She Didn't Say That

In the read between the lines common sense culture that political journalism ensures, we are able to decode the simplest of cryptic messages.

But with how no one yet on the Democratic side wants to be the upfront person and say "The public option is dead once and for all", then any phrase parsing that could indicate a Democratic figure saying that vaunted message is very silly in my mind.

We have already heard Jay Rockegeller and Robert Gibbs outright say or indicate that "The Public option doesn't have the votes in the Senate" the last few weeks in the midst of the public option revival. Yet, the public option is still being talked about.

Yet, most sites, and even great ones I respect like TPM, have rushed to proclaim what Nancy Pelosi said in the press conference as her saying "The Public Option is dead." That is not fair at all to the Speaker, and brings any claims of "Nancy Pelosi has killed the public option" are real possible from some.

That in itself is highly unfair to the Speaker of the House.

Look, Pelosi could have clandestinely felt that the PO was dead by saying the same line that Gibbs uttered a week or so ago, that "there aren't enough vote sin the Senate for it."

That highly questionable opinion on her side is a whole other discussion we can have, especially in her response to Dick Durbin's ridiculous assertion that the public option rest in the House's hands now. Pelosi made sure to remind everyone something that they should all know by now, that the House already passed a public option in their bill.

But the main point of this whole thing is the fact that Pelosi didn't outright say "The public option is dead."

She didn't say "The public option is gone", "the public option definitely won't be in the final bill." All she said was that "I'm sad it's not in the Senate bill."

Once again, until a prominent Dem figure like President Obama or his spokespeople, Harry Reid, Pelosi say it, or the Dems have the courage to allow a potential vote on a public option amendment in the Senate and turn down the PO then, then the "Public option isn't dead."

And everyone rushing to make assumed headlines based on what Pelosi said is both unfair to the Speaker and disregarding how everything in this entire process has been capricious.

Could she have meant that in spirit? Of course.

But it's really reckless to make headlines for something she didn't outright say and go run with it.