I like Obama's approach on healthcare

[Onlooker]

I think Obama is handling the healthcare reform effort in a good way, but I'm also glad that the left is putting considerable pressure on him.

I remember reading a few months ago that Obama intended to become very involved once the legislation reached the House and Senate negotiation stage. I think this remains a smart strategy. If I'm right, here is how the Obama administration is hoping it plays out:

(1) The House has something halfway decent/the Senate has something that's bad.
(2) As the House and Senate move toward a compromise, that compromise will necessarily put into play the idea of Reconciliation. If the only way Reid can deliver is through that, then he will do so.
(3) Once the insurance companies recognize that the bill is a fait accompli, they will start to make their own offers and offer up Lieberman, Snowe, and a few others to get a few changes.
(4) We'll end up with legislation better than what the Senate has, but certainly nothing great, but it will have enough critical mass in terms of Congressional support to make it a victory, and it will have enough of a public option in it to make it a program that can be expanded in the future.

I remain optimistic, especially now that the left is starting to organize and blunt the anti-health care reform message that the right has so effectively foisted on the American people.

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. Will he toss out the mandate?

My 8-ball says no.

[iamjoy]

2. We Need To Fight This

I used to think we needed to support and trust our President. Now I think we need to fight this joke called Healthcare Reform. We want reform, but not the piece of junk the Senate has.

Look, Conservative Democrats (aka DiNOs) fussed about some elements of the healthcare bill. They got draconian abortion restrictions. President Obama kissed up to Senator Joe Lieberman and the Senate Dems dropped the progressive parts of the bill to get the likes of Lieberman and (Ben) Nelson on board.

Screw them. We should have remembered the rules from high school dating, or realized they applied here. Play hard to get. If you are easy, you will be used. Make the one you want pursue you. Nice guys, remember how the girl on whom you had the tremendous crush looked right past you and went for the jerk? We also know that the tramp who "went all the way" always had dates, but never really a boyfriend, right? We need to apply those lessons here and stop putting out if we want respect.

I hope the remaining Liberal Democrats in Congress realize this.

[BlueIdaho]

3. A new dawn, a new day.

You know what, I'm gonna wait until we have something come out of committee before I go completely bonkers. I've been way too wrapped up in all the negativism but I'm calling a personal time out. I'm gonna let this thing unfold a bit further. Lets see what happens. I hope to hell our leaders will lead and prove themselves worthy of the sacrifices my brothers and sisters have made made to bring them back into power. If not, well, there will be plenty of time for that later.

[Laelth]

4. Here's what he has said:

President Obama said: "...any plan I sign must include an insurance exchange: a one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, cost and track records of a variety of plans - including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest..."

If he holds true to that and vetoes legislation that does not include a public option, I will give him credit (although it needs to be a really big public option, with more than 50+ million participants, in order to really hold down costs). However, I suspect the final bill will not contain a public option, yet it will include an individual mandate. That's unacceptable.

:dem:

-Laelth

[108]

5. what most people don't understand

is that if Obama dug in early, we would never even have gotten this far, due to the Rights absolute detest for him...get something passed in the senate, and then go in and shape it

[doc03]

6. Oh come on now, no matter how bad it gets

this health care debacle was a brilliant move by the great chess champion Obama. He screwed up on day one letting those j---offs in Congress handle or I should say mishandle health care.

[FrenchieCat]

7. We the people elect Congress to write the laws, which would mean that the American people

are getting what they voted for in this democracy.