Todd: Obama Not Willing To Scrap Public Option

NBC Senior Political Reporter Chuck Todd
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NBC News correspondent Chuck Todd said today that President Obama “is not going to throw away the public option,” but will likely turn to the “trigger” option that’s been proposed by Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe.

“This president loves to find the middle ground,” Todd said. “The middle ground to keep the Democrats together appears to be this trigger idea.”

Todd said it would be a way for Obama to keep the public option alive and bring in the “left flank” of his party.

With the apparent departure of Sens. Chuck Grassley and Mike Enzi from the negotiating table, Snowe has become the major GOP negotiator in the Senate. She supports a “trigger” option, in which a government corporation would offer a public plan in any state where fewer than 95 percent of people have access to affordable coverage.

Yesterday, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) said that, although he didn’t support such an option, it might be able to pass the House.

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