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Headlines! Wednesday, August 19

Posted by: Erin Kelly on Aug 19, 2009

The Public Plan -The New York Times

For the sake of a health care deal, President Obama is hinting that he may be willing to drop the idea of a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers and hold down premium costs. He should not give up without first getting a strong alternative to achieve the same goals - and so far there is nothing very strong on the political horizon.

House Dems Seek Info from Health Insurers -AP

Democrats on a House committee are seeking detailed financial records from dozens of large insurance companies, officials disclosed Tuesday, part of an investigation into ''executive compensation and other business practices'' in an industry opposed to President Barack Obama's plan to overhaul health care.

Obama to Hold Call with Supporters -Politico

Seeking to recapture the energy of his campaign organization, President Barack Obama is holding "a live strategy meeting" on health care - online and via conference call - with grass-roots supporters on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

Diagnosis: Inertia -The New Republic

If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan, period." The line comes from President Obama's recent address to the American Medical Association, but it could have come from virtually any public statement he's made about health care in the last two years. That is no accident. Polls show that Americans think their health care system has severe problems, enough to warrant a major change. But the same polls show that a large majority are happy with their current health care arrangements.

Health Care: Let the Majority Be Heard -The Huffington Post

The editors of the Wall Street Journal say that the public option in health care reform has been "sent to the death panel." Obama "concedes" the public option, reports the Financial Times. Even liberals seem to agree. The public option is "all but gone," writes Bob Herbert of the New York Times. The American Prospect's Mark Schmitt mourns its "likely death."

A Health Care Cheat Sheet -The Washington Post

Next time someone tells you that health-care reform is complicated and impossible to explain, give them this...

Barney Frank Confronts Woman at Town Hall Comparing Obama to Hitler -The Huffington Post

At a Barney Frank town hall meeting in Dartmouth, MA, a constituent asks, "Why are you supporting this Nazi policy?"