Obama's Engagement On Health Care Has 'Dried Up': Dem Senator

[laughingliberal]

Despite urging Democratic senators on Wednesday to forge ahead on health care reform, President Obama and his aides have been largely hands-off in guiding the legislative process, Senate aides tell the Huffington Post. And on Thursday a leading Senate progressive called out the White House publicly for abandoning the leadership role that is needed to get legislation passed.

"The president was weighing in pretty heavily on the discussions between the House and Senate before the Massachusetts special election," Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) told Huffington Post. "It's dried up since."

"I think the president needs to work out with House Democrats and leaders in the Senate what we've got to do in reconciliation and what we can pass in reconciliation," Brown added. "And I think we can do a lot. I'm not a minimalist here, that we just do the minimum, do the little bit that's required. I think we can do some significant improvements on the Senate bill. We need to because House members are not exactly trusting of the Senate these days."

Brown's lament was echoed in conversations with several high-ranking Senate aides this past week, many of whom agreed that the administration's involvement in health care negotiations has declined since Scott Brown's victory in the Massachusetts Senate race. Part of the toned-down engagement seems tactical. The main hurdle to getting reform passed is an absence of conviction among House Democratic lawmakers that the Senate will amend their bill using reconciliation. And it's debatable how much the president can do to generate that trust.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/04/obamas-engagement-on-heal_n_449168.htm

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. surprisingly healthcare is in the top 5 of important issues - is it not?

jobs
economy
neocon terra
healthcare

http://www.pollingreport.com/prioriti.htm

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. What more can President Obama do, exactly?

He's made several speeches and exhorted them to continue working on it and getting something passed. Of course, if getting HCR done was a simple matter of signing an executive order/decree, we all know he would've already done it by now but that's not how things work. In our system, it is up to Congress to legislate and as such, it should now be up to Congress (our other alleged "leaders") to finish the job at this point. It should be up to Pelosi, Reid, and their whips in both houses to get what needs to get done done. They already have a seemingly foolproof plan for how to do this, so why are they just sitting on their hands? Are they supposed to be completely dependent on President Obama to hold their hands while they finish this? :nopity: If so, they probably aren't worthy to be members of Congress. Hell, why even have a Congress if they're so dysfunctional that they can't identify as obvious a national problem as health care coverage and solve it somehow? President Obama has repeatedly signaled- throughout pretty much the entire process- that he will undoubtedly sign whatever they send to him, so what exactly are they waiting for? A sign from the heavens? Permission from the Repubs?

:wtf: :mad: :banghead:

[MUAD_DIB]

5. I really am beginning to wonder why they go to work at all?

Why bother if all they do is want President daddy to fix things for them. What's their problem?

[iceman66]

6. Most of them are cowards.

They are afraid that if they passed any sort of meaningful health care reform, that they will lose their seats.

They have actually become convinced that improving the health care system to the benefit of the vast majority of Americans would be a political liability.

Such is the power of the health care/insurance industry.

[dionysus]

36. they want him to shoulder all the responsibility. sadly, there's all too many

people here who feel exactly the same way. no, don't blame the house that they could only get a weak public option, don't blame the senate they couldn't get one at all.. nope, it's all obama's fault, everything is.

[MUAD_DIB]

3. I'm a little confused on this. Does Congress expect Obama to write and pass the bill for them?

The Executive is one of the three branches of government. Does Congress understand that they are one of the other two branches?

What is their problem exactly?

[Edweird]

9. How did we get Social Security and Medicare? Was it 'hands off'?

[MUAD_DIB]

10. So Obama needs to hold their hand? Is that it?

Again, what is their problem in passing the bill?

[laughingliberal]

14. No, I think he should leave it alone

Hopefully, the House will hold firm on demanding changes before they pass the industry blow job from the Senate, the Senate will keep demanding their Republican bill be accepted and the whole thing will die a nice, natural death. Then, when the public outcry for real reform gets big enough, they can try again.

I support the President's hands off approach 100%.

[eridani]

32. No, he needs to twist their arms, hard

And insist on a public option and an end to antitrust exemptions.

[laughingliberal]

13. My guess is that it was not. nt

[DFLforever]

27. Well, I've heard that SS was stuffed down FDR's throat by some.

US Senators. Very little New Deal legislation actually originated in the White House.

