Obama Prepares Health-Care Plan B

Even President Obama is recognizing that his bipartisan health-care summit may not do the trick in pushing through a reform bill. The White House is reportedly already preparing a slightly less sweeping fallback plan. Citing an unnamed source "familiar with the plan," The Wall Street Journal reports that the backup would provide health insurance to around 15 million Americans, which is less than half the number that would be covered under Obama's current proposal. But, at one-quarter of the price—some $950 billion over 10 years—Plan B could be more appealing to the many Republicans in Congress that Obama has yet to win over, particularly without a filibuster-proof Senate at his disposal. Liberals would be disappointed at the cutback, while the amendment would appease conservative Dems anxious about the upcoming midterm elections.