plan to cure it. — Dr. Anne Doig says patients …
Discussion:
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Ross Doutha / New York Times:
Telling Grandma ‘No’ — When Democratic congressmen dream these days, they're tongue-tied in town halls, fumbling with their microphones while they're shouted down by slavering, pitchfork-wielding Limbaugh listeners. — But Barack Obama is wiser than most Democratic congressmen, and his nightmares are savvier.
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Swiss Menace — It was the blooper heard round the world. In an editorial denouncing Democratic health reform plans, Investor's Business Daily tried to frighten its readers by declaring that in Britain, where the government runs health care, the handicapped physicist Stephen Hawking …
Brad Heath / USA Today:
Poll: 57% don't see stimulus working — WASHINGTON — Six months after President Obama launched a $787 billion plan to right the nation's economy, a majority of Americans think the avalanche of new federal aid has cost too much and done too little to end the recession. — POLL RESULTS: Six questions
Eric Zimmermann / The Hill's Blog Briefing Room:
Hutchison's balancing act on term limits — One's got to wonder if it's a smart political move for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) to make term limits and anti-incumbent sentiment the cornerstone of her gubernatorial primary campaign against Gov. Rick Perry (R). — From Red Wilson's story on her campaign kickoff:
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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Morning Fix: Creigh Deeds's Presidential Dilemma
Morning Fix: Creigh Deeds's Presidential Dilemma
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Ben Smith's Blog
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Who are your Milk Carton Politicians? — Earlier today, I noted that New Hampshire's media had taken notice that their Congressional delegation had gone missing during the August recess, rather than hold town-hall meetings to face their constituents about the health-care reform package.
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
ORRIN HATCH, PAINFULLY CONFUSED.... It's frightening to think this guys was involved for months with the center-right negotiations in the Senate Finance Committee. — On ABC's “This Week” yesterday, Jake Tapper asked Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) of Utah a good question.
The Platform:
Truth and not-quite-truth in the health reform debate — As chairman of the House Republican Health Care Solutions Group, Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Springfield, knows a thing or two about health care. But some of what he knows just isn't true. — “I'm 59,” Mr. Blunt said last week during a meeting with Post-Dispatch reporters and editors.
Mike Lupica / NY Daily News:
Lupica: President Obama is the real target of health care protesters — The woman went to an airplane hangar in Belgrade, Mont., the other day, prepared to actually listen to President Obama talk about health care reform in America. — She has watched, the way the rest of us have watched …
Rajiv Chandrasekaran / Washington Post:
Pentagon Worries Led to Command Change — McKiernan's Ouster Reflected New Realities in Afghanistan — and Washington — In mid-March, as a White House assessment of the war in Afghanistan was nearing completion, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen …
BBC:
Iraq abandons nationwide census — Iraq has postponed indefinitely plans to hold its first nationwide census in 22 years over fears it could stoke ethnic and political tensions. — The population count in October would have settled arguments over the relative size of Iraq's religious and ethnic communities.
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