I'd have to look hard for the source. I've read a lot about the New Deal over the years and the precise citation has slipped my quite old mind.

[Schema Thing]

4. mmm, hmmm, that sausage gonna be good!

[qazplm]

7. maybe it has dried up

because you folks in the Senate aren't receptive to it. Do your effin jobs.

[Cleita]

8. I'm very disappointed that we had to discover how corrupt Washington is

because of this. Health care isn't about politics. It's about life and death issues and our elected officials whether Democratic or Republican should be looking at it as a life and death matter and doing what's best for the nation and the people of this nation. We who pay for their salaries, pensions and their Cadillac health plans expect better of them. Instead they are doing a circle dance about preserving the most corrupt industries in this country, the insurance and big PhRMA industries. I'm hoping the Huffington Post is just blowing hot air on this and don't have any real information on what the President is thinking about it.

[dionysus]

37. in a rational world a strong bill would pass both houses with overwhelming support from both parties

sad, isnt it.

[JDPriestly]

11. Democrats should have told Lieberman that health care legislation

with a public option is such a priority that he would lose his chairmanship if he didn't vote for it. It would have gone through because he would have persuaded a couple of Republicans that they need a conservative like him in his chairmanship. That's all the Senate would have had to do.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. His conduct blew the "he votes with us on non-war issues" argument away

I still can't believe that "Traitor Joe" didn't suffer any repercussions for CAMPAIGNING for McCain/Palin in 2008! The Repubs would NEVER have let any of their members (or caucus members) campaign for a Democrat (and live to tell) :mad: :banghead:
His track record of loyalty to the Democratic party/caucus has been abysmal since 2007. To vote with the other side once in a while is one thing but to attack our party and actively CAMPAIGN against our party nominee in a Presidential election is simply unacceptable IMHO.

[closeupready]

15. And yet, here we are. Imagine that.

Testament to something rotten and/or crooked.

[Warren Stupidity]

16. On tuesday Obama was stumping in Nashua for health care.

What exactly else is he supposed to do?

[timeforpeace]

17. Running on HCR, then turning to Congress and saying "you do it" was certainly a novel approach.

[Fire1]

18. Not novelty at all. It's THEIR job!!! n/t

[timeforpeace]

20. It was his idea!!! Presidents come in with proposed legislation all the time. He didn't even have an

outline. Again, this approach was novel. And not a little responsible for the outcome.

[Fire1]

22. "Outline?" What president turns in an "outline" to Congress??

He repeatedly told them AND us what he wanted in the bill. At town halls, televised addresses, etc. etc. Even addressed congressional caucuses. There is nothing else he can do! You can't logically make him totally responsible for the outcome of this mess! Congress has the bulk of the responsibility, here. I'm tired of this same sorry meme.

[laughingliberal]

21. Yes, and if he leaves them alone now maybe they'll drop it

and we won't get stuck with that horrible Senate bill. :)

[dflprincess]

28. And denying he ever said he wanted a public option

don't forget that.

I think the insurance scam is exactly what Obama and his buddy Rahm had in mind when they talked about "reform".

[PufPuf23]

31. Don't forget Rahm's bro Zeke

who is a health care advisor.

Zeke's concept is mandates then to phase out Medicare as those under mandates age into Medicare.

Obama has confused me on Health Care Reform (and military esp. Latin America and Africa I gritted my teeth over his campaigning words regarding AfPak but didn't expect the retaining of GWB Generals, Gates et al and the degree of military expansion.

[laughingliberal]

35. Yes, the 'deficit commission' will now accomplish the privatization of Medicare for insurance corps

The bailout of the insurance companies was always the goal. If they can find a way to hold on to all those baby boomers, it is mission accomplished. There was never any will to fix the health care system for the people of the country.

[deaniac21]

19. I really don't understand why anyone would be shocked about

politicians acting like politicians.

[AlinPA]

23. Health care reform is dead in congress. No courage to move it. nt

[Lord Helmet]

24. That's not true. He has urged Congress to finish the job.

[JoeyT]

25. The greatest irony would be

if the Republicans actually got smart and pushed for real honest to goodness reform. Reform that was well past what was negotiated in advance with the pharmaceutical industry and insurance industries. I wonder if it would get vetoed, and how that would be spun.

