Obama Ally Throws Cold Water On Health Care

During the course of the presidential campaign, Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-Mont.) was often rumored to be on then Sen. Barack Obama's vice presidential short list. At the Democratic National Convention he gave one of the most crowd-pleasing speeches -- a blue-collared take on Democratic politics with a healthy dose of acid-tongue pokes at Sen. John McCain's wealth.

Now, however, Schweitzer isn't doing the president any favors, becoming one of the highest-profiled Democrats outside of Washington to throw cold water on health care reform.

Appearing on C-SPAN Sunday morning, Schweitzer said that the legislation currently making its way through Congress would unfairly burden states by requiring them to pay for a portion of the expanded coverage at a time when budgets are tight and pushing for growth in Medicaid.

"I have a lot of concerns as a governor," Schweitzer said from the National Governors Association meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. "Now, let me lay this out, there are only a few states that have a budget surplus, we are one them, we have about $400 million in cold hard cash in the bank. Very few states have got that. And we got there through good fiscal management. You can't put more things on your plate than you can afford to pay for. Now what is happening in Congress right now, things that disturb us as governors, is first they are looking at the rules and one of the proposals would be that the way we are going to pay for a portion of this health care is we will turn to the states and ask them to bond, to pay for some of the health care. They want to do some financial trickery, simply stated, we can't afford what we are doing today so we will get the states to borrow some money. Well we are not going to do that, because it is going to hurt our bond rating. We as states, we have as prizes our bond rating and this would tend to decrease our bond rating. By the way, the federal government, if Congress wants to have a health care program, then they need to pay for it. They can't dump it back on the states."

"The second problem we have is that one of the least effective programs in terms of health care, in the history of this country, is something called Medicaid," the Montana Democrat added. "About 20 percent of America is on a Medicaid program and they would like to shift it and grow it to somewhere around 25 or 30 percent. In Montana's case alone it would add 115 million dollars to our costs in our state, as our match. Now Medicaid is a system that isn't working, almost everyone agrees. But what Congress intends to do is increase the number [of people] on Medicaid so they could do it for the cheap. It is not working for anybody."

Fortunately for the Obama White House, Schweitzer ultimately won't have a vote on health care legislation. But his skepticism doesn't help the administration's argument that Washington is out of touch with the American public. And having a prominent ally express doubts publicly is not something the president wants right now. And it wouldn't be much of a shocker if Schweitzer were to get a call sometime this week from his former gubernatorial colleague, current Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Or maybe even Obama himself.

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Comments

[vonPinto]

The governor only expressed his concern and opinion, and not "poured cold water" on health care proposal as the MSM who thrives on negativity would want us to believe.

Ok, I support Pres. Obama's health care plan; I am a Progressive (not Democrat); but I do not support using tax dollars to finance termination of pregnancies (though I am a strong supporter of a woman's right to chose).

Does my position interpret as "pouring cold water" on my President's health care proposal?

Look, everyone will support or have concerns in some of the items in this plan but that is the reality and complexity of life (which of course republicans are incapable of grappling with).

Let us have a health care plan that is supported by a GREATER number of people. That is the essence of majority in a democracy like ours.

[fcsakes]

How do you propose low to no-income women obtain abortions, in some back alley? But I guess that would be okay because even though some poor woman is having her insides stirred with a rusty coat hanger, it's fine because it's legal.

[quiviran]

The Founding Fathers considered election to Congress an honor, not a paying career. I think they were right and I do not support using taxpayer dollars to keep those clowns in the top 5% of US incomes. But as individuals, we don't get to choose how tax dollars are spent.

It's not your business if a doctor and patient make a treatment decision that is legal. Get over that aspect of it. As long as universal healthcare doesn't demand that you have a procedure that you don't want, what others need is their concern.

Everybody needs health care, nobody needs health insurance.

[Billar]

Everyone should be on Medicare along with a viable and affordable supplement!

[mitsie]

This guy is from Montana, a Republican red state, he wants to keep his job as governor, more then helping people in his state get healthcare. He probably will run as a blue dog next. Tell the DNC, no campaign money, unless you support healthcare reform.

