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O speech today for seriously ailing bill

President Obama will deliver a make-or-break speech on health care tonight as he tries to revive his plan in the face of plunging public support, defections by key Democratic allies, and the aftermath of a month of brutal criticism in town-hall meetings across the country.

In the 8 p.m. address to a joint session of Congress and the nation, Obama will offer “a lot of clarity about what I think is the best way to move forward” in overhauling the nation’s massive health-care system, he told ABC’s “Good Morning America” in an interview set to air today.

Obama met with congressional leaders yesterday as Sen. Max Baucus, the chairman of the key Finance Committee, talked with a bipartisan group of negotiators to pitch his compromise plan, which includes fining individuals up to $950 and families up to $3,800 if they don’t get health insurance.

The Montana Democrat’s bill, which has no “public option,” or government-run health insurance plan, is based on weeks of intense negotiations to try to enlist some Republican support.

Among its components:

* Starting in 2013, everyone in the country will have to sign up for some form of health insurance, in the same way that all drivers must have auto insurance.

Individuals who don’t enroll would be fined $750 to $950 a year, while families who balk face fines of $1,500 to $3,800.

* Low-income people — such as those earning below $32,000 — would be eligible for tax credits to pay for the insurance.

* A 35 percent tax would be levied on insurance companies for health plans above $8,000 for singles and $21,000 for family plans.

* Health-insurance providers would pay an annual fee of $6 billion starting in 2010. Each company’s share of the fee would depend on its market share of the insurance business.

Tonight, Obama will be closely watched for what he says about the “public option,” which is championed by liberals but losing support fast among middle-of-the-road Democrats.

The president may address another concern — estimates that his health overhaul could add trillions of dollars to the country’s deficit over the next decade.

Obama said in the TV interview, “The intent of the speech is to, A, make sure that the American people are clear exactly what it is that we are proposing, [and] B, to make sure that Democrats and Republicans understand that I’m open to new ideas.”

Reaction to the speech will be closely monitored because Obama has made health-care reform his No.1 domestic priority, and a failure to win approval from Congress could doom the rest of his agenda.

Among the latest fast-moving developments:

* Obama said in an interview with Men’s Health magazine that a tax on sugared soda is an idea worth considering. “There’s no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda. And every study that’s been done about obesity shows that there is as high a correlation between increased soda consumption and obesity as just about anything else,” the president said.

* Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas, a leader of the moderate and conservative Blue Dog Democrats, said the “overwhelming” opposition of his constituents had forced him to change his mind.

Ross voted for legislation that included a public option when it reached a House committee in July, but yesterday said he would vote against it if it gets to the floor.

* The No. 2 House Democrat, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, also edged away, saying the public option isn’t essential.

“If the public option were not in there, I could still support a bill, because I think there is a lot in there that is good,” Hoyer (Md.) said.

* Even though the Democrats have a substantial House majority, a head count showed that the versions of the legislation that have passed committees will be in trouble when they reach the floor.

At least 23 House Democrats have announced they will vote no, according to TheHill.com. If that number exceeds 38 — and all Republicans in the House also vote no — the legislation would be doomed.

* Thirty-nine percent of Americans want their representative to vote against the legislation, and 37 percent want their rep to support it, according to a Gallup Poll. With Post Wire Services

andy.soltis@nypost.com