Obama Needs a Health Care Plan Before he Engages the Public
Perhaps the most telling comment in today’s Washington Post roundup of the reaction or various “political experts” to the President’s “medis offensive” on health care this weekend was this comment from Lanny J. Davis, Special Counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996 to 1998, one of the two Democrats surveyed:
Now it is time for him to endorse a specific proposal — either one of his own or one already introduced in Congress — and defend that plan, while showing a willingness to compromise to gain Republican support. His media blitz should help solidify support among Democrats — but the White House needs to appeal to people (like myself) who are on TV wanting to defend and promote a national health-care bill. We need something specific on the table from the president.
H/t: Jennifer Rubin. Emphasis added. This jibes with a point I made last week, wondering if it were presumptuous of the president with all his pontificating on health care, he “still hasn’t come forward with a particular plan with specific details.” Rubin wonders why no one in the White House has the courage to say as much to the President:
But I think what’s really going on is that we have a White House devoid of a single brave soul with the influence and courage to say, “Enough Mr. President. Figure out what you want and then go on TV.” This media bombardment suggests a level of narcissism that puts a premium on placing the president at the center of every snippet of coverage, as opposed to getting down to the hard work of crafting positions, negotiating deals, and even meeting with the opposition.
Emphasis added. Guess the White House staff is too busy engaging the public (especially through independent federal agencies) to get behind the President’s health care plan, they don’t have time to actually craft that plan.
Davis isn’t the only Democrat needing specifics, even congressional Democrats are unclear what Obama wants on healthcare.
So, let me offer a suggestion to the President on how to proceed, based on a comment I wrote in response to thoughtful commentary offered by one of our perennial critics. Before again going public with his push for an overhaul of health care, the President should sit down with legislators on both sides of the aisle to craft a bill specifying how they wish to effect those reforms.
Once they have a bill, he should then promote it (perhaps in the same manner he has done with a speech to a joint session of Congress and various TV experiences) and then allow critics to weigh in, incorporating, when appropriate, their suggestions into the bill through amendment.
Perhaps he might more readily do this, if he were focused less on engaging the public and more on crafting legislation. It might be easier to do that if he replaced some of those political operatives who staff his White House with policy wonks.
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Jimmy Lee Farnsworth: You don’t suppose I used too many photographs of myself do you?
Fletch: No, no. Worked for the Ayatollah.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 22, 2009 @ 8:08 pm - September 22, 2009
I think that the Presidents biggest weakness is that he is not a leader. That having been said he isn’t exactly a follower. Instead I see him as a catalyst. It is fortuitous that he comes to the Presidency at a time when the levers of power are all in the hands of a single party. He has taken this unique opportunity to champion ideas and to push policy without actually having any stake in the legislative crafting of these ideas and policies into law. He has abrogated the power of the office to the shills in Congress.
All he has are ideas, bad ones, and is thus left to take whatever Pelosi and Ried give him. It is a shame, he had a true opportunity to unite the country. To lead the nation toward political and racial reconciliation. Instead, the catalyst, has tempered the conservative TEA party movement into action. And his current poll numbers are a testament to that.
The President’s narcissistic inclinations ensconsed him into a perpetual campaign mode. I suspect he doesn’t know what he wants in Healthcare (insurance) Reform, he just wants some sort of reform he can sign into law.
Thanks for the spark Mr. President, we needed it!
Comment by Croft — September 22, 2009 @ 9:16 pm - September 22, 2009
I suspect he doesn’t know what he wants in Healthcare (insurance) Reform, he just wants some sort of reform he can sign into law.
As long as it screws those eeeeevil, rich insurance companies, American people be damned.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 22, 2009 @ 11:58 pm - September 22, 2009
Obama doesn’t have a strategy in Afghanistan. He is working one out between TV appearances and shooting hoops. But, eventually, he will have a concept leading to a possible route which he might follow toward postulating a set of contingency actions in lieu of a plan.
He DOES have a health care plan. If he revealed it, the little people would block its progress by picking points with trivial details. Since this is a health care plan, blind faith is appropriate and necessary.
Oh, ye of little faith, the Obamessiah has come to walk with us and talk with us and dole out what he deems fair. Anyone who does not acquiesce is a racist, self absorbed, brownshirt, mob clutching demagogue homophobe with bad skin, bad breath and polyps.
Comment by heliotrope — September 23, 2009 @ 10:45 am - September 23, 2009
Well, he better start leading or we will elect someone that will. This is America, everyone will not like you, no matter what you try to do. Enough of the nice guy demeanor. Start cracking heads or get out of the way.
Comment by Ray Whitely — November 11, 2009 @ 7:09 pm - November 11, 2009