Two interesting items today...the administration seems ready to drop the public option in health care reform and the New York Times published a featured article claiming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is the one facing the risks when it comes to the president's accelerated agenda. Could a tossing of the trusted advisor under the bus be far behind?

Continued...

Making the rounds of the Sunday talk shows, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that government alternative to private health insurance is "not the essential element" of the administration's health care overhaul. The White House would be open to co-ops, she said, a sign that Democrats want a compromise. (source) This sign of compromise will undoubtedly be seen as surrender to the administration's opponents and will infuriate the far left base.

Meanwhile in the Times article, Mr. Emanuel is identified as "the principal author of Mr. Obama’s do-everything-at-once strategy...he stands to become a figure of consequence in his own right if the administration stabilizes the economy and financial markets, overhauls the health care system and winds down one war while successfully prosecuting another." But the article goes on to say that if things do not go well...it is Mr. Emanuel whose job will be on the line before Mr. Obama’s. (source)

Interesting timing that the very liberal leaning New York Times seems to be offering up the person to blame just as President Obama is facing his most public policy failure. Add that to the dropping poll numbers, the swelling of the deficit due to over spending and the volatile situation in Afghanistan and some might think it's time to give the press and the public a sacrificial lamb so that the administration can get a seemingly fresh start.