Posted on 08/30/2009 1:06:44 PM PDT by Sockdologer
The sad state of the President Obama's healthcare reform project is illustrated neatly by two stories about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. First from the Politico:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Friday that he was not bound by a controversial deal negotiated between the White House and pharmaceutical companies, telling thousands of Nevada voters on a conference call that "I have not agreed with anybody to do that."
The drug industry told the White House this summer that it would cut future drug costs by $80 billion in exchange for assurances that any health care legislation would prevent the government from negotiating for lower drug prices. As a result of the deal, the industry is bankrolling an ad campaign touting Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
Now this is clearly a case of strategic disarray. President Obama brought the pharmacy industry on board the healthcare reform ambulance by promising them that under any plan the government wouldn't use its clout to bargain down drug prices. You can think what you want about that compromise, and about whether the President would have kept this word. But Reid disavowing the deal now means that Congressional Democrats and the President can't make a united effort on the legislation.
A second indication of disarray is Senator Reid's equivocation regarding the "public option." From Steven Benin at the Washington Monthly:
"I've told people, whoever will listen, that I am in favor of the public option," Reid said in answer to a participant who asked why he hasn't been more vocal on his position. "We're working now to try to come up with a program that would allow that to take place." Reid said a public option is essential to provide competition to private insurance companies that enjoy an exemption from federal anti-trust laws.
He added that "a lot of people misunderstand" the public option as "some government run program… But there are many ways we can do it," he said. "One would be to have an entity like Medicare. I really don't favor that. I think what we should have is a private entity that has direction from the federal government."
Okay, so Reid is in favor of "a public option," but he doesn't want it to be really public, exactly, like Medicare. As Benin points out, a Medicare-like program is sort of the whole point of a public option. Reid seems to want an option that is privately run but controlled by the Government. That was Ms. Clinton's big idea. But "seems" is the operative word in that sentence. No one can guess what Reid really means, and I am guessing he can't either.
Both of these quotes come from a single conference call by Reid. If the Senate Majority leader is throwing two wrenches at the same time into the gears of the healthcare reform machinery, I think that probably means it isn't going anywhere. Why this much disarray?
One reason, of course, is that Reid is himself in big trouble. If things don't change by November of next year, a second Democratic Party leader will be defeated for reelection. That speaks to the weak foundations of Obama's ambition. But the bigger problem is that the President simply hasn't met the challenge he faced. He hasn't proposed a coherent solution to problems that the American healthcare system faces. The problem with this round of healthcare reform legislation isn't the lipstick, it's the pig.
The Globalists.. which infect both(all) partys
As a result of the deal, the industry is bankrolling an ad campaign touting Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.
Now this is clearly a case of strategic disarray.
Now this is clearly a case of illegal manipulation and racketeering to set prices and exert influence on the US Congress by bribery.
There, fixed it!.
A simple case of Obama saying that he wouldn't go after the drug companies if they would back HIS plan. Same thing Jorge Bush said about "Plan D" to Medicare. Of course, no one has convinced the Senate to do the same.
A perfect example of Chicago politics. Pay to play all the way.
I’m not quite sure how Bush or globalism have anything to do with this plan.
True. Well said.
Bama Tweed!
The plan...... is to break America down..
The Cloven-Piven plan filtered thru Antonio Gramsci....
LOL. When you make deals with gangsters you just never know how it's going to turn out. The Pharmies are getting just what they deserve.
you can dance with the Devil but the Devil doesn’t change.
You do.
Well, that much I do agree with.
True, but we don’t deserve Obamacare.
Nicely put.
Bump
If the Bush Whitehouse and the GOP lead Congress was this disjointed, the MSM would be having a field day reporting on how messed up the party in power is and why we should vote them out
I agree. But fairness in reporting is a thing of the past.
Thanks a lot!
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