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Obama Could Have Used His Radio Rhetoric for Universal Coverage, Not Baucus Bill
Progressive.org ^ | October 18, 2009 | Matthew Rothschild

Posted on 10/18/2009 3:59:54 PM PDT by SJackson

In his radio address this Saturday, President Obama praised the Baucus bill and used some of his most combative language to date against the insurance industry.

“The insurance industry is rolling out the big guns and breaking open their massive war chest – to marshal their forces for one last fight to save the status quo,” he said. “They’re filling the airwaves with deceptive and dishonest ads. They’re flooding Capitol Hill with lobbyists and campaign contributions. And they’re funding studies designed to mislead the American people.”

But if he was going to take the insurance industry on so aggressively, why didn’t he use his rhetorical skills for a much better bill, like Medicare for All, or Medicare for All Who Want It?

Instead, it appears that he’s behind the Baucus bill, a bill that ironically will corral tens of millions of people into the pens of the private insurance industry. For all its belly-aching, the insurance industry will make more profits than ever before. And we’ll still have 25 million uninsured people in this country a decade from now.

Obama also oddly undersold the moral case for health care reform.

“Passing health insurance reform”—note that he no longer even calls it health care reform—“will make a profound and positive difference in the lives of the American people,” he said. But he didn’t put any flesh on this. He didn’t spell out the “profound and positive difference” in human terms.

Instead, he skipped quickly to something airier and less immediate. “It also now represents something more: whether or not we as a nation are capable of tackling our toughest challenges.”

But the issue of universal health care is so urgent, so personal, and so gut-wrenching for so many millions of Americans that Obama doesn’t need to reach for “something more.”

On this issue, guaranteeing every American affordable, comprehensive health care would be enough.

But alas, Obama is not offering that.


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bho44; bhohealthcare; bhoradioaddress
Yes, he could.

Past tense.

Hope to hear more of it on domestic policy.

Afghanistan, I fear we'll hear it there too.

1 posted on 10/18/2009 3:59:55 PM PDT by SJackson
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To: SJackson

I have seen some very deceptive ads on Obama’s health care, but they didnt come from the Insurance Companies. They cane from the Obama side, especially the Unions.


2 posted on 10/18/2009 4:13:24 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: SJackson

I’m beginning to wonder if he’s becoming less idealistic about his Marxist agenda and more worried about his political future. Maybe he’d just as soon be seen by his base as trying to get this through and yet not get it through because it’s such a turkey and he’s the one who will suffer for it. Surely he’s seen the polls on the whole idea. Support is down to about 34% and opposition is up in the mid-50s.

I think he’s screwed either way.


3 posted on 10/18/2009 4:20:12 PM PDT by bustinchops (Teddy ("The Hiccup") Kennedy - the original water-boarder)
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To: SJackson

The controversy here is between the overt Marxist thugs at the communist Progressive magazine, versus the sneaky bait-and-switch incremental communist Obama approach.

The North Korean versus Venezuelan imposition of communism techniques


4 posted on 10/18/2009 4:32:42 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember (When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.)
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To: SJackson

Do we really have a President that’s attacking private industry for providing health care to American citizens? The mind boggles.


5 posted on 10/18/2009 4:47:52 PM PDT by gura (R-MO)
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To: SJackson

Three things will take this asshat King Obama down, health care bill, cap and trade, and most important the loss of life in Afghanistan due to insufficient troops and the loss of Nato involvement..


6 posted on 10/18/2009 5:05:53 PM PDT by Logical me (Oh, well!!!)
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To: SJackson

Obama says the healthcare industry is “filling the airwaves with deceptive and dishonest ads” but didn’t delve into the content of the ads at all. That boggles my mind.


7 posted on 10/18/2009 5:16:38 PM PDT by frposty (I'm a simpleton)
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To: SJackson
Photobucket
8 posted on 10/18/2009 5:20:43 PM PDT by GloriaJane (http://www.last.fm/user/GloriaJane)
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