Obama's "Self-Reliant" Public Option

Our president said that he supports a public option, qualifying that it must be "self-sufficient and rely on the premiums it collects." Two questions:

1. If the whole point of having a public option is for those who can't afford insurance, who's going to pay these premiums? By definition, the people you're trying to help are those who can't afford insurance, and yet you're going to restrict restrict expenses to come in under the amount collected by them? Um, if these people could afford to pay premiums, they wouldn't need your program, would they?

Seriously, Mr. President.

2. When, in the history of government, has any government program actually been known to break even?