Reich: Obama "Over-Learned" From Clinton (VIDEO)

In crafting health care legislation, the Obama White House may have "over-learned the lesson of the Clinton years," giving too much deference to Congress when presidential leadership is needed, Robert Reich said on Sunday.

Appearing on ABC's "This Week," the former Clinton administration labor secretary and his co-panelists acknowledged that the past week of news on the health care reform front was not a good one for progressive activists. CBO reports showed plans in the Senate costing scads of taxpayer funds with moderate returns in coverage, while Republican opposition to a public plan crystallized. In light of it all, Reich said it was time to revisit the chief component of Obama's legislative strategy: allowing a health care bill to originate in Congress so as to keep the process open and accessible to its 535 members.

"The worry here is that the President may have, and the White House staff may have, over-learned the lesson of the Clinton health care plan, 'fiasco,' which was don't deliver a package to the Hill, let the Hill take ownership," said Reich. "That was true up to a point... Right now the president has got to get involved, twist arms and say if I don't have A, B, and C I'm not going to sign this bill."

"We have reached a tipping point," Reich went on. "And I think the problem is there are so many different bills and so many different conceptions of where the money is going to come from, whether there is going to be a mandate, whether there is going to be a public option, what the public option will look like, that there is no coherence. The president has got to go in there and give it coherence."

Watch:

The remarks were met with agreement from host George Stephanopoulos, who, like Reich, was in the Clinton White House during the last major, failed push for reform.

Saying that Reich was "right in part about 1993-94," Stephanopoulos noted that when the Clintons started crafting health care reform there were Republicans willing to compromise. But as the process proceeded, those amenable GOPers walked away.

"The politics changed and it wouldn't matter what was in the bill at the end, the Republican Party decided they weren't going to go along with this," he said. "It appears to me this week, you started to see that developing now... It seems to me that the last Republican negotiating right now is [Iowa Sen.] Chuck Grassley."

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Comments

[Whitley2009]

Did you hear that Social Security is NOT going broke? That program is better managed than thought previously.

We will have no trouble adding a single pay health care trust to take care of our people. The Republicans need to address the fact that we Americans will actually PAY PREMIUMS for such coverage, just like we do with Social Security. The only problem is that their fat cats in BigInsurance, BigPharmaceutical, BigChemical, and BigMedicine will lose a great deal of command and control over our health care.

Ultimately, the solution will be the outlawing of lobbyist donations to the politicians in Congress.

[Tulka2]

Just as most civilized countries have single-payer health care, most of them also have publicly financed elections. There's a connection, isn't there?

[rxvette]

Read this:

http://rxvette.blogspot.com/2009/05/healthcare-reform-touches-home.html

[Tulka2]

That is a heartbreaking story.

And .... as far as dental is concerned care is concerned...? That's how far away the U.S. is from reality about health care. Dental care hasn't even been touched. It is a bridge too far (excuse the execrable pun). Statistics show that if a person loses all their teeth, their chances of dieing in the following five years are almost doubled. Dental care is also a human right, but our moral sense seems to be gone.

Our sense of community and morality caught a fever under Reagan, broke out in a "greed is good" rash, then when into an insane fit of "torture will be required" and now fear-filled zombies walk the streets wondering if their job is next. Good. The worse it gets, the stronger the remedy required. FDR, some on the Left used to say, was not so "good" as he was simply trying to stop (co-opt) a revolution.

[mharg11]

What is not being reported is that on Friday, June 19, the House commitees agreed on a strong health care bill and they said the will fight the senate over it. Hope is still alive and doing well, so don't be misslead by the media. HP reported this on Friday or Sat. Check it out.

[Dynamohum]

There is a big difference between the HOUSE and the SENATE. If the Senate doesn't support or pass something, that is the end of whatever legislation. The Senate wields more power over the legislative process.

[TheBaffler]

Isn't it interesting that the one liberal that worked for Clinton is the one Clintonista not tapped by Mr. Change?

[Tulka2]

....and when he rejected Krugman. Yeah. The creepy feeling began.

