Axelrod: Obama Firm on Public Option

Axelrod: Obama Firm on Public Option
Senior White House Adviser "Not Willing to Accept" Removal of Gov't Alternative from Health Care Bill
Durbin: Health care with or w/out GOP

by Mark Silva

Sen. Dick Durbin, No. 2 leader in the Senate and one of President Barack Obama's political mentors, maintains that large-scale health-care reform is achievable this year

"I think we can pass health-care reform,'' Durbin said this morning on NBC News' Meet the Press. "Those who are opposing us, those who are criticizing us, really don't have an alternative....

"Just taking small steps at this point won't stop the increases in health insurance premiums,'' said Durbin, supporting the White House's goal of getting a bill passed by Thanksgivingsee the video above.

"I'm not going to presume any Republican senators at this point,'' said Durbin (D-Ill.), asked about the potential vote count and the possibility of getting 60 in the Senatesee the video below. "We're going to work closely with our members too... We invite Republicans to join us for this historic opportunity. If they do not, we still are going to go forward.''

And, Durbin suggested, the "public option'' which is causing the president so much trouble is not off the table. What about the contention that it cannot pass the Senate?

"I wouldn't go that far,'' Durbin says.

Sen. John Cornyn, the Texas Republican who delivered the party's response to Obama's weekly address this week, maintains that his party wants to work with the president and the Democrats "to try to come up with a common sense... solution.''

Eighty percent of what's on the table is something that everyone can agree upon, he suggestedthe other 20 percent is the problem. (see the video above)

Cornyn has accused Obama of paying "lip service'' to bipartisanship in his determination to get a bill passed.

"I think he has,'' Cornyn said, calling the president's address to a joint session of Congress last week "a good speech...'' But "there's a difference between campaigning, giving a good speech and actually governing, and I think we're seeing that disconnect here.''

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