Why Obama Won't Get Harry and Louise'd

[SpartanDem]

President Obama spoke from the White House today (at left) about his efforts to pass comprehensive health care reform. Although President Bill Clinton's health care efforts failed in 1994, sources tell the Capitolist that reforms are far more likely to pass this year.

So what's different this time around? A lot. Let's start with...

*The Pitch- Instead of framing health care coverage as a "right" all Americans should enjoy, no matter the costs (a traditional Democratic message), Obama is framing health care reform fundamentally as a cost issue. Today at the White House, he said the spiraling costs of health care are affecting all Americans, businesses and the government for the worse, forcing the Congress and the White House to step in and make changes.

*The Process- Many of the staff working on health care reform today also worked in the Clinton White House, where they learned how not to get health care passed. Rather than sending a bill to Capitol Hill to get picked apart, the White House has given enormous leeway to Congress to craft its own bill, based on the president's goals of containing costs, letting people keep their own insurance, and insuring every American. They have also sought input from the health care and insurance industries early in the process. With more people feeling like they have a stake in the outcome, Obama is betting he'll have more allies during the fight

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/05/11/why-obama-wont-get-harry-and-louised/

[HopeOverFear]

1. Damn you beat me to it I was about to post this

Literally, I was about to click the "post message" button when I saw it was posted already.

[phantom power]

2. Beyond me why the author thinks those things will give us a better outcome.

[Captain Hilts]

5. It's not about 'costs'. It's about access. nt

[vaberella]

3. Actually I felt Dean said it best and I have said in the past. O said, "You like yours, keep it."

End of story. He wins just by that alone and NOT a single Republican can argue Harry and Louise. It's been shot to hell.

For those who don't like their plan or need insurance..."Here's ours."

[Captain Hilts]

4. And healthcare costs have skyrocketed and the uninsured have increased. It's a more important issue

now. nt

[tanyev]

6. Nice idea to bring Harry and Louise back, but I wanted to hear them say

something about how wrong they were 15 years ago.

[Arugula Latte]

8. I hope Harry and Louise both developed "pre-existing conditions"

that prevented them from getting decent coverage. I hope they lost their homes because of medical debt.

[depakid]

7. It beginning to seem like the Obama administration IS Harry & Louise

[Cha]

9. Not to me, it's not..but, of course,

you don't miss a chance to take a cheap shot.

[depakid]

11. Hardly a cheap shot- just an observation about what's actually happening in Washington

Could be, we'll be surprised and Obama won't simply go along to get along- but will actually use some of that high powered persuasion and political capital to pass the public option.

If so, I'll be more pleased than anyone to admit I was wrong.

[phleshdef]

10. We are so far behind on this issue that we HAVE to take it in steps. It can't happen overnight..

President Obama is taking the right steps. He is putting aside what people want to happen today to realistically ensure what people need to happen tomorrow has a greater chance of actually happening.

[backscatter712]

12. We're going to get something.

Probably not single payer, but best case is that we get some sort of public option.

Worst case is that we get a law against primary increases and denial of coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, a mandate to buy health insurance, and empty promises from the insurance giants and the pharmcos to not scalp us as badly.

Now granted, having laws in place preventing insurance companies from denying coverage and jacking up costs for those with medical conditions would be helpful, but it's a band-aid on a sucking chest wound.

We really need a public option, coupled with serious financial aid for those of us in the working and middle classes who can't afford premiums.