Obama offical hints the White House has given up on a popular policy and then backtracks

[DrToast]

Kathleen Sebilius - August 16, 2009

In a monopoly system, it's not a great way to hold down costs. So he continues to be very supportive of some options for consumers. What we don't know is exactly what the Senate Finance Committee is likely to come up. They've been more focused on a co-op, not-for- profit co- op as a competitor as opposed to a straight government-run program.

And I think what's important is choice and competition. And I'm convinced at the end of the day, the plan will have both of those. But that is not the essential element. (re: the Public Option

Kathleen Sebilius - August 18, 2009

Here’s the bottom-line: absolutely nothing has changed. We continue to support the public option that will help lower costs, give American consumers more choice, and keep private insurers honest. If people have other ideas about how to accomplish these goals, we’ll look at those too, but the public option is a very good way to do this.

Any of this sound familiar?

Courtesy of this diary over on DK: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/11/919673/-WH-plays-exact-same-semantic-games-as-they-did-one-year-ago!-

[ProSense]

1. Good grief. Is this more let's frame the GOP argument for them?

Have you read this

There is such a thing as having the votes. People are in the process of criticizing the administration for folding before the negotiations so what do they do to make that argument: show the administration trying to keep a negotiating position.

[DrToast]

2. Good grief? No kidding...

[ProSense]

3. So you think they're going to cave

always. Why bother being surprised when they do?

[DrToast]

4. All I'm surprised about is that there are still people who don't think they're going to cave.

[ProSense]

5. Maybe it's because

everyone isn't simplistically looking at this as caving versus not caving.

[DrToast]

6. Maybe....but probably not

[Pholus]

7. Thanks. I can't stop laughing when I see that picture cause it sums up EXACTLY how I feel.

Oh well, maybe NEXT time we won't pre-emptively surrender on an important issue and show some spine/principle.

Sad that this is what "Hope and Change" means for me now.

[flpoljunkie]

12. It's especially telling when Chuck Todd says temporary extension will be 1-3 years

We can guess what this means. Spineless Democrats who don't want this to come up for a vote until after the 2012 election whispering in Chuckie's ear.

[flpoljunkie]

9. Like your signature line. Am also a big supporter of the Fair Elections Now Act.

[DrToast]

10. It's the root of the problem.*

*

[flpoljunkie]

11. Indeed! We need them to work for us and not the special interests who fill their campaign coffers

to run all those rotten teevee ads!

[brentspeak]

8. The WH "continued to support" the public option

Sounds an awful like Axelrod saying the WH "continues to support" not making the top-2% tax cuts permanent. More song-and-dance from Obama's WH.