Matt Taibbi: A Way Out for Obama

[Emit]

A Way Out for Obama

The president faces his biggest test yet on health care reform — and he's got one last shot at making it work

In the end, here's what the history of this attempt to reform health care comes down to: Barack Obama did everything wrong. Instead of using his vast post-electoral capital with the public to push for real reform and clean the Augean stables of the health care industry, he and his team of two-faced creeps like Rahm Emanuel took the Beltway-schmuck route and cut a backroom deal with the targeted industries — buying their acquiescence to a theoretical future of regulatory oversight in exchange for an upfront mountain of taxpayer giveaways.

~snip~

As much as Obamacare sucks, though, the alternative is even worse. For one thing, the defeat of Obama's health care initiative would set a decisive precedent: that even a transcendently popular new president armed with a congressional supermonopoly is forbidden to so much as put a regulatory finger on an organized, politically connected industry. For another thing, Obama's pukish bungling of health care may achieve what previously seemed impossible: exhuming the syphilitic corpse of George W. Bush's Republican Party, and, shit, who knows, maybe eight years of President Sarah Palin.

~snip~

And therein lies the larger issue at stake. Democrats and Republicans are basically the same on a lot of issues: They both voted for the Iraq War, they both love pork and useless weapons programs, they both lift their skirts for Wall Street. But they have one major stylistic difference: Republicans are unafraid to exercise power, while Democrats try to run government like one of those pansy-ass T-ball leagues, where every kid gets to have a hit, nobody loses, and nobody has to go home with an ouchie or hurt feelings.

Well, T-ball is over. If Obama wants to pass any kind of reform — even one as riddled with industry giveaways as the current measure — he is finally going to have to take a swing in anger. If he doesn't, it may well mark the moment when our government conceded that it can never force any powerful industry to accept any kind of change, no matter how minimal. If the Democrats fuck that up, they're going to leave us living in a hell of a world for the next generation or so. Let's hope they grow some guts before it's too late.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/32537689/a_way_out_for_obama/2

edited to add link, d'oh

[jaxx]

1. Well, well, Taibbi steps in it again.

What a rightwing crapper.

[bullwinkle428]

2. Obama : "Let's bring everyone to the table and work this out!"

Yes, that could have worked out better if "the American people" were one of the parties at that table.

[Echo In Light]

3. +1000 - odd how those supposedly being 'represented' actually have none

[Donnachaidh]

4. We're already at that *point* he's fearmongering about

Goldman Sachs OWNS this country. And the WH, and Congress.

Why else do you think this *bill* is nothing more than a deep, wet tongue kiss to the insurance industries?

This government has NO intentions of doing the *right thing*. CHAINS we can believe in!

[TheWraith]

5. I wish someday that you would stick to facts instead of conspiracy theories. nt

[Donnachaidh]

8. facts -- watch Michael Moore's movie

yeah -- he's a conspiracy theorist :eyes:

[karynnj]

11. Michael Moore himself is prone to connecting dots, without

really proving the links between them. Others have proved some links he makes - he rarely does himself.

[frazzled]

6. Anger is the answer?

I think that is what a lot of people here believe: that if a politician isn't angry and swinging she isn't doing her job (I used the word 'she' on purpose, since I'm trying to generalize this to all politicians). People loves them some anger. They even approve anger over any actual achievement or progress. They prefer an angry politician who accomplishes nothing to one who actually gets things done. And this applies to the right as well as the left.

Well, that's not who Obama is, and anger should be used only rarely. (Remember, he got elected on the moniker of 'no drama Obama'.) Anger and hyperbole and false indignation (read: engendering fear) are part of what is wrong with Washington. It's very sad that reasoned thinking, negotiation, and focus on policy that can work is belittled and anger held up as the answer to everything. Anger begets anger. Anger is the province of despots and charlatans. Be careful what you wish for.

There is a time for anger--but only when absolutely necessary.

[patrice]

7. This is not an attack: Please tell me what is not "absolutely necessary" about what is happening

in this country.

I understand and agree with you point to some degree, but it's not the whole story.

There is no America and the People have no voice. How/why can/would we deny them their own feelings about what is happening to them?

The People need someone to speak for them and they ARE angry and confused and very sad right now.

It really is too bad that these facts are not a matter of political convenience to some, but they ARE the facts.

[frazzled]

9. I guess I could ask equally, who are "The People"?

I'm not trying to attack you in any way either, but I don't think it's at all true that all the people are angry and confused and very sad right now. Some are, because anger is their default political position. But I know I'm not. Frustrated at times, yes, but neither angry nor confused. I see a lot of progress, and a lot of heavy lifting after the last administration allowed or perhaps even caused this economy to fall into the abyss. I'm frustrated that the Republicans are single-mindedly opposing anything this administration tries to do, even if it is good for the country--hell, even if they agree with it they oppose it.

The time for anger should have been a long time ago. I spent eight long years being angry. I was angry when we discovered the economy was standing on the brink of collapse back in September of 2008 ... and when we were told we had been in a recession since the previous year. That was the first time that was reported. Can you imagine? The country is in a recession headed toward economic collapse for more than a year and nobody told us? And then the collective memory (meaning the media memory) fails completely, and when this administration doesn't turn around the eight years of damage in the first five months, everyone gets "angry" at it.

I'm frustrated that this health care reform bill didn't get passed before Christmas (it was supposed to be before Thanksgiving). I'm frustrated that groups on both the right tried to destroy it and that groups in the center and on the left bickered for so long that it's almost past the point of no return. But I'm not angry. I'm pretty confident this will pass. And that its passage will provide the both the framework and the impetus to add even better fixes to it, maybe even in the near future. Alan Grayson's bill to offer Medicare buy-in could never have a hope of passing if the comprehensive health care reform bill that builds the armature on which to hang it (the exchanges) into place.

I think lots of people are not angry. They just don't get to yell as loud as the angry people. But they are there.

It's never easy in hard economic times. People become fearful, and fear, for some, turns into anger. I, too, am fearful ... but I prefer to turn that fear into advocacy and becoming informed rather than into anger.

[GeorgeGist]

13. says you

[Mari333]

10. so him winning and the insurance companies making money hand over fist

is all thats important.

I see.

Unless Obama comes out swinging for a PO, single payer, and what he promised when he campaigned, he can hang up his hat.

[kctim]

12. What a clueless idiot

President Obama does NOT elect Reps, the people do. And trust me, my reps are made aware of my disgust of ANY mandate concerning my healthcare, on a weekly basis.
Tell us matt, what kind of power can President Obama exercise that would make peoples reps vote against their voters and for some PO or single-payer? Hell, even good ol Claire here in MO, who gushed over candidate Obama during the campaign, is treading softly over this issue.