 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
The Health of Health Care
Too early to plan a funeral perhaps, but, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start writing an obit for health care. Just in case.
We’ve all seen now what a textbook example of how NOT to run a race in Massachusetts, looks like. (Hat tip: Martha Coakley) We also have witnessed how if you’ve got a razor-thin majority, you’d better turn some foes into friends pronto. (Sorry, Harry Reid)
This is pure devastation for those who felt they were just a scant few weeks, nay, days before passing health care reform. Did you see it, the highly-uncomfortable looking photo-op of a disgruntled Harry Reid with the GOP’s newfound hero, Scott Brown on Thursday? If you listened hard enough, you could almost hear Reid’s teeth gnashing with resentment. Brown’s cool and calm looking demeanor seemed to indicate his strategy of appearing to be open-minded, and then dashing the Democrats’ dreams.
I asked him if he feels like every Senator on the hill would be putting a full-court press on him regarding the big HC. He liked the sports analogy.
“I played basketball,” he smirked. “I’m a tri-athlete. I know what it’s like to step my foot on the line with no time left. I’m going to continue to be the same person I’ve always been.”
I’m not fluent in politician-ese, but I’m gonna say that means: IF I TRULY AT THE 41ST VOTE? PUT A FORK IN IT.
Help for Haiti
I won’t belabor the point or wax poetic about the devastation we’ve seen over the past 10 days. Nothing written can compare to the images we’ve seen out of a decimated Port-au-Prince.
I’ll simply add that despite the calls for help from Hollywood and the MTV-esque mission to seek donations, we shouldn’t write this off as just another trendy cause adopted by singers and actors. We can’t ignore or say we’ll send cash, and then forget.
I’ve worked in Haiti. I’ve met the people. I’ve studied their lives and their desires for something better. Never have I been more impressed by a nation of people, when it comes to pure want for a real education, a real future. The children, who even before the earthquake sat in dark classrooms with no electricity (just pencils and papers), prayed that if they try hard enough they might find something greater. Not just a couple of students in each class, but every one of them.
The effort to help people literally in danger of starving, dying from treatable injuries or awaiting the spread of disease that inevitably will affect the hundreds of thousands who are homeless, must be made. This need will not end after the television reports. It will go on, for months, years.
In a country where many live on less than a dollar a day, anything we give will generous.
Each of us likely has the ability to write a check, no matter how small, and donate to any of the groups promising that 100% of the funds will go toward helping the people of Haiti.
I’m writing mine now.
As far as adages go, it might not be one your grandparents handed down or you see stitched on a decorative pillow, but shouldn’t the cynical saying: “Campaign promises are made to be broken” join some sort of official list?
Really, it could be a bipartisan venture since no party is void from guilt surrounding this one. But one of Mr. Obama’s vows regarding transparency is a glaring example at the moment.
It was during one of the debates, that as a candidate, he promised these health care proceedings would be so public, so visible for all of the public to see, that C-SPAN could even have a camera present. The opportunity arose, Mr. Obama failed.
And today, C-SPAN is revolting.
In a December 30th letter to House and Senate leaders released today, C-SPAN’s chief executive asked for negotiations on a compromise bill to be opened up for public viewing, as Democrats work to reconcile differences between legislation passed by the two chambers.
(excerpts)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The C-SPAN television network is calling on congressional leaders to open health care talks to cameras - something President Barack Obama promised as a candidate.
Obama pledged during a presidential debate in January 2008 that he would be "bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are."
Instead the most critical negotiations on Obama's health plan have taken place behind closed doors, as Republicans repeatedly point out.
Kinda makes you wonder, when the President made these promises, did he mean them or did he mean to win votes?
Like I said, this isn’t a Democratic issue. Republicans are guilty as well. But when you’ve claimed to bring about the “most transparent” administration in history, at some point, you have to do more than just declare…you have to do.
If the White House, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and just about every other power-wielding democrat seems a bit panicked these days, there’s a reason for that. They are.
As we’re gathering our gifts, they’re gathering votes.
As we’re heading off the grandma’s house, they’re heading to another caucus.
As we’re waiting for a visit from Santa, they’re waiting for one from Joe Lieberman.
The level of concern for Democrats right now is palpable. And the pressure to get a deal struck is massive to say the least. Mr. Obama summoned his party leaders to the White House for a pow-wow that likely had a singular, dominant message: Strike a deal now!
Why the stress to get it done before Christmas? Why these self-imposed deadlines (4 of them have already been missed)?
Two reasons:
1-Mr. Obama wants to be able to focus solely on jobs and the economy come January 1 and if this health care debate is still lingering that becomes impossible. And the longer this fight drones on and jobs ARE NOT leading the daily news cycle, the 7 plus million Americans who are out of work and their families, will grown more disenchanted with a leader they voted for because he promised to make their lives considerably better.
Poll numbers could slip, criticism could grow louder, and re-election in 2012 could seem a lot less plausible.
2-Home sweet home could be detrimental to the cause. If the senate breaks without passing reform, they head home for a week or so in many cases, to be within shouting distance of countless constituents who are furious about the Reid bill. That kind of town-hall tone beat down, could make it tougher for some moderates to give an aye vote upon returning to the rotunda.
Thus, this holiday push. President Obama appears poised to demand Reid and team do some bartering to get the 60th vote they need (i.e. Lieberman, or possibly a Republican like Olympia Snowe). That might mean losing the early buy-in for Medicare patients at age 55. They’ve already seemingly written off the idea of a public option. So the bill could look drastically different than it did weeks ago…but at least the Obama administration could finally say it passed health care reform.
And Reid won’t have to fear getting any Congressional coal in his stocking.
January
There are currently no websites.
