Getting It Done: The Year In Obama-Led Health Care Reform (VIDEO)

EH

January 22, 2010 3:03 PM

Anybody want to help draft Howard Dean as a 2012 primary candidate? :)

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Economides

January 22, 2010 3:14 PM in reply to EH

Which one? kill the Bill Howard, or pass the Senate Bill Howard?

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AJM

January 23, 2010 9:43 AM in reply to Economides

Killing the bill made sense when you had the prospect of 60 Democrats in the Senate. After the Democratic Party blew it in MA that opportunity is no longer there and passing the Senate Bill now and fixing it later may be the best of the remaining bad options.

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Massenois

January 22, 2010 3:42 PM in reply to EH

I just can't get interested in any of it anymore. I will read books, do my hobbies, grow tomatoes and live the way my grandfather did without a care about Washington. I am tired of getting worked up, getting my hope up, worrying about the constitution and its erosion. By next week I will start checking TPM monthly.

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baba2nde

January 22, 2010 5:18 PM in reply to EH

You are not paying attention, are you? The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that candidates must pass the corporate-approval test.

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Tim Fuller

January 23, 2010 6:59 AM in reply to baba2nde

Democracy was fun while it lasted.
Enjoy.

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xargaw

January 22, 2010 3:05 PM

The problem is with the headline "Obama-Led." He has not led nor pushed for any of the bullet points he campaigned on. He did not fight for anything. He did not take a strong position on anything. He met with the insurers, PHARMA, the lobbiests, but turned his back on those that worked to elect him. "Obama-Led." I think not!

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Economides

January 22, 2010 3:21 PM in reply to xargaw

Both houses of congress, for the first time ever, passed bills that met the objectives of creating a universal affordable system of health care coverage a positon he put on the agenda and pushed and put his own political life on the line for.

You are petulant, and miserly with who you give credit to, because you errantly thought that achieving the objective had to take a particular form. You were wrong.

The bill passed by the Senate, even with all it's flaws, will save many lives, will alleviate a great deal of suffering and provide better health and more economic security to millions and millions of people. It will like other major social policies like social security and medicare give the country a platform to evolve and even better and more comprehensive and effective policy, but it is a huge start.

But it was more important to bicker about the details while Rome burned. congratulations.

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Seeryer

January 22, 2010 4:54 PM in reply to Economides

Actually, it was more important not to fight for campaign pledges because this president is better at cutting deals with powerful interests behind closed doors than he is fighting those interests on behalf of the people that elected his ass.

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nova voter

January 22, 2010 3:42 PM in reply to xargaw

actually, i think, the problem is democratic voters like many of the commenters on this site. every time there is a hiccup, it's like the whole building's on fire. every poll is a catastrophe. every delay is the end of the world. everything is hyperbolized to the point of absurdity. worse yet, you only have these reactions about what you perceive to be negative. steps forward are given a head nod and then disregarded -- no hyperbole there. no dwelling on success, only on what is perceived to be a possible step toward a possible failure.

it's a weird neurosis i see in you and a lot of other democrats on this site. it's like you're not happy unless you're unhappy. it's a self-fulfilling prophecy -- every time stuff doesn't go EXACTLY the way you want it on EXACTLY the timeline you demand, it's a horrible failure, the end of the world, and you attack your party and your leaders as incompetent, lazy, malicious, lying bastards. it's no wonder momentum is shifting, politically-speaking -- you shifted it all by yourself. republicans had little or nothing to do with it nor, quite frankly, did many if any elected democrats in DC.

i'll hand it to republican voters in this country -- a lot of them wound up disappointed by bush by 2008, but they didn't throw their whole party under the bus after he mangled a couple words in his inauguration speech in 2001, which is exactly what the breathless democratic hordes would have done ... ensuring failure off the bat. they don't overreact like a coked up psychopath at every little twist and turn. they're good team players. democrats like many of the commenters on this site could learn a little something from them.

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readytoblowagasket

January 23, 2010 9:05 PM in reply to nova voter

LOL! The people you are complaining about aren't Democrats. They're independents.

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mk3872

January 22, 2010 4:12 PM in reply to xargaw

Oh,puhleeze, troll ... Obama held town halls, pressers and spent his political capital on HCR. Congress is just not constructed to pass big legislation like this ...

