Clarification

Turns our rumors of the demise of the public option have been (greatly) exaggerated.

An administration official said tonight that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "misspoke" when she told CNN this morning that a government run health insurance option "is not an essential part" of reform. This official asked not to be identified in exchange for providing clarity about the intentions of the President. The official said that the White House did not intend to change its messaging and that Sebelius simply meant to echo the president, who has acknowledged that the public option is a tough sell in the Senate and is, at the same time, a must-pass for House Democrats, and is not, in the president's view, the most important element of the reform package.

A second official, Linda Douglass, director of health reform communications for the administration, said that President Obama believed that a public option was the best way to reduce costs and promote competition among insurance companies, that he had not backed away from that belief, and that he still wanted to see a public option in the final bill.

"Nothing has changed.," she said. "The President has always said that what is essential that health insurance reform lower costs, ensure that there are affordable options for all Americans and increase choice and competition in the health insurance market. He believes that the public option is the best way to achieve these goals."


A third White House official, via e-mail, said that Sebelius didn't misspeak. "The media misplayed it," the third official said.

Misplayed indeed.

This is the kind of thing you can bet will happen until health care reform gets passed. The GOP and the drive by media will announce certain platforms dead just to see if the WhiteHouse will let the meme linger out there and rile up liberals and progressives. I am really happy that the Obama administration jumped all over this right away. I am really interested to see if the end of life provisions make it into the final bill too for that matter.

For now we just have to wait and see. And pray.