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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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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.

Key Feature Of Obama Health Plan May Be Out — Administration Hints That Public Option Isn't Only Way to Go — Racing to regain control of the health-care debate, two top administration officials signaled Sunday that the White House may be willing to jettison a controversial government-run insurance plan favored by liberals.

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.

White House Passes Blame on Unsolicited Health Care E-Mails — The White House suggests third-party groups are to blame for unsolicited health care e-mails — The White House for the first time Sunday seemed to acknowledge that people across the country received unsolicited e-mails …

White House backs off public healthcare option
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The Politico, The Swamp, Canada Free Press, American Power, Right Wing Nut House, Washington Post and Dennis the Peasant

‘Public Option’ in Health Plan May Be Dropped
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Matthew Yglesias, Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice, FiveThirtyEight, The Note, Verum Serum, Wall Street Journal, Agence France Presse, msnbc.com, The Caucus, marbury, Mediaite, CNN, Crooks and Liars, Taibblog, Time, Brendan Nyhan, Jay Bookman, Watergate Summer, DISSENTING JUSTICE, Connecting.the.Dots, The Awl, PoliGazette, The RBC, Newshoggers.com, Economist's View, Prescriptions, Prairie Weather, Washington Post, Truthdig and Blue Mass. Group

Sebelius: Public Health Care Option “Not The Essential Element”
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The League of Ordinary …, Open Left, OhioDaily, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Huffington Post, Firedoglake and MyDD

W.H. backs away from public option
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AMERICAblog News, The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Edge of the American West, Stop The ACLU, The Note, ABCNEWS, Politico Live's Blog, Left in the West, Wake up America, Scared Monkeys, Kausfiles, Riehl World View, The Reaction, The Hill, The Confluence, Hot Air, Obsidian Wings and American Power

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 …
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BizzyBlog, theblogprof, The Strata-Sphere, NewsBusters.org, Gateway Pundit, Don Surber and GayPatriot

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.

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 …
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The Glittering Eye

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


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 …

Ethnic tension stalls first Iraq census in 22 years — BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has abandoned plans to hold its first census in two decades this year because of fears the survey could inflame tensions in northern areas disputed by Arabs and Kurds, officials said on Sunday.
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Desperately seeking Russ — From a reader/listener email who spotted the below in their neighborhood: — Hysterical. It appears to be Russ Carnahan's face on a milk carton, and while the bottom says “no reward offered” I can only assume that constituents - concerned for their congressman …
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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 …

Obama and Baracknophobia — Posted by Charles Cooper On break in a remote getaway, where I was disconnected from the 24 x 7 grid, it was easy to imagine that the passions triggered by health care would have eased, making way for serious debate about a serious public policy question. Silly me.
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Riehl World View, Right Wing News, Viking Pundit, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Wire and Hot Air


Chavez says Obama “lost in space” on Latin America — CARACAS (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is “lost in the Andromeda” galaxy on Latin American policy, his chief critic in the region, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, said on Sunday, while demanding the closure of U.S. military bases.

Recession doesn't stop candidate self-funding — The economy may be in a recession, but people are as anxious as ever to spend their money trying to get into Congress. — So far this cycle, 30 candidates have spent at least $100,000 of their own money on their campaigns for House or Senate.
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msnbc.com