American Morning
Obama about to pull 'trigger' on health care?
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Obama's speech to Congress Wednesday on health care reform will probably be one of the high-noon moments of his presidency.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/08/congress.trigger/art.obamaflag.gi.jpg caption="President Obama has faced pushback from members of his party on a public health care option."]
Surrounded by liberals demanding a government-run public option and centrist Democrats - along with Republicans - who want to dump the option, Obama just might have his finger on something that can get him through this health care showdown: the "trigger" option.
The idea would give insurance companies a defined period to make changes in order to help cover more people and drive down long-term costs. If those changes failed to occur within the defined period, a trigger would provide for a public option to force change on the insurance companies.
Watch: Pressure on public option 
A public option is a government-funded, government-run health care option, similar to Medicare. Under the plan, people would pay premiums 10 to 20 percent less than private insurance.
About this Show
Welcome to the American Morning blog where you can get daily news updates from American Morning's reporters and producers. Join us for "the most news in the morning," weekdays from 6-9 a.m. ET, only on CNN.
On Twitter
It's a matter of fairness, those who can't get insurance somewhere need something. The private insurance companies don't want to provide it to people who are sick. We need some place to get insurance. If you are a single pay and have anything that requires a payout of health insurance you can just forget it.
I am non-partisan, I have no dog in either side of the political party bashing. I even had seriously consider voting for Obama in the last election, however his choice of running mates and other decisions he made close to the end changed my mind, His approach to socialized health care being one of the main issues. However after the election, I hoped for better things from him then what we have seen. His approach to health care has if anything gotten worse not better, in the fact that his options, are slowly becoming government mandates. This is really concerning to me, because where does it stop. Add to that, the fact that it seems that 90% of the effort expended by President Obama and his administration is directed at this government mandated health care package, what of the other major issues facing our country (Economy, Social Security, Mortgage Practices, etc), they are left with 10% of his time and probably less than 10% of his attention. We are fast approaching the one year mark with this administration, and what has really been accomplished, even better what foundation for future progress has been laid? It has so far been a year marked by political in fighting a lot of this from within the Presidents own party. At this rate the only legacy Obama will leave is one of indecisive political meanderings.
The "trigger" option.....hmmmmm.......how appropriate. The Democrats, having taken back Congress and put the first decent, honest and smart man in the white house in decades are now going to do what, sadly, they have lately become so famous for..... shoot themselves in the foot. Doing so, they shoot down any chance for meaningful health care reform. I am a proud progressive, liberal Democrat but I have to agree with many conservatives now, I do not want any forced health care that will require me to pay for an insurance policy from a private company. If the government tries to force me , by law, to further fill the coffers of insurance companies with even more profits I will bury what little retirement savings I have left(about 20% of what it was 3 years ago) and Go completely "off grid". When they catch me I will DEMAND to be incarcerated, refuse to divulge where my pittance of savings are buried and walk proudly into Leavenworth as a true American Patriot !!!!!
Welcome to the new U.S. of A. ..... government of the corporation, by the ..... well, you get it.
I believe that the health care battle was the last battle ground for the soul and future of this nation. In 2 generations or less this nation will be nothing more that a provence of the Chinese corporate communist/totalitarian super power. The ironic thing about that, is that the right wing religious wack jobs that have allied themselves with the corporate facists will pay a price far greater than their tiny imaginations would ever come up with.
What ever is done now can be undone later the speakers time is almost up . Will Obamas power slip away when Nancys gone.
This morning I had seen on your program that the idiots in congress are looking at a plan that penalizes FAMILIES, a family of 4~ $3, 800 a year if they choose to NOT have insurance. NO HEALTH CARE BILL! I am sick of their "FORCED" health care because they want to continue to poison our food with cancer causing toxic waste GMO's. Pelosi seems like a very stupid woman. We need to get her OUT of government!!!!