Obama His Own Worst Enemy

A lot of political hand-wringing going on in Washington right now over the current health reform debate. When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced last week that the Senate would be unable to move President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare initiative before the August recess, the country let out a collective sigh. Especially moderate-to-conservative Democrats. They’re hearing firsthand what the people are saying. Put simply, this is too big an initiative to ram through the Congress based on bumper sticker slogans such as “Every American Covered!”

I predicted weeks ago this measure would not pass before August. The president’s henchmen miscalculated. They banked too heavily on Obama’s popularity to push through a trillion-dollar initiative. Coming on the heels of a failed stimulus package (not my opinion, check the facts), Americans are admittedly wary of more checkbook policies that yield nothing in return.

I truly feel the president is standing in his own way here. Instead of relying on the legislative process to work its will, with occasional Rose Garden nudges to help motivate key players, Obama chose to grip the wheel himself and single-handedly steer this package through.

Not only did that upset several of his own allies, his left-leaning deals with Big Labor and Big Pharma (yes, they folded like cheap lawn chairs) scared away all potential Republican support. The press will never admit it, but Obama almost looked Bush-esque in his “bring ’em on” boasts and staff comments to the effect of, “those who bet against this man rarely come out on top.”

Instead of getting in a room with the policymakers and focusing on critical details, Obama took to the airwaves. He believed his rhetoric would conceal major policy holes long enough to shepherd the package through. Details are but mere formalities to this president — nothing that can’t be soothed with the salve of his balmy voice. But promises of “healthcare for all” ring hollow when even Congress’s top accountant says there’s no way to pay for this massive new federal program.

Even in tight fiscal times, Americans know you can’t keep adding zeroes to the end of the rising deficit without consequences. Sure, change is needed (there’s that word again — the elixir for all that ails this nation!). But we can have significant impact on the underlying costs of healthcare in this country without imposing a huge federal program. Why not mandate that everyone purchase health insurance while the government subsidizes the cost of that insurance for those below a certain percentage of the poverty level? Focus first on those who need it the most.

Another example might include mandating that employers contribute financially to existing COBRA coverage/legislation to ensure folks do not lose coverage during a job transition. There are many ideas to achieve the goals Obama laid out. But his infatuation with building an infrastructure for a future single-payer system is clouding his judgment.

It’s time to stop the politics of blaming “the politics” for the resistance. Mr. President, even your own party is asking to slow down so they can hear from their constituents and study this in greater detail. If our ultimate goal is to help them, shouldn’t we wait and see what they think before moving forward with such a massive undertaking?



Visit www.armstrongwilliams.com .

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