In the Absence of Healthcare Leadership
I thought Obama had his hands tied. Change.org readers changed my mind. As the ugly Senate healthcare reform debate got nastier, and ultimately stalemated due to the likes of Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson, where was our esteemed president, Barack Obama? He was making a token appearance in Copenhagen to support a climate change agreement. Then he gave a quick healthcare pep talk to Senate Democrats. Just when you swore he would get on TV and push for a strong healthcare reform bill, there he was holding a rally on green housing. Now that was a WTF moment.
His healthcare speech was severe yet full of meaningless fluff – kind of like his peace prize speech on the morality of war. Where is he now that his Organizing For America volunteers and countless other progressive groups and individuals have done what he asked, which was to push for meaningful healthcare reform? The political hijack that sold out Americans as private health insurance slaves went down without a whimper. “[The Senate bill] reduces the deficit and bends the cost curve,” was all Obama could think to say. What? Does he realize his only talking points are benefits to the government, not to the people who elected him, supported him, and went door-to-door on this issue for him?
In fact the White House publicly rebuked Howard Dean for saying the Senate healthcare bill was no longer worth passing. Dean very simply said, “Real reform would significantly lower costs, improve the delivery of health care and give all Americans a meaningful choice of coverage. The current Senate bill accomplishes none of these.” I’ve read the bill too, and see nothing ‘significiant’ or ‘meaningful’ in its contents. My perspective is slightly different, in that something – like eventual fair access – is better than nothing at all. But not much. That means I’m among the 47% in a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll who think the bill is a bad idea (32% think it’s a good idea), and the 41% who think it’s better to pass it than to dump it (44%).
Obama went on ABC News and said, “”If we don’t pass it, here’s the guarantee … your premiums will go up, your employers are going to load up more costs on you.” That talking point is a dead horse. It is true regardless of whether the Senate healthcare reform bill moves forward or not. There are no effective measures in the legislation to prevent private insurers raising rates to whatever level they desire (remember, a strong public option provides competition to prevent that?) Worse, guaranteed subsidies actually encourage them to raise rates. If there is more money available in the market, charge what the market will stand. That’s called capitalism.
Yes, I know legislatively Obama is virtually powerless. Getting 60 senators on board for this bill is a herculean task. But is this submission all to get something, anything, done before Christmas? Shoving through a bill that accomplishes little other than minor consumer protections with lots of loopholes (oh yes, and access to coverage, eventually) is not a victory. Democrats actually sacrificed American’s right to less expensive, imported prescription medications because they didn’t want to lose time while Republicans forced the empowering 756-page amendment to be read aloud. Cost to the American people: paying 10 times what Europeans and Canadians do for the same drugs.
As Change.org member Harold says, “All the things a leader could do to show that he stands by his people, Obama is unwilling, not unable, to do.” I can’t argue with that. Even if the situation was unwinnable, Obama could have shown some fight. Publicly excoriate Lieberman, Nelson, and every Republican undermining Americans’ affordable access to quality care. Instead, he hands insurers our wallets. That’s not leadership – it’s capitulation. Come on Obama, show us some change we can believe in.
Bonus video on the uncofortable “Kill Bill” alliances between left and right:
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- Gillian Hubble
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