The White House made clear in the weekend major newspapers that Democrats who want to make a stand on a public health insurance option in a health reform bill need to move out of the way.

That is still aggravating liberal Democrats - especially in the House - who don't want anything less than what is described as a "robust" public option.

The President also moved on benefits for illegal immigrants, the subject that touched off the "You lie!" outburst during his speech to the Congress last week.

Late on Friday night, the White House circulated to major news organizations a series of items:

1) Illegals won't be able to buy private insurance through the health insurance exchanges that would be created under the bill

2) Illegals could still buy private market insurance (as they can do today) outside the exchange.

3) Verification would be required when people buy health insurance to make sure illegals aren't trying to get coverage through the exchanges.

The law would stay the same on emergency care for illegals, which is allowed through Medicaid already.

When I tried on Saturday to get a copy of the bullet points sent out by the White House, I was - to put it mildly - rebuffed.

I emailed Deputy White House Press Secretary Reid Cherlin, who was quoted extensively in a story in Saturday's New York Times, and asked if I could get the information emailed to me.

"Where are you seeing that I distributed "talking points"?" Cherlin replied somewhat huffily to me by email.

He then went on to say that "having never worked with you or heard from you before, I don't think it's unreasonable that I didn't send anything to you."

Hmmm.

I guess I hit a nerve by having the nerve to ask for information from the White House Press Office.

At least he didn't give me a Serena Williams reply.

The bottom line here, with or without Mr. Cherlin's assistance, is that it seems very likely that there will be specific provisions in a health reform bill which will try to close any loopholes - real or imagined - about illegal immigrants getting benefits under a health reform bill.

A group of six Senators who've been working on a deal hope to hammer out a final agreement on that exact issue today.

That probably won't sit well with more liberal Democrats in the House. But it's just part of the price they will have to pay if they want to get a bill through the Congress this year.

They can give in on some things, or they can have a repeat of 15 years ago. Just wait unitl they have to imagine stomaching tort reform as well.