Conservative NYT columnist David Brooks - Obama health plan

[Hannah Bell]

Brooks’ column on Friday (“The Dime Standard”)...is full of praise for Obama’s health care speech...

“First, Obama rested the credibility of his presidency on what you might call the Dime Standard. He was flexible about many things, but not this: ‘I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits—either now or in the future. Period.’” As Brooks correctly concludes, this means that the more right-wing bill being worked out in the Senate will be the basis of negotiations, since the House bill does not satisfy the criterion of deficit neutrality. More significantly, Obama’s speech sets in motion a process that will lead to... deeper cost-cutting measures...

“Second, the president accepted the principle of capping the tax exemption on employer-provided health benefits...a backdoor and indirect version of the cap… Soon moderates and Republicans will produce amendments to impose a cap directly. These amendments will credibly raise revenue and reduce costs. The administration will now have no principled argument against them.”

“Third, the president accepted the principle of tort reform to reduce the cost of defensive medicine...”

“Fourth, the president introduced the public option to its own exclusive Death Panel… On Wednesday, the president praised it, then effectively buried it..."

“Fifth, the president also buried the soak-the-rich approach... Instead...“The president underlined his resolve to cut $500 billion from Medicare and Medicaid..."

“Finally,” Brooks concludes, “people in the administration and moderates in Congress would like to beef up ‘game changers...' ...the aim is to pay doctors and hospitals a set fee for a given condition, thereby forcing them to cut back on care.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/sep2009/brks-s12.shtml

[realisticphish]

1. I've always thought the rich needed to dry up

soaking them would only increase the problem!

[OHdem10]

2. Reverse Robinhood--Take from the Poor and give to the rich

is a staple. How often did we see this for the past 8 years.

[azbarq]

3. obama == clinton

,,,,,,