WASHINGTON, June 28 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will fight for a public option in healthcare reform but will not draw "bright lines in the sand," a White House adviser said Sunday.
In an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," top Obama adviser David Axelrod said the president would not sign healthcare reform legislation that is not paid for, does not reduce costs and does not result in "quality, affordable healthcare" for all Americans. Axelrod said Obama "wants a robust public option" to compete against private healthcare plans by allowing consumers to buy coverage offered by the government, but he suggested the president would not demand Congress enact a public option.