Paul Starr, a senior adviser to the Clinton health care reform effort, wrote:
“Despite the comprehensive benefit package and the extras such as prescription drug coverage for the elderly, we did not receive passionate support from the groups we were counting on. We did succeed, however, in mobilizing the opposition. The scale of the program and its regulatory features also caused sympathetic groups in the business community and opinion leaders in the media to think twice about support for reform. Because we had failed to edit the plan down to its essentials and find familiar ways to convey it, many people couldn’t understand what we were proposing. There were too many parts, too many new ideas, even for many policy experts to keep straight….
“We made the error of trying to do too much at once, took too long, and ended up achieving nothing. Oh, yes, I was thrilled when President Clinton waved his pen before Congress and threatened to veto anything less than universal coverage. Like many others who supported reform, I failed to appreciate the risk of losing everything. We were too confident that reform was inevitable…”
The 1993-94 failure humbled the Clinton White House to the point that it became one of the least threatening presidencies of the modern era. Let’s hope history repeats itself to the end of this reform attempt too.
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“Because we had failed to edit the plan down to its essentials and find familiar ways to convey it, many people couldn’t understand what we were proposing. There were too many parts, too many new ideas, even for many policy experts to keep straight….”
It worries me that they explain away our opposition as the inability to understand their position. How can you possibly debate with such a mindset?
I actually hope they pass it. Pass cap and trade too. Markets will crash and the game will end. The economy cannot take these two bills.
If they don’t pass then we may be stuck with the current left/right phony battles and we know what that gets us…the slow deteriation of the economy will be blamed on “free-markets”.
Krugman will call for more/bigger bailouts while the Rand Corp calls for a bigger war.
“How can you possibly debate with such a mindset?”
You can’t. I suspect that’s the whole idea.
How much you wanna bet that if this monstrosity does not pass now that it will still be phased in incrementally in the coming years–and that it will be nominally “pro-market” Republican presidents who will get it done?
Like how Duh-Bya got the prescription drug part of HillaryCare passed.
“many people couldn’t understand what we were proposing.”
What arrogance, to suggest that we disagree with their reform only because we couldn’t understand it !
This is outrageous.
“The 1993-94 failure humbled the Clinton White House to the point that it became one of the least threatening presidencies of the modern era.”
Too bad Barack Obama is not a playboy, we could use another Monica Lewinsky type scandal right now to further humble Obama’s threatening presidency.
…the complexity of the plans and onslaught of criticism had even left many supporters bewildered and uncertain. The opposition had focused attention on what those with good health care might lose. Commentators turned on the president.
…
The Republicans enjoyed a double triumph, killing reform and then watching jurors find the president guilty. It was the political equivalent of the perfect crime.
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History will repeat again.
If Obama’s healthcare plan goes down, it will be because of the American people. In 1993, the insurance companies and pharmaceticuls lead the charge. This time around Obama’s team has co-opted them. So now, its up the people. It is encouraging to see Americans standing up. Let us not rest on our laurels. We need to keep the fight for reform and get the government out of healthcare.
I actually hope they pass it. Pass cap and trade too. Markets will crash and the game will end.
Actually, it will reset. Our only hope is that, when the reset comes, there will be some bastions of near-liberty.
If they don’t pass then we may be stuck with the current left/right phony battles and we know what that gets us…the slow deteriation of the economy will be blamed on “free-markets”.
Exactly right. Why anyone here bothers to speak against the proposed “reforms,” knowing that all we can hope for without them is further agonizing limbo, is beyond me.
It is encouraging to see Americans standing up.
I disagree. The vast majority of those people have no semblance of principles in the matter. They’re merely partisan statists, just like the teabaggers.
We need to keep the fight for reform and get the government out of healthcare.
Good luck with that.
Constitutionnal Militias in the US depicted as “right wing extremists” by the medias.
-> Government Psyop:Fox News Report So Called Right-Wing Militias On The Rise In U.S.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VMPDPViUYw
History may repeat itself indeed…
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