[Eric8]

Why are we so wise, and they so dumb, or are we so naive as to believe they care if we know.

Over-Learned- sounds like something Donald Rumsfield would say; the known knowns of the future futures. I really don't think its possible to over learn.

Obama and his slick PR team know full well how to pass health care, you'd have to be an idiot not to.

How about pointing to the endless public opinion polls which 3 out of 4 people support a public plan. How about invoking Jesus, and asking "is it not the moral thing to do, to provide basic health care? How about creating an hour long infomercial with tax payer money, put on any of the thousands of lives that have been destroyed by a lack of adequate care and show their desperation, it may even win an emmy? How dumb and un-creative these politicians must be; they have obviously never really wanted to change anything, except our cynical attitude toward our cynical government.

[Nonpartay]

Or how about their pointing out that the Constitution says government is there to promote the general welfare and insure domestic tranquility? Seems to me everyone's being able to see a doctor when they're sick without concern about cost would go a long way towards fulfilling this obligation.

[Tulka2]

American clergymen have felt free to impose other litmus tests of faith on their congregations, so since helping the poor is something Jesus actually talked about, we may hope they might follow His example.

[Chaimirija]

Jesus would work

[Tulka2]

The phrase "bleeding heart liberal" has it's origins in that image of Jesus pulling open his chest to show his open heart of compassion. The image is from the day when not so many people could read and you had to show them in pictures.

The image shows a smiling Jesus with his heart on fire, wrapped in thorns to show that Jesus suffered so we should not have to. I always think of this picture when a right-winger sneers, "bleeding heart liberal" like some kind of minion from hell.

[PhilipTaylor]

Dear President Obama,

We FOUND the $TRILLION in SAVINGS we needed!

It seems the Budget Office did their $1 Trillion Short Fall Estimate assuming NO PUBLIC OPTION in their calculations. Amazing!

Insurance Companies charge 1,500% more for Administrative FEES than Medicare, so
there is at least a $Trillion Dollars in Savings with the Competition created using the Public Option.

The Public Option will be great for controlling the SINGLE-PROF1TEER Insurers!

The Public Option is fully Funded and ready SO YOU can keep YOUR PROMISES to AMERICANS!

Sincerely, The CBO Checker

P.S.:

2.1% Administrative Fees for Medicare
30% Administrative Fees for Insurance Companies

So Insurance Companies charge 15 TIMES or 1,500% more than Medicare, or 27.9% MORE and that is $Trillions!

[Tulka2]

If that doesn't convince them, they are not working for us.

[Carolab]

They are not working for us.

[Chopin]

The President appears temperamentally too much of a "consensus man". At a time when confusion reigns, sown by the opposition forces from the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, an unending muddled-headed bouncing around half-way measures like the "government option", in an illusory quest for fluid consensus, or "bi-partisanship", is a defacto prescription for paralysis and failure.

An old friend said to me, "Single-payer healthcare system in the US? It'll never happen!" That reminded me of another person's comment before the last election, "A black man in the White House? It won't happen!" But it did, because THE PEOPLE WERE READY. So, Mr. President, run with it.

This is one time when the President of the United States needs to summon his core moral convictions, lays it on the line in no uncertain terms, and bets his bottom dollar on his overwhelming popularity on a powerful opening winning shot. There is no other way to get there by bouncing around, slipping and sliding between a myriad of uncertain coalitions of competing vested interests.

[Tulka2]

Gore Vidal, my hero, has often said, the only way to save the Republic is to get a man in there who will not start running for the next term on day one of his first. We need a President who will look the American people in the eye and say, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. You can vote me out in the next election, but I will get something done". (I paraphrase, but think i've caught the spirit. Wish i were in Rome having drinks with Gore Vidal.)

[TheBaffler]

Vidal is a treasure. It's a shame too few have heeded his words over the last half-century.

[DaveVentura]

You seem a bit confused as to which side Obama is on:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/sectors.php?sector=H
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?ind=H01
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?ind=H03
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?ind=F09
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.php?ind=H04
Obama isn't going to bite the hand that feeds him.

