Greg Sargent has a really important find.
The White House is circulating happy poll numbers in favor of health care reform.
But the White House is not circulating the happy poll numbers–from the very same polls!!–in favor of the public option.
Okay, so the White House is circulating an upbeat polling memo citing a bunch of public surveys showing that public opinion still tilts heavily in Obama’s favor on health care.
The memo, by Obama pollster Joel Benenson, doesn’t mention the public option (the White House may not be committed to it) and largely cites general numbers showing support for action and for Obama’s plan.
But here’s the funny thing: We went back and checked, and virtually every poll cited in this memo also found strong support for the inclusion of a pulic plan.
Click through for Greg’s numbers: the White House doesn’t want you to know that 60%, 55%, and 59% (and 43% in a flawed MSNBC poll) of people surveyed want a public option.
So Obama is not just planning to ditch progressives and the rest of the majority of the country in favor of a public option. But he’s willing to be dishonest in doing so.