Line In The Sand Drawn: House Liberals Give Obama The Business

Sargent

In a letter delivered to the White House moments ago, the two leaders of the bloc of House progressives bluntly told President Obama that they will not support any health care plan without a public option in it — and demanded a meeting to inform him face to face.

You see that, demanding a meeting with him.

Continuing.....

“Any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, a public option built on the Medicare provide system and with reimbursement based on Mediare rates — not negotiated rate — is unacceptable,” reads the letter, which was sent over by a source. It was signed by Reps. Lynn Woolsey and Raul Grijalva, the two leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“A health reform bill without a robust public option will not achieve the health reform this country so desperately needs,” the letter continues. “We cannot vote for anything less.”

“We look forward to meeting with you regarding a robust public option in any final health reform bill and request that that meeting take place as soon as possible,” the letter says.

Now, as slinkerwink has said repeatedly, the conference call is probably the crucial point to see whether these individuals will still through and through be with the people, or succumb to those who never wanted a government option that the majority of the nation wants.

But the line in the sand from these House progressives seems to be drawn. And they know full well that they will piss off the most ardent supporters if they betray them with abdicating to a "non-public option bill."

And better yet, to their full credit here, to be fair, they have demanded that they meeting with Obama or "Trigger man" Emmanuel to find out why exactly a Democratic president promising change is acting so un-Democratic (or hardly fully Democratic).

Where will they stand?

Time is of the essence. Time is running out.