White House May Cave on Public Plan

Is the White House about to throw its endorsement of a public plan as part of health-care reform under the bus? White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel tells The Wall Street Journal that it’s more important for health-care legislation to create competition in the private market than it is to create a public option. "The goal is to have a means and a mechanism to keep the private insurers honest," Emanuel said. "The goal is non-negotiable; the path is [negotiable]." The White House will announce on Wednesday an agreement with hospitals for $155 billion in reductions in Medicare and charity payments.