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AnswerFrog

January 22, 2010 3:05 PM

Too masochistic. Not what we need now. The balls video was better.

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Overreach THIS!

January 22, 2010 3:11 PM in reply to AnswerFrog

It's awful to watch.

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mk3872

January 23, 2010 1:22 AM in reply to Overreach THIS!

Seems to prove that it is much easier to throw stones and be cynical than to try to act within the system to make things happen.

That must just be too much hard work for TPM, FDL, DK, etc.

Well, hey, we can always regroup and reorg the Netroots in 2013 to try to unseat the Palin/Brown presidency ...

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pinson

January 22, 2010 3:32 PM

This was not "must see video."

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Overreach THIS!

January 23, 2010 1:45 AM in reply to pinson

Correct.

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hoppycalif2

January 22, 2010 3:39 PM

I wish we could accept that the Democrats have never had a filibuster proof majority. We had 58 Democratic senators at the most, with Lieberman and Sanders caucusing with the Democrats, but not actually Democrats. Then, we have Blue Dog Democrats, who on most issues are actually closer to being Republicans. So, getting 60 votes for a cloture motion was never more than a slight possibility. Losing one Democratic senator out of 58 did nothing significant to change that.

Once we accept that reality, we can move on and find the best way to get Health Care reform passed. That, for now, is to pass the lousy Senate bill, but accept the challenge to correct the worst parts with further action, primarily with budget reconciliation measures, but also with amendments to bills that no Senator will dare filibuster - military spending, for example.

What do we gain by sitting around messing our diapers just because we have one fewer Democratic Senator?

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Texar

January 22, 2010 4:55 PM in reply to hoppycalif2

How, then, did George W. Bush get EVERYTHING HE WANTED with much less than a filibuster proof majority?

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hoppycalif2

January 22, 2010 5:10 PM in reply to Texar

This question is an easy one. When Bush was President, there were always enough Blue Dog "democrats" to vote with the Repubs to pass almost all that Bush wanted. Democrats have never been united and possibly never will be. Repubs are 100% united when it comes time to vote in Congress, and almost always have been. They are playing baseball, while Democrats are playing nerf ball.

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nova voter

January 22, 2010 5:10 PM in reply to Texar

first, bush didn't get everything he wanted.

that said, the short answer is that, on the whole, republicans are morally corrupt and intellectually bankrupt, whereas democrats (again, on the whole) are not.

bush got a lot of stuff he wanted without a filibuster because there is actually a spectrum of philosophy within the democratic party, and because those people are principled enough to make their arguments for or against an issue, if it does or doesn't fit within their philosophical framework. same reason there had to be negotiation WITHIN the democratic majority over the last year regarding HCR. they're not all automatons, waiting around for limbaugh or boehner to program them, like the republicans are.

it's part of the reason i'm proud to affiliate myself with the democratic party. sure, it results in more wrangling, and sometimes doesn't produce results because of array of philosophies within the party, but i'd rather big a big, raucous tent than no tent at all.

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Austin

January 22, 2010 11:39 PM in reply to nova voter

That's hilarious.

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slb

January 23, 2010 7:54 PM in reply to nova voter

Well, and not only that, but a lot of what Bush was pushing could easily fit into a budget reconciliation bill, which could be passed without 60 votes. It's easy to do tax cuts that way. You can't do health care that way, because part of fixing health care is outside the reach of fiscal policy.

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myownperson

January 22, 2010 5:35 PM in reply to Texar

He got "everything" he wanted, (if you want to call it that) by proposing things and then working with both sides to get it done. A lot of conservatives feel he compromised to much and a lot of libs feel he didn't enough. The bottom line is he got bills passed. I know Obama thought that his election coupled with them controlling everything was a sign that they could do whatever they wanted, screw the Republicans, and they would have until at least Nov of 2010 to do it.

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slb

January 23, 2010 7:59 PM in reply to myownperson

Working with both sides? Yeah, if your definition of "working with both sides" is telling one side "kiss my ass."

Get real. In most of the legislation that went through the House under Bush, Democrats were cut completely out of the process. Nothing could be put into a bill that didn't pass muster with the majority of the Republican majority (cutting out any coalition between Democrats and moderate Republicans), amendments often were disallowed, and Democrats could not get bills to the floor without a Republican co-sponsor.

