The Real Audacity
It appears the real audacity of President Obama's hopes was bipartisanship.
As the health care reform debate continues to move along - flaring up here and there in town hall meetings, talked about on all the news programs and talk shows (please note, there IS a difference between journalism and entertainment, to whit: The CBS Evening News is journalism; Glenn Beck's radio show is entertainment), ranted and raved over on the editorial pages of those papers still in existence, blogged about, etc. - the one thing that seems clear is that there will be no bipartisan effort on this subject.
Over the weekend some administration folks stated that the so-called "public option" might not actually be necessary to passing the bill. This "public option" has been the big beastie under the bed for those opposed to the potential legislation. Republicans have been screaming about the addition to a "public option" from Day One. Some have guaranteed that there will be no health care reform is it is in the bill.
Now we are hearing from some sectors that even if the "public option" is out, Republicans aren't going to be voting for health care reform. Okay fine, why didn't you say so in the first place? If these folks were so dead set against health care reform from the very beginning why waste everyone's time and just admit that in the first place.
Ah, see they couldn't do that. If they came out against health care reform in the beginning they would look like unfeeling monsters to the voters. Now that there has been an outcry from their constituents they can take a stand against the legislation, any legislation, and look like the good guys. Politics at work folks.
Never mind that the AARP is for it, that the American Medical Association is for it, that in most polls people will answer that "yes" they want health care reform and that "yes" they like the President's plan and in the very next question say "no" they don't want the government to take over health care. Oh yes, but don't you dare touch Medicare.
News flash: Medicare is a government program.
So in all this brouhaha, all this debate among the pundits, all the yelling at the town halls one thing is perfectly, crystal clear: the audacity here is thinking that there would be any bipartisan cooperation in developing anything resembling health care reform.
Nevertheless, it never hurts to have hope. Keep hoping, Mr. President. Keep hoping.
As the health care reform debate continues to move along - flaring up here and there in town hall meetings, talked about on all the news programs and talk shows (please note, there IS a difference between journalism and entertainment, to whit: The CBS Evening News is journalism; Glenn Beck's radio show is entertainment), ranted and raved over on the editorial pages of those papers still in existence, blogged about, etc. - the one thing that seems clear is that there will be no bipartisan effort on this subject.
Over the weekend some administration folks stated that the so-called "public option" might not actually be necessary to passing the bill. This "public option" has been the big beastie under the bed for those opposed to the potential legislation. Republicans have been screaming about the addition to a "public option" from Day One. Some have guaranteed that there will be no health care reform is it is in the bill.
Now we are hearing from some sectors that even if the "public option" is out, Republicans aren't going to be voting for health care reform. Okay fine, why didn't you say so in the first place? If these folks were so dead set against health care reform from the very beginning why waste everyone's time and just admit that in the first place.
Ah, see they couldn't do that. If they came out against health care reform in the beginning they would look like unfeeling monsters to the voters. Now that there has been an outcry from their constituents they can take a stand against the legislation, any legislation, and look like the good guys. Politics at work folks.
Never mind that the AARP is for it, that the American Medical Association is for it, that in most polls people will answer that "yes" they want health care reform and that "yes" they like the President's plan and in the very next question say "no" they don't want the government to take over health care. Oh yes, but don't you dare touch Medicare.
News flash: Medicare is a government program.
So in all this brouhaha, all this debate among the pundits, all the yelling at the town halls one thing is perfectly, crystal clear: the audacity here is thinking that there would be any bipartisan cooperation in developing anything resembling health care reform.
Nevertheless, it never hurts to have hope. Keep hoping, Mr. President. Keep hoping.
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