NEWS

Debate’s Path Caught Obama by Surprise – Washington Post

President Obama’s advisers acknowledged Tuesday that they were unprepared for the intraparty rift that occurred over the fate of a proposed public health insurance program, a firestorm that has left the White House searching for a way to reclaim the initiative on the president’s top legislative priority.

Democrats Seem Set to Go It Alone on a Health Care Bill – New York Times

Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority’s cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks.

Analysis: Liberals tired of health care compromise - Associated Press

Frustrated liberals have a question for President Barack Obama and Democratic lawmakers: Isn’t it time the other guys gave a little ground on health care? What’s the point of a bipartisan bill, they ask, if we’re making all the concessions?

Kyl Says Cooperative Health Plan Won’t Win Support – Wall Street Journal

The number two Senate Republican said Tuesday replacing a public health care option with a nonprofit private cooperative wouldn’t win any more Republican support, saying they are essentially the same thing.

House demands compensation data – Politico

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has sent letters to dozens of major health insurance companies …

PhRMA defends itself from Boehner criticism – The Hill

The prescription drug industry’s lobbying arm is defending its deal with President Barack Obama in the wake of criticism from House Minority Leader John Boehner, who charged it with “appeasing” the Obama administration.

Snowe takes to the street, talks health care – Sun Journal

A "Main Street walk" turned into a Main Street stop for U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe on Lisbon Street on Tuesday, as Mainers intent on selling their influential senator on the merits of a public-option health-care plan crowded around her.

Grassley says status of ‘public option’ is unclear – Des Moines Register

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley said Monday that he was unsure what to make of suggestions that President Barack Obama would drop proposals for a new government-run insurance plan.

Frank LoBiondo Supports Taxes To Fund More Private Health Care – Irregular Times

U.S. Representative Frank LoBiondo likes to present himself as someone who’s against raising taxes in order to support health care reform. In a recent statement, Representative LoBiondo explained that he would vote against Democrats’ health care reform legislation because the legislation would increase spending, thus requiring higher taxes and a bigger federal budget deficit.

OPINION

GrassleyWatch: Tracking Grassley’s Efforts To Obstruct Health Care Reform – Think Progress

In March, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) raised eyebrows when he urged opponents of health care reform to continue lying about the consequences of comparative effectiveness research and electronic medical records. Since then, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee has adopted the rhetoric of the far right, routinely referring to health care reform as a government takeover of health care, disingenuously misrepresenting reform legislation, and even going so far as to endorse and sign a copy of Glenn Beck’s book.

An Alternative to the Public Option I Could Live With – Mike Lux

The folks who read my blog posts might be surprised to learn that there is an alternative to the public option I could live with (besides single-payer, of course, that being my preferred option from the beginning). I have been an advocate for a very hard line on the public option, as I discussed here yesterday. But there is one other alternative I would feel okay about, and Bob Creamer outlines it today in his great post, Three Reasons Why a Strong Public Option is Likely to Be Part of Health Insurance Reform. Here’s the part of Bob’s post I’m referring to.

Conrad On Whether His Co-Op Proposal Will Bring Down Costs Of Health Care: ‘Uhhh, No’ – Think Progress

This morning on CNN, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), the author of the health care co-op proposal that is apparently gaining traction among many Democrats, argued it’s a “very successful business model.” But when host John Roberts repeatedly pressed Conrad on whether the creation of non-profit, member-driven health care cooperatives would drive down costs for consumers, Conrad acknowledged they would not.

Why Is Max Baucus Sticking by Chuck Grassley? – Ezra Klein

"I walked away from Senator Grassley. I tend to work with Senator Grassley. But there comes a time when you just gotta say, ‘Sorry.’ These things get watered down too much, it’s just not right, so I just broke with him on that and pushed through a Medicare bill that finally got 60 votes. We had to work hard to get those 60, because Grassley didn’t agree, but that was the right thing to do. So when Ted Kennedy walked on the floor to cast the 60th vote, that’s a moment I’ll always treasure."

Health Care: Let the Majority Be Heard - Bob Borosage

The editors of the Wall Street Journal say that the public option in health care reform has been "sent to the death panel." Obama "concedes" the public option, reports the Financial Times. Even liberals seem to agree. The public option is "all but gone," writes Bob Herbert of the New York Times. The American Prospect’s Mark Schmitt mourns its "likely death."

Diagnosis: Inertia – The New Republic

‘If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan, period." The line comes from President Obama’s recent address to the American Medical Association, but it could have come from virtually any public statement he’s made about health care in the last two years. That is no accident. Polls show that Americans think their health care system has severe problems, enough to warrant a major change. But the same polls show that a large majority are happy with their current health care arrangements.