Madfloridian's Journal - TPMTV: "No bright lines in the sand" on the public option in health care.

Sunday Show Roundup: No Bright Lines in the Sand

"As the health care debate heats up over the summer one of the central arguing points will be the possibility of creating a "public" or government-run insurance option as part of the reform bill. We take a look at how the early argument is shaping up and how important a public option seems to be to President Obama in today's Sunday Show Roundup.
Added Jun 29, 2009 8:51am"

More about not drawing bright lines in the sand.

It's not just for health care. It could carry over to other issues such as women's rights, gay rights.

MR. AXELROD: Well, first of all, I think that if we don't pass healthcare reform it's going to be a catastrophic problem for the country, not just the Democratic Party; for families, businesses and the country itself. Look, we believe strongly in, in a public choice; not one that's subsidized by the government, but one that will embrace the best practices, that will reduce healthcare costs and give people the best quality care. What the president said was illogical were the same people who say that the government is incompetent, the government can't run anything, the government shouldn't be involved in, in anything say, but we can't let that be one of the choices because it'll be an unfair advantage against the, against the insurance companies.

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Not a government-run option? Fear of the right?

And no bright lines in the sand.

MR. AXELROD: Look, we have gotten a long way down the road by not drawing bright lines in the sand, other than on the major points, which is that we can't add to the deficit with this healthcare reform, so it has to be paid fore, it has to reduce costs, and we want to make sure that all Americans have a quality, affordable health care. Those are the, those are the things that have to be accomplished. People have different ideas. We're willing to listen to those ideas. But that's where we're--that--those are the imperatives that we have to sell.

So I am getting confused on which are major points that we do draw those lines about.