Pushing Healthcare Through, Whatever it Takes
Why the President Can’t Sell the Plan and What’s Next
Aug 19, 2009
With liberal and moderate Democrats at odds with one another and President Obama on notice that his lack of support for the public option endangers healthcare reform altogether as angry liberal Democrats threaten not to vote, attention turns to the Republicans.
Democrats Threaten Reconciliation: a Fighting Word
While NBC reported President Obama’s approval “taking another hit” as he “struggles to sell healthcare reform to the American public,” CNN reported the healthcare debate “raging out of White House control, hopes for bipartisanship are stymied so far, the President is said to be weighing a drastic option: going it alone, pushing through a bill without at single Republican vote.” Entitled “reconciliation,” the process is an obscure, powerful parliamentary tool which enables parties to force legislation through the Senate with a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes usually needed to pass controversial bills.
Health Care Reform a Hard Sell
NBC led with “it’s been a very heated three weeks on health care and right now looks like history may be repeating itself as President Obama looks like he’s facing similar political problems that faced the Clintons back when they tried to tackle health care in the 90s.”
At town hall meetings in New Hampshire, Montana and Colorado, the President told still-skeptical Americans, “Getting a good deal from insurance companies, that’s what I am fighting for.”
Obama’s Approval Dips Even Further
According to NBC’s poll, most Americans are again said to be skeptical of the Administrations efforts to reform healthcare. Those worried that the President will go too far and change the system for the worst numbered 54%. Only 41% say that President Obama’s efforts don’t go far enough, while polls also show that large numbers of Americans are still critical of the healthcare plan with 45% believing the plan will give the government power to cut off care for the elderly. 50% believe the plan will use taxpayer money to pay for abortions, and 55% feel the plan provides coverage for illegal immigrants.
The Facts on Healthcare Reform
Called myths and misconceptions, NBC reports that “independent fact checkers” say that none of those statements are true.
NBC says that the polls show that when the public hears the facts, it’s another story. After reading a statement which holds actual details of the Obama plan, the majority, 53%, say they are in favor of it, and 43% oppose it. Nearly all agree that reform is necessary in some way, yet many continue to express doubt.
NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd reported “This is the third straight poll that has dropped standing at 51% with 40% disapproval. Only 36% believe it’s a good idea; 42% say it’s a bad idea.”
“I think [the White House] feel they have stopped the bleeding when it comes to losing control of the message….but it is getting tough; it is why, for instance, the President is starting to think, ‘Okay, what’s it going to take to just get a deal and get something done quickly?’ The White House would just like to hurry up, get a bill passed in September and try to get the debate behind him. I don’t think they can ever win the PR battle right now…they just want to get a bill passed.”
47% now oppose the public option while 43% support it; a shift from last month when 44% opposed and 46 were in favor.
Todd said that the 60% of Americans with private insurance are the most skeptical of the public option/government-run plan and concerned that their insurance will be impacted. Pollsters say that people don’t feel that there is anything in it for them, which the White House has not been able to turn around.
The Week quotes Carl Leubsdorf, Dallas Morning News.
“…the debate seems to be entering its ‘end game.’ There is more negotiating ahead -- it will be tricky getting House Democrats to drop the public option, for example -- but in the end the Democrats must realize that, after promising health-care reform for so long, failing to deliver now would ‘be disastrous.’”
The Democrats Release a Statement
CNN reported that spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Jim Manley, released a statement on the status of healthcare reform.
“The White House still prefers a bipartisan bill and neither the White House nor the Democratic leadership has made a clear decision to pursue reconciliation. We will not make a decision to pursue reconciliation until we have exhausted efforts to produce a bipartisan bill. However, patience in not unlimited and we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary.”
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