[Faryn Balyncd]

26. Has either the Senate OR the White House earned the trust that they won't sell out on a Public Plan?

(I can't even bring myself to use the term "Public Option" since it has become so defiled by bait & switch.)

[laughingliberal]

40. They have not. nt

[amborin]

29. his involvement has been minimal all along.... recommended

Obama basically did nothing all summer long to fight for real health care reform

once the HCR bill became a huge giveaway to corporations, on the backs of the middle class, Obama and Rahm were eager to pass it

[laughingliberal]

39. +1 nt

[EmeraldCityGrl]

30. Stalling tactics. Maybe if Brown, Lincoln et al. stall

long enough, Health Care will be dead. Maybe those running for office in Nov. were the same ones
"relieved" when Brown was elected in MA. Obama has been out there ad nauseam supporting Health care
and bipartisanship. What does he need to do, go down on the floor? Maybe the Dems are obstructionists,
they're just a nicer version.

[laughingliberal]

33. The point of the Senate bill was always to bail out the insurance industry from the coming exodus

The new 'deficit commission' will come back with a privatization scheme for Medicare. Problem solved.

[BumRushDaShow]

34. This only shows how Congress refuses to listen to the people

and DO THEIR JOBS. The Executive branch is a different branch and the President has his own job to do. Certainly the Judicial branch is hard at work overturning the Legislative branch's laws while the legislative branch snoozes, smoozes, and whines.

[laughingliberal]

38. I think they've all decided the new "deficit commission" will accomplish the goal

Medicare will be privatized and save the insurance companies from their inevitable demise if nothing were done. The House was the only branch that included officials who ever really cared about reforming the system for the people. The White House and the Senate were always all about saving the industry. They've found their work around and HCR is dead.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

41. President Obama did little to advance Candidate Obama's healthcare proposals

And anyone who has followed this "reform" from beginning to end knows that.

Candidate Obama had a detailed plan that he RAN ON. It had a strong Public Option "like Medicare", advocated both drug negotiation and importation, banned all the worst practices of the insurers effective immediately, discounted industry lobbying efforts and "back room deals" and on and on.

Once President Obama was in the White House, it was like he never heard of his own plan. There was ZIP in sense of urgency or momentum. He had his nice big symposium at the White House for the "stakeholders" - nothing more than a giant time-wasting exercise. I READ the whole boring documentation of those meetings. Sprinkled throughout are little pleas by various people for some "guidance" from the White House.

Next we have the stupid, time-wasting exercise of the Heath-care house parties which the White House asked people to hold and for which they provided NOTHING in terms of an agenda to advance. Their literature promoted 3 bromides about reform is necessary, everyone deserves coverage, and some other point just as banal. It was like healthcare reform delivered from fortune cookies. The big circle jerk was to be highlighted at the end by a Day of Service. The whole thing -concept, materials, etc. looked like it was organized and executed by 19 year old high school interns.

THEN we get to the free for all with the five committees in the House and the three committees in the Senate all reinventing the same wheel, again with little or no White House input from all accounts with the notable exception of the Finance Committee and Baucus where the infamous side deals with Pharma were negotiated with LOTs of White House input and help. So much for making deals with lobbyists and negotiating drug benefits. They "negotiated" a deal that was no deal for the American people

Then we get to the summer and the Tea Parties with no counter movement on the other side because I think everyone was in a state of shock and realizing the fix was in. Plus no one can counter with anything because THERE IS STILL NO PLAN TO PROMOTE!!

THEN we get to the part where the White House actively killed off Dorgan's amendment for importation. So much for that stance.

Not to mention the almost constant walking away and downplaying of the entire concept of a public option, culminating with the ridiculous assertion that a public option wasn't part of the campaign healthcare platform.

YES, Presidents do have input and often guide legislation from the White House. Anyone who says differently is just completely uninformed. This President walked away from his own plan and remained on the sidelines when leadership was clearly called for.

What we have now is a valentine to the industries holding us hostage and little real reform or cost containment for the American people.

And yes, I place the blame squarely where it belongs - at the top with President Barack Obama who plain out DID NOT DELIVER on HCR. He did not advance a clear agenda and his administration has been asleep at the wheel and out of control the whole way. A part of me believes we are getting the little dribble of reform we were always going to get anyway and all the campaign rhetoric was just a snow job.

[laughingliberal]

42. +1000,000 nt