House Dem: Obama's Not Leading on Health Care

Obama's got two accomplishments: Jack and Squat.

President Barack Obama is falling short as Democrats' leader in the fight for health reform, according to a freshman Dem lawmaker.

Freshman Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) openly lamented the Obama administration's calculated decision to let the House and Senate craft their own health bills, with the congressman blaming the president for the vast discrepancies between the two bills now.

"The Senate bill and the House bill are on different planets," Massa said during an appearance on the liberal "Bill Press Radio Show" podcast. "And they're on different planets because, as much as I want this administration to succeed, they did not present a piece of legislation to the United States Congress.

"We still don't have a piece of paper that says what his plan is. We're kind of like pilots flying blind," he added.

Why? Is it because he's feckless, inexperienced, and politically cowardly?

No. ABCNews thinks he's "too nice" to make "tough decisions."

To borrow a joke from a commenter: Charlie Gibson just asked, "What is ABCNews?"

Incidentally, according to Rasmussen, support for ObamaCare is at 42%, with 54% opposing.

Thanks to AHFF Geoff.

WaPo: New Poll Finds "Clear Majority" Now Favor Public Option: I find this difficult to believe, but for what it's worth:

[M]ajorities now back two key and controversial provisions: both the so-called public option and a new mandate requiring all Americans to carry health insurance.

Independents and senior citizens, two groups crucial to the debate, have warmed to the idea of a public insurance option, and are particularly supportive if it were administered by the states and limited to those without access to affordable private insurance, as stipulated in some versions of the legislation.

...

Overall, 45 percent of Americans favor the broad outlines of the proposals now moving in Congress, while 48 percent are opposed, about the same division as in August at the height of the angry town hall meetings over health care. Seven in 10 Democrats back the plan while almost nine in 10 Republicans oppose it. Independents divide 52 percent against, 42 percent in favor of the set of reforms.

...

On the issue that has been a flash point in the national debate, 57 percent of all Americans now favor a public insurance option, while 40 percent are opposed. Support has risen since mid-August, when a bare majority, 52 percent, said they favored it. (In a June Post-ABC poll, support had been at 62 percent.)

If run by the states and available only to those who lack affordable private options, support for a public plan jumps to 76 percent. Under those circumstances, even a majority of Republicans, 56 percent, would be supportive, about double their level of support without such a limitation.

Can someone explain to me how the thing is disfavored 48-45 when two of its most obnoxious provisions, the government option and individual mandates, command, supposedly, such high levels of support? And, by the way:

Twice as many see the plan as leading to too much, rather than too little, government involvement...

So most of the lack of support can be attributed to it being too statist, not statist enough.

I genuinely have no theories on this: How can it be the public gives the non-plan only a 45% level of support (according to the WaPo) poll but is apparently keen on the government option and higher taxes?

And... Republicans supporting a version of the government option?

My urge is to say "biased sample/skewed questions," but the poll finds less than majority support for the plan. So...?

posted by Ace at 05:58 PM

| Access Comments