CNN's Borger: Dems Messing Up on Healthcare

[kjackson227]

By Gloria Borger
CNN Senior Political Analyst
Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "Campbell Brown," "AC360°" and "State of the Union With John King," as well as special event coverage.

Gloria Borger says Democrats seem to be aiding the GOP in its attempt to defeat President Obama on health care.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It's always hard to be optimistic about the passage of any kind of health care reform.

After all, history shows that for much of the past century, most attempts to reform the system have failed. There have been some exceptions -- such as Medicare in 1965. But, for the most part, the political will has been insufficient to move anything. Just ask Hillary Clinton.

Here's where you have to give President Obama credit: He promised health care reform during the campaign, and he's trying to do what he said he would do. (He's also trying to do almost everything else he promised in the campaign at the same time, but that's another story.)

He has held health care symposiums and town halls, met with recalcitrant conservatives and moderates, and kept tabs with congressional leaders on their progress. And Wednesday night, he'll take the issue to the country in a prime-time press conference.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/21/borger.health.care/index.html
The strategy was forthright: Since the country has debated this issue for decades, there's no need to redo it all. And don't write a bill like Clinton did so Congress can spend its time picking it apart. Rather, let the committees (five in all) move their bills and reconcile them until the House and Senate each has a product. The president weighs in when the two chambers try to reach agreement on a final bill.

Presto, health care reform.

Ah, but this is Congress we're talking about. Should it be any surprise that some congressional Democrats -- having suffered in the minority under a Republican president -- have decided to unleash their inner liberal? No matter how badly the GOP opposition behaves -- and no matter how bereft it is of ideas of its own -- the Democrats seem happy to aid Republicans in their one clear goal for Obama: defeat.

The president has called for cost controls above all else in health care reform. He even wants to take Medicare spending decisions out of the political arena and put them in the hands of the docs and technical nerds, who actually understand where real cost savings can be found. But that would require Congress to relinquish some power, so it hasn't happened.

Instead, Obama's Democrats have so far given him higher costs (according to the Congressional Budget Office) and higher taxes. Or, in technical parlance, the same-old, same-old.

One House version of health reform passed last week proposed a surtax on households with adjusted gross incomes of more than $350,000. It was enough to prompt an intervention by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who changed it to $1 million for joint filers -- so it could be called a millionaire's tax. Have they asked Obama -- the change agent -- whether he really wants Democrats to get back into that old class warfare argument?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/21/borger.health.care/index.html

[mediaman007]

1. It's a good thing that America doesn't pay much attention to Congress.

Most legislation is pretty disorganized until it gets to a conference committee. Gloria Borger probably knows that, but then she must be paid to produce something controversial. This article helps her get to her next pay check, the observations in it really don't count for much of anything.

[kjackson227]

4. That's true. Another opinion piece.

[FrenchieCat]

2. She should mention media's role in their aid of Republicans.

but of course, that would be Cronkitish....
Couldn't have that. :eyes:

[Phx_Dem]

6. Good point. At least Chuck Todd had the balls to do that. n/t

[tularetom]

3. Clinton folded on health care as soon as the repubs talked tough

So far Obama has not done that. He's betting (and I think correctly) that the American people feel very strongly about this. And you know what? Nobody really gives much of a shit about government spending anymore. After 8 years of wars, bailouts and obscene profits we're all pretty much numb to it.

What we want is a tax on millionaires. If Obama proposed one he'd back these fucking blue dogs into a corner. Because their constituents would support that big time. Problem is their REAL constituents (the corporations that support them) would not

[Phx_Dem]

5. Sadly, she's partially right, and the Blue Dogs need to

be called out publicly on it. Borger usually doesn't know her ass from a hole in the ground, but I'm not going to criticize her for calling out the Dems who can find a way to screw up anything.

[marshall]

7. In some sense it's always Congress vs. the President

Each has its own agenda--party line does have its cohesive benefit but ultimately Congress is out for itself.

[flpoljunkie]

8. Her concern for healthcare tax surcharge reviving 'class warfare' argument puts her in bed w/R's.

Borger's not the only pundit worried they might have to pay a wee bit more to provide health care for those less fortunate than she.

They are greedheads!

[JamesA1102]

9. Borger has always been a GOP shill

This is just an attempt to blame the Dems for GOP obstructionism.