Obama Faces Pressure to Postpone the Public Option

President Obama should abandon the "public option" altogether, and push for genuine reform of insurance markets instead. He's a Democratic-socialist, so of course he won't. The guy's apparently willing to tank a second term in the process, so give the dude credit for tenacity (or bone-headedness).

In any case, from CNN, "Obama, Democrats Urged to Find Unity on Health Care Reform":

With health care negotiations stalled until Congress comes back from August recess, a top Democratic strategist says President Obama and his party need to seize control of the debate.

"We need message discipline on the Democratic side," Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Donna Brazile said. "I can't speak for Republicans, but I can tell you, without message discipline, this has been a very difficult, uphill battle for the president."

Obama has spent the past week trying to put out fires sparked after his administration appeared to hedge on support for a government-run public option. Some of the greatest criticism is coming from liberals who are now threatening to vote against any bill that does not include such an option.

At a town hall meeting over the weekend, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, implored the president not to drop the public option plan and said his efforts to be bipartisan are futile.

"Yes, we know that you are a nice man, that you want to work with the opposite side of the aisle. But there comes a time when you need to drop that and move forward," she said. "We're saying to you, Mr. President, 'Be tough. Use everything that you've got. Do what you have to do. And we have your back.'

Maxine Waters pisses me off, frankly. "Be tough ..." Give me a break. The rest of the country is not like Waters' South Central socialist constituency in the 35th Congressional District.

I looked for video the other day of her town hall, which was a no-conflict zone from what I read. Here's some video that's now been uploaded:

My earlier post is here, "Maxine Waters on ObamaCare Protests: 'I Sent Them a Message ... Don't Try That With Maxine Waters'."

Also, from Gateway Pundit, "Socialist Maxine Waters Blasts "Neanderthal" Opposition to Obamacare ...Update: Waters Challenges Town Hall Protesters."