[StopSexismNow]

THANK YOU for posting this information! Everyone needs to review and then pick up the phone and DEMAND Single Payer!

Dept of HHS phone is 1-877-696-6775
Max Baucus is 202-224-2651
Finance committee is [phone]
White House is 202-456-1414
Other committee member contacts can be found here:

http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/committee.htm

They are not hearing from us, but you can be d.amn sure they've heard from the folks in the INDUSTRY. Jam the d.amn phone lines!

[Nonpartay]

Perhaps he's just letting things in DC get so chaotic than the people will be relieved and thrilled to have him step in at last and give us something we can live with. Just a thought. :)

[Tulka2]

Prayer wheel spinning here for that good thought.

[Peabodies]

Medicare for All sites, below -- Rallies in Washington, D.C. June 25 (Upper Senate Park 11:30 a.m.; June 26 (Union Station 6 p.m.)

PNHP http://www.pnhp.orgg)

Health Care-NOW! http://www.healthcare-now.orgg)

California Nurses Association http://www.calnurses.org//)

Progressive Democrats of America http://www.pdamerica.orgg)

Medicare for All http://www.medicareforall.org/pages/Homee)

Also, please sign Senator Bernie Sanders' petition--

http://sanders.senate.gov

[Tulka2]

"Sometimes all that life requires of you is that you show up".

Upper Senate Park, 11:30 a.m., June 25! Be there. Look for the gilded goddess.

[StopSexismNow]

Excellent, but for those who are unable to travel to DC, please CALL!

Dept of HHS phone is 1-877-696-6775
Max Baucus is 202-224-2651
Finance committee is [phone]
White House is 202-456-1414
Other committee member contacts can be found here:

http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/committee.htm

There is a weighting system they use and phone calls are weighted much more heavily than emails. So it is extremely important to call, call and call again and again and again...jam the switchboards and they will get the idea. SINGLE PAYER!!!

[rosal]

The country is getting tired of being treated like children that don't know what is good for them. When 76% of the population want reform, and the politicians talk and argue among themselves ignoring the will of the people, I think a big change should be in the horizon.A Third Party, or Election Funding Reform is a must. We just cannot continue with the corporations and their profits running the country.

[Tulka2]

"Sometimes all life requires of you is that you show up."

Ed Schultz has said he is afraid it will take a huge march in D.C. just like the civil rights marches to pull off real reform. Hard to do when one is out of work and out of money and out of health care, but there you go. Do we have it in us? I think so, if Obama got up in front and told us to come and let D.C. have a look at us.

[Chopin]

It sounds like a wild-eye idea -- the President sending out a clarion call to the public to summon them by the millions, to come to the capital, DC, in front of the Congress and Lincoln Memorial, on say Labor Day. Marches have been done before, on racial equality civil rights, women's voting rights, etc., why not on health rights???

Let's kick this idea around . . . candidate Obama during his presidential campaign 2007-08 had amassed over one million hardcore, dedicated campaign volunteers. I'm sure his White House email list of supporters today is considerably bigger, in the multi-millions. Let's say on this "single-payer healthcare issue" he issues a call to the public to rally to a march in Washington DC. Enlist the half-empty airlines to chip in, do a public good by offering charter flights at cost, for this single event. Do you think there'll be enough critical mass to band together a wide coalition of movements, like MoveOn.org, NOW (National Organization of Women), Physicians for a National Health Program, California Nurses Association, AFL-CIO, veterans associations, etc, etc. . . .

Can the American public do as much, or more than the millions of ordinary people in Iran are doing today, in defense of their own civil and voting rights ???

[LemonMeringue]

Bush did it, with bad intentions for America and without a mandate.

Obama has a mandate and public health care is desperately needed to make our lives better. Why can't he?

[rosal]

The Obstructionists know two things: If Obama brings Health Care Reform the Repbs won't win another election in decades, and if they go against Corporate America, they'll never get another penny as a thank you. What they don't understand is that if they obstruct reform, they will never win another election in decades, no matter how much money they collect from their friends.

