you believe that a marketplace is uncompetitive if there’s no government option ? that competition is only between a government-supported entity and private firms (competition between a myriad of private firms isn’t “true” competition because wull, ya jes cain trust em private bidnisses!).
See HHS Secretary Sebelius’ comments yesterday, for example:
“I think what’s important is choice and competition, and I’m convinced that at the end of the day the plan will have both of those — but that is not the essential element,” she said of the government-run insurance option on CNN’s “State of the Union” show. …
“I think there will be a competitor to private insurers,” Sebelius said. “That’s really the essential part, is you don’t turn over the whole new marketplace to private insurance companies and trust them to do the right thing.”
Since those remarks, there has been a confusion of messages from the White House as to whether the secretary “misspoke” or whether “the media misplayed it.”
My friend Mike Adams remarked yesterday that Obama had told the press he’s losing the health care debate because the private sector is running a more efficient publicity campaign. Hence, he said, the private sector is outperforming the public sector in the discussion of health care policy. He then drew the glaringly obvious object lesson.
