Insurance companies freak out because the base will not let congressional Democrats kill the public option. Schumer’s plan to gut the individual mandate which would force people to buy private health insurance probably added to the AHIP’s fury. Bill Nelson has no love for the public option opt-out. Conrad’s co-op idea is slowly fading into [...]

Religious leaders of all stripes are pushing for health care reform, rooted in the belief that health care is a basic right for all people, not a commodity. Not that you’d know this by following the TradMed . . .

The individual mandate (without the public option) has been a top priority of the health insurance industry. Who would not want millions of new customers to be forced to buy their very expensive product? Sen. Chuck Schumer has been working to actively cripple or destroy the individual mandate. An amendment offered in the Senate Finance [...]

In response to the comment about White House disdain for the “liberal fringe” reported by NBC’s John Harwood last night, some are suggesting that the word “adviser” could mean this is coming from someone outside the White House. Steve Benen: Harwood cited “one adviser.” Now, “adviser” can have ambiguous meanings in political reporting. I’ve seen [...]

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the EconomyLast night following the equality march in DC, John Harwood appeared on MSNBC saying that the White House viewed these “base” problems as “part of the internet left fringe.” He quoted a White House “adviser” who said that “bloggers need to take off their [...]

The CBO’s brutal analysis of Conrad’s proposal for small, state-based co-ops may have been the final fatal blow for the idea. The Hill reports that prospects for the co-ops are fading fast; it is an idea with few defenders and many detractors: “It doesn’t have much of a constituency beyond Conrad because it doesn’t please [...]

HARWOOD: Sure but If you look at the polling, Barack Obama is doing well with 90% or more of Democrats so the White House views this opposition as really part of the “internet left fringe” Lester. And for a sign of how seriously the White House does or doesn’t take this opposition one adviser told me today those bloggers need to take off their pajamas get dressed and realize that governing a closely divided country is complicated and difficult.

John Aravosis: What did President Obama say new tonight? Absolutely nothing. What did the Human Rights Campaign get in exchange for once again giving our president cover for all of his broken promises to our community? Absolutely nothing. I like HRC, I know a lot of people who work there, I’ve defended them when others [...]

I asked Charles Chamberlain, the Executive Director of DFA, where they stood on the opt-out. His response:

Every American deserves the choice of a public option, not just those who live in Democratic states. Further, it is impossible to allow states to opt-out and still be a national plan. It would be a morally unacceptable compromise if Democratic Senators let Republican states opt-out because too many Americans would continue to suffer and in some cases even die without health coverage. It’s time for Democrats to stop negotiating with themselves in an attempt to get Republican votes. The majority of Americans want a public option and are depending on the Democratic Majority in congress to pass real reform with a national public option available to everyone on day one. We have the majority votes needed in both houses of Congress to pass a public option now, It’s time to get the job done.