Well this probably won’t make reformers very happy. White House adviser David Axelrod now says that, in his speech before Congress tonight, President Barack Obama will acknowledge the potential for compromise on the public option
“He believes the public [option] choice, within that pool that we’re going to create for uninsured Americans and small businesses would be helpful in terms of bringing competition and choice. He thinks that could be good for consumers, and he’s going to make the case for that, but he’s also going to make the point that this is not–this is an ends to a means. It’s not the essence of this debate. It’s a part of–it’s one of the tools, and there are other ideas out there that-to-bring competition and choice that are–that are worthy as well,” Axelrod said.
Emphasis mine. Questioned further by Wolf Blitzer, Axelrod said Obama will nod at both of most commonly suggested public option alternatives: the co-op model, and the triggered public option.
“He will acknowledge [co-ops],” Axelrod said. “There’s the idea of putting trigger on the public option so it goes into effect at some date when it’s clear that a market is uncompetitive. There are a number of ideas, but what is very important is that we have the kind of competition and choice that will help consumers in many states in this country.”
