Barack Obama, GOP Convert?

by Josie Raymond · 2010-03-02 19:16:00 UTC
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How do you like them apples? President Obama -- who appeared to use the health care summit to look presidential and to wipe his hands of the matter before handing it off to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi by saying, "We gave bipartisanship another chance for the TV cameras. Now ram this bill through." -- actually was listening to Republican ideas for reform (the few that there are.) So now he's saying something like, "We gave bipartisanship another chance for the TV cameras and I put in some of their ideas. Now ram this bill through."

Obama is expected to present his finalized health care plan on Wednesday. He will reportedly use the "R" word -- reconciliation -- to let Republicans know that the time for debate is over.

In a letter sent to leaders of both parties on Tuesday, Obama highlighted Republican proposals that he pledged to work on while (fine print alert) poo-pooing "piecemeal reform" and continuing to advocate for the passage of comprehensive reform.

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell did his best Freddy Krueger impersonation by suggesting that passing health care reform will sink the Democrats in the midterm elections. He acted, of course, like he was doing Democrats a favor. Doesn't he know that they know that things look worse for them if they are so ineffective as to get nothing passed at all than if they do something that a large portion of the country is still rooting for? Why, yes, he does. Very sneaky, McConnell.

It's pretty clear that Obama did this not for Republicans, who still won't vote for the bill, but for skittish Democrats worried about looking too liberal to their constituencies and general election opponents. Here's what Obama said he can get on board with:

  • Undercover patients. The idea proposed by Sen. Tom Coburn, a Republican and a doctor, to ferret out unneeded tests and other wasteful practices.

  • High-deductible plans. Along with health care savings accounts, a quintessentially Republican idea that Obama seems willing to try -- for a select few who choose the plans in the proposed exchange.

  • Malpractice lawsuit reform. Obama proposed an additional $50 million in grants to states so they can rethink malpractice suits.

  • Paying doctors more for treating Medicaid patients. This is an idea from Sen. Chuck Grassley to counteract the unfortunate effect of doctors refusing to see Medicaid patients because of the low reimbursement rates.

Did Obama pick the right measures? Too many? Too few?

Photo credit: The White House

Josie Raymond is a Change.org editor who has reported from the streets of the South Bronx, written for several magazines that folded (not her fault) and fixed thousands of typos.
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