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Overreach THIS!

January 24, 2010 4:45 AM in reply to myownperson

Bush: "a lot of libs feel he didn't enough."

Bush is the worst President in American history, surpassing even consensus title-holder James Buchanan.

Yours very kindly,
Overreach THIS!

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BinaryDigit

January 23, 2010 3:37 AM in reply to hoppycalif2

You disgust me. "Pass the lousy Senate bill...." Then when we run out of money we can just tack a few zeroes onto the end of a bill or two when nobody's looking.

Its governing like this that has gotten us into this mess. Pass a bill that will stand up to the scrutiny of intellect, and having enough votes for cloture won't be an issue. Its time our elected representatives started reading the bills before they vote on them.

Maybe you could lead by example. The senate bill is available online at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.txt.pdf . What you'll find is a bloated, over-reaching bill that will bankrupt some of our states.

Some of the provisions are great, like establishing government run medical schools, and establishing a medical corps of volunteer doctors who wish to receive government loans in exchange for service. But the authoritarian beaurocracies being put into place are just scary, and forcing the states to foot half the bill will result in massive tax hikes at the state level.

If we're going to reform health care (a decision that will impact every person in this country) lets do so in a thoughtful and deliberate manner. If you have to resort to political shenanigans, then you need to go back to the drawing board and come up with something that will pass the sniff test.

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hoppycalif2

January 23, 2010 11:34 AM in reply to BinaryDigit

Your argument is that a starving man should refuse a meal of beans, because he wants meat. Of course we all want what you describe, but let's be mature enough to recognize that what we want isn't now obtainable, and not give up what gains we can make, just because we want more. The world doesn't stop once this bill is enacted. Further legislation can be worked on every single day on into the infinite future. Social Security didn't start off as the great program it now is, it was developed over the years to be that. But, until it was started, nothing was possible.

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bluebell

January 23, 2010 6:13 PM in reply to hoppycalif2

Medicare has already been started.

Expand Medicare.

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hoppycalif2

January 23, 2010 7:57 PM in reply to bluebell

I wish they would start by expanding Medicare, preferably by dropping the eligibility age to 55 or younger. This also adds a lot more revenue for Medicare, coming from people young enough to need less medical care. But, the insurance companies would lose customers this way, so Congress won't do it.

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slb

January 23, 2010 7:51 PM in reply to hoppycalif2

Thank you -- that term "filibuster-proof majority" has always made me want to smack every person that uses it, because you're absolutely right: we've never had that.

That said, though, the loss of one Democratic senator from those 58 is significant, because where before we at least had the slight possibility of cobbling together enough votes to pass cloture, now there is probably no possibility of that.

I am in complete agreement with you about the rest, though. The way forward is clear, however unpalatable it may be: the House needs to pass the Senate bill, send it to the president's desk to be signed, and then start planning on how to shore it up to make it better. And not only that, but move onto other urgent business, like trying to get the economy moving again.

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SteinL

January 22, 2010 4:44 PM

It's embarrassing to watch.

Have they cloned him? Can he possibly be this out of touch with his pre-election oratory?

Or does he forget the sentences the moment he reads them off the prompter?

Seriously. The word unprincipled begs to be said.
In comments at Eschaton I wrote that I'm getting the impression I'm watching a straight-A student who thinks he'll fail the exam if everyone doesn't give him a passing grade. This is the root of his "bi-partisan" fiasco - everything he said he is for is against everything the GOP is for, so why is he working so hard to get them to give him an A?
He's already flunked the course, in their eyes, just by enrolling.

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Seeryer

January 22, 2010 4:51 PM

Shouldn't this be titled: COMING UP SHORT, THE "LEADERSHIP' OF OBAMA

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baba2nde

January 22, 2010 5:13 PM

Credit where it is due ... the president said "this year" over and over again. Not 2009, not 2010, not any particular year. This year. Got it?

