Liberals to Obama: Don't Sell Us Out on Health Care

Progressive groups are worried that President Obama is going to go wobbly on them on health care. The Washington Post reports that the president has signaled he's open to compromise on the inclusion of a public insurance plan. Key conservatives like Sen. Charles Grassley hate the idea of a public plan, but for unions and liberals, it’s non-negotiable. “The sacred cow on the left and the right is the public plan,” says former Sen. Tom Daschle.

The president, meanwhile, seems mainly concerned with finding something that can pass. There are broad goals, says a spokeswoman, but “the administration is open to all ideas for achieving those goals.” That’s exactly what worries the left. “You don't make compromises with your allies,” says a union chief. The Senate Finance Committee meets today, kicking off the official bill-creating process.