Say Goodbye to the Public Option

Republican poll numbers are tanking. Democrats have supermajorities in the House and Senate. President Barack Obama created the hugest grassroots coalition of any President in history. The public have voiced disapproval in the current state of health care. Obama came in with political advantages Bill Clinton could only dream of having.

Obama first major "health care reform" was promising the "pharmaceutical industry" the White House would not support any legislation that would allow the federal government to negotiate the price of drugs. Under the Obama administration, the taxpayer and patients can look forward to being charged more for prescription drugs. This is change Megan McCardle can believe in.

The latest progressive change is the White House will most likely drop the public option. Press Sec. Robert Gibbs hinted, as much, on Face the Nation.

"What I am saying is the bottom line for this for the president is, what we have to have is choice and competition in the insurance market. Again, if you are in a place in this country where you only get one choice, how in the world are you going to be able to convince anybody that you are driving down costs when you don't have to compete against anything."

Can anyone say that Obama operated the health care debate like a chess master? The advantage was his and he refuses to go on the offensive. Obama never put single payer on the table. The public option is near death. Republicans are going to keep pressing. Whatever Obama passes can not be declared victory.