Obama will Scrap the Public Option, No Matter What
President Obama's Joe Wilson challenged Health care speech won't change one fact. He paid lip service to a public option, but he's going to when the final deal goes down dump it. This has much less to do with angry town hall loudmouths; the drumbeat of Fox News, Limbaugh, and the legion of right-wing, shrill blogger attacks; and GOP orchestrated senate attacks on the public option, than it has to do with Obama the politician. Obama desperately needs to bag a victory on health care reform. He's staked his administration's political fate on it.
There's already much speculation and debate about whether Obama will sign a bill without the public option. Let's put that to rest here. He will sign it, and he will declare it the greatest victory for health care reform since LBJ inked Medicare into law four decades ago. Politically, it will satisfy few. Conservatives will still scream that it's a step down the road to socialized medicine. Progressives will scream that it does too little to ensure that the 45 to 50 million uninsured have affordable, quality medical care, and provide any real watchdog check on Big Pharma to make sure they drop costs, and keep them dropped on prescription drugs. They're both right. But none of this matters, Obama needs the bill no matter the cost.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His forthcoming bookHow Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge (Middle Passage Press) will be released in January, 2010.
I guess it never occurs to you, Earl, that the "shrill blogger attacks" may be shrill because the ideas they're attacking are so extraordinarily dim-witted? Like more government intrusion into the market making things better for anyone. Sheesh.
I think it's hilarious that you imply Medicare was the "last" great victory for health care. Yeah, Earl, that's been a smashing success, with more glories soon to unfold. Good grief wake up!
Again, really slowly for those who have trouble wrapping their minds around the idea -- the best and most affordable care will be provided when the government has the least involvement. The vast majority of problems that Obama is trying to solve could be solved by GETTING THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE INSURANCE BUSINESS ENTIRELY. Repeal the federal laws that currently prohibit the market from working freely, and insurance companies will have compete for your dollar! Imagine -- costs come down and consumers have more choice. It's working in vast sectors of our market now. It's not working in sectors where the government has butted in. 'Nuff said.