The paeans to Obama's speech last evening can be found on many blogs and web sites, but I think two of the most honest and insightful reports about it are the following.

From McClatchy News:  "On perhaps the most controversial single plank in his program, Obama endorsed creating a "public option" government program to compete against private insurers, but he didn't insist that it be included.

"Instead, he left room for alternatives that liberal Democrats in Congress are resisting. Those include creating nonprofit health care co-operatives; a "trigger" mechanism for a public option to kick in later if private insurers fail to meet benchmarks of coverage; or perhaps simply tightening regulations on private insurers."

And from Matthew Rothschild at The Progressive, an absolutely on target critique: "...when Obama got down to specifics, he gave only tepid support to the public option.

"Hell, from the sounds of his speech, the public option is a goner.

"When he finally got around to discussing the concept, he used the word 'can' instead of 'must': 'An additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange.'

"And after he went on defending the virtues of his diluted public option (the only people who could join would be the uninsured), he then tiptoed away from it.

"And after he went on defending the virtues of his diluted public option (the only people who could join would be the uninsured), he then tiptoed away from it.

" 'Its impact shouldn't be exaggerated – by the left, the right, or the media,' he said. 'It is only one part of my plan, and should not be used as a handy excuse for the usual Washington ideological battles.'  He called it 'only a means' to an end.

"He then suggested he’d be open to co-ops instead, or a trigger later on for a public option if the private insurers don’t behave themselves.

"You could almost see the white flag in his suit coat pocket.

"...one of the best ways to reduce the costs in Medicare is to allow the government to bargain for bulk drug discounts, but Obama already gave that store away. (In his speech, he bragged about how the drug companies are backing his bill, but he didn’t reveal why.)

"Obama also exaggerated the budgetary problem of health care when he said, 'Our health care problem is our deficit problem.'

"Actually, war is our deficit problem—$3 trillion for Iraq, and more for Afghanistan.

"Actually, bailing out banks is our deficit problem—several trillion more, when you count the guarantees.

"And Obama misled the country when he said single-payer would require us to “build an entirely new system from scratch.”

"No, it wouldn’t.

"The system is in place.

"It’s called Medicare.

"And it works very well.

"It’s a pity that a President with such intelligence and such eloquence and, yes, 'large heartedness' has not used his attributes—along with his power and popularity—in service of the most sensible and profound solution to the health care problem.

"Instead, he’s left the private insurance companies and the drug companies running the show."

Amen, brother.

Any progressive who thinks Obama's speech showed that he has an actual, viable plan that will finally put the US on par with the rest of the other industrialized countries' health care coverage for all is grasping at straws or delusional. 

Obama is not a 21st century FDR, but is proving himself to be a 21st century Rockefeller Republican.