Obama tells Rahm to shut up on dissing public option

As I blogged a while ago, earlier today, President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said the White House was okey-dokey with no public option in any healthcare reform.

(For more on Rahm’s statements see this blog post.)

Well, apparently, the progressive advocates that Obama is trying to get to shut up and stop bothering more conservative Democratic Senators have even bothered the Prez himself. From Russia (with no love?), Obama told Rahm, politely STFU.

And, Ezra Klein piles on.

But, we already have a voice of caution, and rightfully so.

Jane Hamsher says she doesn’t see much difference between Emanuel’s initial comments and Obama’s follow-up.

Let’s read Obama’s statement carefully:

“One of the best ways to bring down costs, provide more choices, and assure quality is a public option that will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest.

But, in a neolib world, a “trigger” idea like Emanuel first mentioned would theoretically do that.

So, good catch by Jane.

Oh, if you want to keep holding the feet of Rahm, and Sens. Nelson, Hagen, Feinstein, Landrieu, etc., to the fire, sign the petition.