[BushSmahers]

Not only that but it should be known that the party will support challenges to any Dem that does not support a public option. This is no time for big tent differing views. No, if you can't support this you are no Democrat and you need to be removed from the party. Even if it means losing next time. This is the time you have to do the right thing.

[in4success]

ATTN Gov. Brian Schweitzer:
WATCH AND LEARN (then send links to your congressional representatives and tell them the jig is up!)

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/profile3.html

http://crooksandliars.com/logan-murphy/dennis-kucinich-pummels-doctor

i have lived, both in europe and canada -- they're lying to you about the inefficiencies of the state run health care there -- "six month waiting periods" are a BALD-FACED LIE! --it's the greatest health care on the planet! watch the above links then watch SICKO -- right on the money -- money that the health industry wants to put in their coffers...even if that means you or someone you care for die slow, miserable, painful deaths. BELEIVE IT! in fact, i knew this before clinton tried health care in 92 and was shocked at the misinformation being spewed by the right. and the MSM makes $$$ from health industry advertisements -- therefore, they won't go out of there way to report FACTS!

give us our health care!

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/someone-main-stream-media-finally-intervie

[xargaw]

I like Switzer, but he is really a blue-dog. As Governor, he is looking at this state only, which is very rural and sparcely populated. It is not representative of most of the country, therefore, he has far different concerns than most other state governors. That's why governors don't get to vote on healthcare, but Congress does. If Switzer were looking into the future and not just his next budget, he would have to consider the unsustainability of the current system. It is already terribly broken or 50 million people would not be without care.

[in4success]

"If Switzer were looking into the future and not just his next ELECTION!"

let's stop pretending and start behaving like adults or we'll never get anything accomplished. don't get distracted by the "shiny" things.

perhaps, if these blue-dogs would begin a campaign something like this:

"i know you're afraid of the deficit...and i know you're getting much misinformation by an industry that is spending one.five million dollars per day to finance that misinformation and that is frightening and confusing you. -however, this health care reform is MANDATORY in getting our country back on track, assisting our national security and curbing health care costs for everyone - do you realize your premiums, as things are now, are going towards seventeen million dollar annual salaries and gold plated silverware on private company jets?"

etc, etc. in the long run their constituents would appreciate the straight talk and ultimately reward them.

[brt929]

I watched his interview on C-Span this morning.

Do you know, he also said that his friends and neighbors would trade the for-profit U.S. system for the Canadian Universal Health Care system in a NY minute?

He is not a foe of reform, as this article makes him sound. He just wants to make sure his state can afford what is in store for it. It seems to me, it is a legitimate concern.

We are not getting what we want really, but I am hopeful that this is a first step,

[LittleSanityLeft]

Saying you want the Canadian health care system over the one currently being proposed in congress IS being a foe of reform. Single payer will not pass. There is no if-and-or-buts about it, and to float the idea out there is being being disingenuous at the worst and naive at best. Will the states have problems paying and need to tighten their belts? Definitely. Is it worth the extra effort to help families who have members dying of cancer, businesses that are drowning in costs, and families that are going bankrupt? Ummm...YEAH!

No ones claiming this bill is the best solution. Everyone knows single payer is the best solution but in a society that allows corporations to incur massive profits off of the health of it's citizens this is the best you folks are going to get.

Sucks doesn't it.

[nylibgrrl]

It certainly does.

[quiviran]

The Gov is right. The current bill is a lame mix of insurance company welfare and Washington do nothingism. All Congress and Obama will accomplish with the bill is the opportunity to do some sort of victory dance for people who aren't paying attention.

Single payer now.

Everybody needs health care, nobody needs health insurance.

[mitsie]

Stop and think what you said, no health insurance......America can't afford to pay single payer for three million people. Besides I do think that President Obama and the majority of the Democrats will have the best plan they can't push through.

[nylibgrrl]

Reducing costs and emphasizing preventative care would be a big step in paying for it, plus higher taxes on the wealthiest 1% to 2% of the population who pay proportionately less than their share as it is.

Single payer won't pass for political and corporate interest reasons, with opponents using cost as a fig leaf.

[mitsie]

I won't vote for anyone like Schweitzer, he is a Repubican in Democratic clothing.

[kotexbarbie]

I think you mean Barack not Brian :)

[kotexbarbie]

Thank you, thank you! Excellent post.

