White House In Need of a Spine Donor on Health Care?

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel just said, "The goal is to have a means and a mechanism to keep the private insurers honest. The goal is non-negotiable; the path is [negotiable]."

His comments, in a Wall Street Journal interview, indicate that the Obama Administration would be open to health care reform without a government-run public option, the exact opposite message from New York Senator Charles Schumer, who on Face the Nation Sunday said he would fight for such an option.

"Make no mistake about it, the president is for it strongly. There will be a public option in the final bill," Schumer stated.

This comes after President Obama publicly scolded advocacy groups for attacking conservative Democrats who take money from the health industry and who are therefore leaning against the public option. Seems to be a case of broadcasting what you're willing to do without.

Not a very strong negotiating tactic.

After the jump, a short video giving the public the option of making a @#$! call or two to Emanuel...

Rahm Emanuel's Fear of Clinton Failures Holding Back Gay Rights?

This bit in a Washington Post article about the challenges the Obama administration faces because of "ideologixal diversity" among Democrats spells it out pretty clearly:

"Maintaining a sense of common interest across the party is a paramount goal. Early on, administration officials and Democratic leaders agreed they would steer clear of controversial social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. And to the discontent of many liberal Democrats, Congress intends to remain generally silent on those fronts. 'They know the consequences of '94. It looms,' White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said of the legislative debacles in President Bill Clinton's early tenure that produced the 1994 Republican landslide. 'That division led to failure. . . . Our chances for success only come about by unity. That, as a culture up there, has been enforced by enough people that enough members believe.'" 

Of course, a lot of attitudes can change in five years and the culture is now way ahead of the White House on so many fronts.

(thanks, Pam)

Limbaugh Lights Up Conservatives with Hope for Obama Failure

Racist homophobe radio host Rush Limbaugh rallied conservatives at the CPAC conference this weekend with a 90-minute speech that was scheduled to last 20 minutes. Limbaugh expanded on recent remarks that he hopes Obama and the new Democratic administration fails:

"Doesn't matter to me what his race is. It doesn't matter. He's liberal is what matters to me. And his articulated -- his articulated plans scare me. Now, I understand we can't say we want the President to fail, Mr. Limbaugh. That's like saying -- this is the voice of the New Castrati, by the way, guys who have lost their guts. You can't say Mr. Limbaugh that you want the President to fail because that's like saying you want the country to fail. It's the opposite. I want the country to survive. I want the country to succeed. [Cheers and Applause] [Crowd Chanting 'USA' ]"

Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told Bob Schieffer on Meet the Press that Limbaugh has become the voice of the Republican party:

"He is the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican party. He has been up front about what he views and hasn't stepped back from that which is he hopes for failure. He said it. I compliment him for his honesty but that's their philosophy that is enunciated by Rush Limbaugh. I think that's the wrong philosophy for America."

Clips, AFTER THE JUMP....