All Dems need to back Obama on Healthcare

[fencesitter]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/05/all_dems_including_progressives_need_to_back_obama/

By Theda Skocpol

The next two to three weeks will determine whether the United States gets on a better track toward including all citizens in health coverage and controlling costs in the public interest. This is NOT the moment for Democrats to posture and bargain -- remember, this is in part what lost us MA, that mess in the Senate over the Cornhusker Kickback and other unseemly deals. Scott Brown made use of these deals -- he pointed to Democratic dysfunctionality. Speed and simplicity are crucial right now, as Obama and the House and Senate leaders put together what they must to get this done. This is a time for the Indians to listen to the Chiefs.

At the risk of irritating people on the left, this is NOT the moment for "progressives" to demand a public option. Nor is it the moment for either pro-choice feminists or pro-life Democrats to derail reform.

PROGRESSIVES need to cut the posturing over a currently unattainable (and in any event already hollowed out version of the) "public option." To get legislation now that includes massive subsidies for the uninsured and a new regulatory framework for the future requires that Nancy Pelosi -- the real heroine in all this -- persuade shakey conservative Dems in the House. The legislation cannot include a public option if she is to succeed. Yet if this new framework passes through House action and a reconcliliation side-car, that will open new political possibilities in the future. Before long, it will become very possible to enact Medicare extensions or a public option through majority budget votes, because they will be deficit-fighters. Especially "Medicare for More" which will be my new slogan. At this juncture, I hate to get emails from so-called progressive advocacy groups pushing for anything other than supporting Obama in the current end-game. Criticizing what is now attainable is the real defeatism, Adam Green! Conservatives are hammering wavering moderate Dems; use your resources to run moderate ads against private insurers in their districts. Praise the President's plan and help him get the votes. Same for MoveOn.

********** snip

We will know soon if Democrats can pull together over what they have claimed for decades is a core party goal. If the posturing doesn't stop and the bills do not pass by Easter, comprehensive health reform will almost certainly go down the drain. The United States will descend further into gridlock and galloping inequalities, not least in access to basic health care.

President Obama is finally leading. The rest of us need to follow.

[Skittles]

1. "President Obama is finally leading"

:rofl:

[opihimoimoi]

5. I just think he had a ROOKIE first year. Kinda like getting ones Sea Legs...perhaps "Oval Legs"

A true Leader is never Everyones cup of tea, coffee, drink....

but somehow, a good leader gets it done using the Positive Mode.

He is Killing Them GOPers with REAL LEADERSHIP....all they can do is mope and nope with distreactive crap

[dflprincess]

2. And if he ever does something about health care, I will support him

But all Obama talks about now is insurance reform and his idea of "reform" is that we should all pay premiums to help bail out the private insurers with no guarantee we'll get care.

[derby378]

3. Pro-choice activists have worked too hard and suffered too much

And you know, there's just something about letting Big Insurance assume total and utter control of healthcare in America today that just sticks in my craw.

America needs real healthcare reform. And that's what I will support.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Not if he is "leading" us off a cliff.

I'll pass, thank you.

[Larkspur]

6. Obama needs to stop his opposition to a public option, expanded Medicare and

taxing "cadillac" health plans that unions won with consessions in pay, then progressives would support his HCR plan.

[GinaMaria]

7. How is he going to do that when he's meeting with the top 5's CEOs

as we type but Medicare for all advocates can't get a message to him?

[2Design]

8. obama did not back us on healthcare or dean on healthcare so why should we support his sellout n/t