Obama and Over-Commitment on Health Care Reform
As health care reform seems to be spiraling towards some kind of a conclusion as the August recess of congress approaches the plethora of plans in contention seems to obscure any fortune telling as to what exactly is going to be the result of all this compromise. While the so-called Blue Dog Dems seem to be gumming up the works for any substantial reform the average person will have very little input on this upcoming bill. While special interests push to preserve or favorably manipulate what makes the current and future system profitable.
But I understand that most Americans will wake up some day and learn about this health care reform and then make the best decision for themselves. Despite the average Americans political ideologies (either right, left or centrist) the notion that they specifically grasp the nuances between a mixed market vs. two-tier systems is ludicrous.
You are also confronted by the ideological leanings of the populous. Certain people will never be open to a public option because of the deep-seeded belief that this infringes on the liberty of the people. Whats more is that they would continue to hold this belief even if the public option was successful.
Now that we are faced with the summer break of our Congress, health care reform waits in the shadows of back room deals and compromised quid pro quo. But not to worry, that’s the way its always been.
President Obama’s position has focused on repeatedly calling for the need and importance of reforming one-seventh of our economy and practically declaring that it must be delivered. Also, he has said that it must be fiscally neutral; not adding any more deficit spending (in the long term at least).
But what about the Prescription Drug Plan that President Bush signed over that denied Medicare the ability to negotiate with these companies. Essentially, this denies the ability of the government to establish itself as a “public option” competition, while costing the public millions in over-priced drug subsidies.
Will the new health care bill be so hindered by “bi-partisan” compromise that it fails to effectively provide a public option?
What I find even more troubling is that will the bill be signed if it meets the broad targets laid out by Obama himself, but does not go far enough to truly provide us with an effective public option?
Has the President over-committed to the point where he will be faced with the option of vetoing a defective bill and suffering the loss of face by being viewed as unable to deliver on compromise? Or signing weak legislation in the hope that at least its something (i.e. see Stimulus Bill).