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myownperson

January 22, 2010 5:27 PM

To those of you drinking the liberal kool aid, let me tell you something. There are a lot of your leaders that think all of the backroom dealings are just fine. They think that because they think they have the right to dictate to you how you need to live your life. If you don't want to do what the say you should, then that is just because you are to stupid to realize what you need. And before you start howling in protest, ask yourself this: Why would the Dems carry on all of these meetings behind closed doors and go out of there way to make sure the American public does not know what is happening until it was to late? I know there are some that are already brainwashed beyond hope, but if you still have some self will left in you and you get that niggling sense that maybe the libs are trying to pull something, please follow that and demand answers. They will rush in and try to get you to take another pill, but spit it out when they leave and investigate. Better to get out now then to give in and just lie back and take whatever they claim is best for you.

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bluebell

January 23, 2010 6:05 PM in reply to myownperson

How dare you slander liberals! This is NOT a liberal bill. This is a C(orporate)entrist bill.

Expand Medicare.

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slb

January 23, 2010 8:01 PM in reply to myownperson

The US Constitution was written behind closed doors -- I suppose you'll want to be crapping all over that, too.

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pol

January 22, 2010 5:35 PM

Read Dionne's piece.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/01/how_the_democrats_may_solve_th.html

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slb

January 23, 2010 8:08 PM in reply to pol

I really like E.J. Dionne. I hope they can manage to make that maneuver work.

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LBJs Brain

January 22, 2010 8:37 PM

"Not drive over the cliff". Oy. Here's comes the cliff and the progressives have the wheel, the blue dogs have the brakes, the Majority Leader has the accelerator and the American people are standing in front of the car on the edge of the cliff.

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farnsworth

January 22, 2010 8:50 PM

We can clearly see that he can talk the talk.

But at no point did he even try to walk the walk.

All he did was roll over. And now he has shrugged his shoulders.

Woohoo!

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farnsworth

January 24, 2010 1:31 AM in reply to farnsworth

This video would make a great entry on failblog.org

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leadersgoner

January 22, 2010 11:01 PM

People (progressives), come on, this is a big tent and we must win. Do you want to start all over again with some other dude, some other party, or do you want Obama to do the impossible - overcome big business and actually govern on behalf of the people?

Dems united. What did it take to get the republicans against Bush? Just a couple of inexcusable disasters. (Yes, lockstep has its disadvantages, too.) This is a pindrop in comparison. We're gonna keep passing bills, count on that.

Dems United! Obama!!!

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Austin

January 22, 2010 11:47 PM in reply to leadersgoner

I think the issue in your approach was imagining that _anyone_ could do "the impossible." This is politics, "the art of the possible," [Bismarck]. Asking Congress and the President to perform what you have already decided is beyond its purview is the root of the problem.

Perhaps, given the most recent example of what the people want, _not_ passing health care reform _is_ "govern[ing] on behalf of the people."

This has always been the problem with democracy: it isn't autocratic.

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mk3872

January 23, 2010 1:19 AM

Kind of disproves theories coming from the Left and Congress that Obama hasn't led or been out there championing HCR, doesn't it?

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derekcarstairs

January 23, 2010 2:34 AM

Pay attention, Libs, to fellow lib Norm Zuckerman. Obama is a complete disaster. How you libs blundered in 2008!

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slb

January 23, 2010 8:16 PM in reply to derekcarstairs

Who?

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gunslinger

January 23, 2010 8:16 AM

This is very funny indeed. How is it that almost everyone on the extreme left has the same amount of memory capacity as a mosquito?

They said Obama was not pushing for health refeorms! Then please explain to me what he was doing in the videos. They said he was not for health care anyway, now that's stretching the truth isn't it?

You see, the problem is that the progressive haven't yet grown up and it is hi time they did. If the people that are meant to be supporting you are constantly bashing you, then how the hell are you going to be successful?

The only thing republicans do better than democrats is sticking together, even if they do not like what their leader is proposing and that is why they got things done.

Until the progressives understand that the middle is where everything converges, until then, the infighting in the democratic party will catastrophically destroy the party from within.

Don't let the media deceive you!!

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bluebell

January 23, 2010 6:09 PM in reply to gunslinger

I have been assured on another thread that this "reform" is meant to tax my health benefits. How else can they "reform" the system to reduce cost, etc. etc.

Silly me, I wanted security. I wanted a safety net. I wanted reassurance in tough times. I did not want a tax on my health benefits designed to modify my behavior so that I will be more reluctant to seek healthcare.

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