[TheBaffler]

Because he answers to the same people Bush did. He works for corporate America.

[zanzig]

I think Mr Reich is right; this should be the true post-partisanship: let the President TELL Congress that this Bill IS going to be done, regardless...

[Marcospinelli]

If we learned nothing else from the Bush-Cheney administration, it's that you can sell anything to the American people with the right sales pitch.

Like single payer universal health care, the only reason it wouldn't become law is because Obama and Democrats either don't want it to pass or aren't adept at creating a sales pitch.

So which is it? Because if it's that they don't know how to sell it, it's time to get new people into office who do know how.

[Tulka2]

Did you hear Bill Maher get in a lot of trouble because he said something like, "At least Bush wasn't afraid to do some stuff and the consequences be damned".

Obama has the right ideas. Does he have the stones?

[SCG]

Obama never promised to pursue single payer in the first place, He says it would be "too disruptive"

I guess he means for Wall St., he never elaborated?

[Tulka2]

Nineteen plus million from the health industry in his campaign coffers. I really hoped he had the stones.

[philko]

What we learned from Bush & co is that you can sell anything to the American people *if you scare them enough*. Most of the "fear cards" on health care are in the Republicans' hands, few (if any) are in the hands of progressives.

All we really have (fear-wise) is "what if you lose your insurance and then get really sick?". It's scary, sure, but nowhere near as scary as "what if the smoking gun is a mushroom cloud?".

It's going to be a tough sell.

[elfish]

It could be sold if someone would show some pictures of some real Americans who have been bankrupted by medical expenses and treated poorly by insurance companies. I know several stories myself and there have to be millions more. You have to convince young and healthy people that the "good deal" they think they are getting will bite them badly when they are older or get sick.

[Marcospinelli]

This really is the time, the one and only time, for single payer universal health care. If it doesn't happen now, ALL public health care will end in a very short time. Medicare, all of it.

Obama's plan (public-private option) is a 'kicking-the-can-down-the-road'-method of not deciding anything -- But what it does is actually strengthen Big Insurance, and will lead to gutting public health care while weakening the movement for universal public health. And because it has some real life impacts, it's going to wind up killing supporters, literally. Probably the most vocal and knowledgable, older and educated Americans. "Thinning the herd".

Because we're dealing with a capitalist corporate model. Big Insurance is still going to be able to cherry-pick the healthiest, youngest, charge them dirt cheap rates, taking them out of the pool. That's short-changing the money for the public program.

It's the same mechanism that Bush employed to end all of the social programs, and why he thinks he'll be vindicated. Bankrupt the country in order to end social security. It's mad (insane), but it works.

[Tulka2]

If we don't get some kind of ground-breaking health reform, it's not only the end of the economy, it is also the final nail in the Republic's coffin. That's it. That would be final proof that it's class war and the underclass did not start it. It means we will never win an "election". It means "elections" matter not at all.

Now citizens sit in front of your teevees and watch the poor Iranians whose elections do not count. Aren't we lucky?

[StopSexismNow]

Marco, you are are so dead-on correct it is scary. Obama has all the political capital he needs plus a cherry set up in Congress to enable him to do the right thing. This is THE time, but unless we the American public get up and start screaming for it, it will not happen and we will have lost the opportunity forever.

PICK UP THE PHONE PEOPLE and demand SINGLE PAYER!

Dept of HHS phone is 1-877-696-6775
Max Baucus is 202-224-2651
Finance committee is [phone]
White House is 202-456-1414
Other committee member contacts can be found here:

http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/committee.htm

[liecatcher]

MIPIC MEDICAL INSURANCE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

In other words the secret list of WHITE HOUSE "visitors"

[gouda123]

Obama has to keep that list quiet. He is on the down low.

[Tulka2]

Oh, you wish. Does Michelle look like a woman who would put up with that? Dream on.

[Ponderus]

Only in your dreams, Cheesy.

[bobste]

Republican double-speak: http://frightnight.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/hypocrits-and-double-speak-republicans-and-health-care/