Certainly it would be nice to get some consistency from the Obama administration in reference to the health care bill and its components; while they’re at it, they may want to make up their minds as to whether they’re for or against the “single-payer” program.

For those of you who have been following this health care debacle, Obama and other administration officials – proponents of socialized medicine – perhaps because of pressure from Republicans and more importantly we the people, suggested that a public option is not “do-or-die”.

Fortunately for us, the Associated Press did a little fact checking on Obama’s healthy care rhetoric.  I think you will be able to separate the fact from the fiction here:

CLAIM: “I challenge you guys all to go back and see what we’ve said about this over the course of many, many, many, many months, and you’ll find a boring consistency to our rhetoric,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.

THE FACTS: During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama said a new public plan should offer comprehensive insurance similar to that available to federal employees.

In the first half of the year, Obama said repeatedly in speeches, weekly radio and Internet addresses and town halls that he wants a health care overhaul that has a taxpayer-funded public health insurance option. He has said the plan would compete with private insurance to keep costs down.

“That’s why any plan I sign must include an insurance exchange: a one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, cost and track records of a variety of plans — including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest — and choose what’s best for your family,” he said on July 18.

And in a June 3 letter to Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., Obama said: “I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans. This will give them a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive and keep insurance companies honest.”

When Obama hedged this weekend in Colorado — and other administration officials followed suit — liberals cried foul and the White House insisted that the rhetoric hadn’t shifted.

“Must include” became “whether we have it or don’t have it.”

Gibbs repeated the claim, however, in a meeting with reporters Tuesday morning, saying news stories suggesting the administration was ready to abandon the public option were overblown.

Gibbs said there was no intention to indicate a change in policy. “If it was a signal, it was a dog whistle we started blowing weeks ago.”

So you see folks, you’re getting different takes on the health care bill from many different angles, although to be fair here, I find it hard to take seriously anything that Gibbs says anymore.  But I am pretty certain of at least one thing: the health care bill, when it comes up for a vote in either September or October, is sure to meet a timely death in Congress. 

But despite that, do not rest on your laurels, people. Keep attending the tea parties and town hall meetings; our work is nowhere near finished. Trust me when I tell you this: the politicians – especially the Democrats – are running scared. And most certainly, their careers are on the line. But regardless of political stripe, they will have to come to the cold reality that they are first and foremost public servants. 

They have been elected to serve the interests of the public – nothing more and nothing less. There is an election cycle in 2010 and they’re very mindful of that fact, which is why they need to come to their senses and vote smart – in this case, vote NO on all of the various forms of the health care bill that are sitting in both the House of Representatives and Senate.  Because if they don’t, that’s where we step in.  We simply will go to our local polling place and vote them out office. It’s just that simple.