One of the ways that Obama has managed to navigate a course to appease Republicans and AIG and still retain his liberal "bona fides" is by keeping the liberal interest groups in a veal pen.  Every Tuesday, they are given their instructions and are expected to toe the line.  If the White House wants them to shut up about the banks, no problem.  If Rahm shows up and pitches a shit fit telling them they are "fucking stupid" and that they shouldn’t advertise against Blue Dogs, well — everyone stops advertising against Blue Dogs.

Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO was here the other day and has been quite vocal in his commitment not to support any health care bill that does not have a public plan.  So on the heels of three reports today — CNN, Politico and Stephanopolous — that the public plan is gone and it’s just a matter of how the White House is going to tell grandma, we learn that Obama will appear with Trumka over Labor Day to talk about health care:

President Barack Obama will unveil a retooled campaign for his health care overhaul on Labor Day at a massive union picnic in Cincinnati.

Obama will attend the AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Day shindig at Coney Island, an old amusement park on the Ohio River, accompanied by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka.

No word yet on content, but the president’s supporting cast could offer a clue. Last month, Trumka warned Democrats that union forces would sit out the next election if they passed a health plan that did not include the so-called public option, a government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers.

This morning, Politico reported that "some administration officials welcome a showdown with liberal lawmakers if they argue they would rather have no health care law than an incremental one. The confrontation would allow Obama to show he is willing to stare down his own party to get things done."

Yeah, let’s see him speak to the Labor Day crowd at an AFL-CIO rally and have a "showdown."  Let’s see him "stare down his own party."   

Far more likely — he’ll talk about his "goody bag" of no denial for pre existing condition, community rating, guaranteed issue and minimum required package.  Nobody will know what he’s talking about, and he’ll leave it to others to break the bad news to grandma.  Then those profiles in courage,  "anonymous administration officials," will do the bad-mouthing of "liberal extremists" to the Washington Post, and Obama will soak up all that centrist street cred.

I’m  much more curious to see see if Trumka bellies up to the veal pen and starts selling the "goody bag," or remains true to his word.