Obama: I take full responsibility for fixing health site (makes a full-throated defence)

BBC News ^ | 10/30/13 | BBC

[NormsRevenge]

US President Barack Obama has accepted "full responsibility" for ensuring the troubled healthcare website gets fixed.

Speaking in Boston, he said he was "not happy" about the glitch-laden project, but made a full-throated defence of the broader 2010 healthcare law.

Earlier, his embattled health secretary apologised to the American people over the botched website rollout.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the largest overhaul of the US healthcare system since the 1960s.

Commonly known as Obamacare, it aims to extend health insurance coverage to the estimated 15% of the American population who lack it.

But a key element of the law, the federal website where consumers can shop for health insurance plans, has been plagued by errors since its launch on 1 October.

'The model works'

Mr Obama said in Wednesday's speech: "There's no denying it - right now the website is too slow. Too many people have gotten stuck. And I'm not happy it about it. And neither are a lot of Americans who need healthcare."

He added: "So there's no excuse for it. And I take full responsibility for making sure it gets fixed ASAP. We are working overtime to improve it every day."

He spoke in Boston, Massachusetts, a state that in 2006 introduced a groundbreaking healthcare law that inspired the Obama administration's own nationwide overhaul.

"Massachusetts has shown the model works," he said.

[9YearLurker]

He should be taking full responsibility and apologizing for the entire Obanmacare debacle.

[TigersEye]

"Sorry, kids, we aren't doing Christmas this year. We have
to save enough to pay for our health insurance increases."

[originalbuckeye]

Taking responsibility means accepting punishment. ‘Making sure it never happens again’ (a nod to Hillary!) ISN'T ENOUGH! Heads need to roll! I WISH Obama would go after our enemies as rabidly as he goes after Republicans!

[TigersEye]

That will never happen.

[Hoodat]

I would be willing to bet that there have been more golf outings by Obama (148) since he became President than there have been people who successfully signed up to one of these exchanges through the HHS website.

[King Moonracer]

Full responsibility for a dumbocrap means finding the right target to blame.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Full responsibility means completely unaware.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Sebelius has "taken full responsibility," too, by not resigning.

Why didn't someone say, "if you've taken full responsibility, then resign!"?

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

“If they put as much energy into making sure the law works as they do attacking the law, Americans would be better off,” the Democratic president said.

You attack the law, you putz. You've changed it how many times?

[Jane Long]

[Gene Eric]

>> And I take full responsibility for making sure it gets fixed ASAP

Taking responsibility for a future event, but not a past failure. Typical.

[ArmstedFragg]

Would this be the same as the full responsibility he had for getting it right in the first place, or some new kind of full responsibility?

[Gene Eric]

The deductible is primary. Once satisfied, then the copay kicks in.

[PistolPaknMama]

right now the website is too slow

ROFL. That makes it sound like it works, just slowly, eventually. Not working at all means it just don't work.

[MortMan]

No responsibility for the failure, but full responsibility for the fix (in case it actually happens, I suppose).

[GeronL]

A Battle Royale?

[upchuck]

How a loser leave town cage match? :)

[pluvmantelo]

He takes responsibility for fixing it, not for the failure itself. More weasel words from the weasel in chief.

[353FMG]

What does “taking full responsibility” mean to a politician?

[VerySadAmerican]

People are working overtime and getting paid at least double time.