[in4success]

stop obstructing and start educating your constituents, bucko!

perhaps, a PSA instructing them to switch from faux news to TLC, DSC, PLANED GREEN, etc for an hour or two a day.

[max]

sadly, they[re killing reform....the big money leeches will win.

[rxvette]

Does the critics of health care reform realize that the CBO fails to provide an accurate financial picture when they do their analysis? The CBO leaves out the billions and billions of dollars of savings that the implementation of health care reform will actually make. All they do is look at money spent up front and money gained from tax hikes. They leave out all the rest and anyone who believes them for their word need to do a little research of their own.

Here's what successful health care reform in the U.S. looks like - http://bit.ly/9QLV8

[ReedYoung]

I agree. Preventive care sooner is much less expensive than intensive care later.

[confuseddemocrat]

The problem is that the savings are based on models which use some interesting mathematics and makes optimistic assumptions...

The reason the CBO cannot determine how much the healthcare plan will cost is because there is no precise way to do so...and really congress and the administration don't know either

It is in the interest of the administration and the Dems to "cook" the book....similar to how the Bushies cooked the books to obfuscate the actual costs of the conflict in Iraq

We will find out how much it costs 2-5 years after its implementation....and it will be staggering...

[rxvette]

Is that why all other industrialized nations with some form of universal health care spend 2-3 times less of their GDP than the U.S. does on health care? Because the costs are "staggering"?

[ReedYoung]

No, reliable and responsible studies have been done on how much a dollar of preventive care can reduce future costs. I would guess that the old bromide that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is on the right order of magnitude.

[pesfb]

What's staggering is your ignorance.

[nationalhealth]

Here is another tack we can learn from history. In 1962, Saskatchewan under Tommy Douglas was in the process of implementing Universal Health for that Provence. He (they) had to fight against the entire North American Health Establishment because they feared that it would spread even south of the border. They prevailed! Within a few years, the entire country of Canada had adopted universal healthcare. If this current attempt fails due to the efforts of timid Democrats and mean-spirited GOPers, then allow/encourage individual states to do the right thing. It will spread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_DouglasDouglas

[brenbags]

LOBBYIST ARE THE PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!! AWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that should have been the first legislation Obama went after. If we stop corporate bought influence, then all of the progressive legislation that would have benefited 99% of America would have been a lot easier. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ReedYoung]

[
And it wouldn't be much of a shocker if Schweitzer were to get a call sometime this week from his former gubernatorial colleague, current Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Or maybe even Obama himself.
]
I hope they don't even bother. Write that twit off as a fake Dem and correct his misstatements of fact if anybody in the White House Press Corps does their homework well enough to ask it.

[RoofinReality]

HUGE Obama fan. But, I remember this Gov. going all out for Obama and I think he's making points that should be taken into account.
Instead of writing him off, let's figure out a way to change some things which makes his point less impactful, if at all meaningful.

[pesfb]

Do you speak English?

[auntabbie]

your last sentence doesn't make sense.
Schweitzer took an awful long time to back Obama. He only went all out once he saw which way the wind was blowing. As a Montana resident, I don't have much use for him, after this shameless grab at attention.

[drizzt396]

Umm, he's actually more left of Obama/congress on this issue. Sam doesn't like that so he wrote an incredibly misleading article to twist that fact.

[ReedYoung]

I have to admit I know NOTHING about Schweitzer but what I read here. It has not been a pleasant introduction. Recommend any sources more indicative of his Progressive ideals? Google doesn't quite tell me that.

[littleblackcat]

Never mind the "public option", what this country truly needs is single-payer, nationalized health care exactly like the rest of the world's industrialized nations enjoy. The most expensive health care in the world, costing several times more per capita than anywhere else in the world, does not provide care to those who need it most. It only takes care of those who can afford it and our Senators, Congresspeople, ex-Presidents & their families, and all of the rest of the elected and appointed officialdom in this country. Our "Officials" partake of the greatest welfare scam in existence while the working people go without even the basics. Wise up, folks, and tell those officials that We, the People, want single-payer, the same health care they enjoy. If the insurance companies go under, so what? They have bilked the consumer out of trillions of dollars over the past several decades and it is time for them to pay the piper.

[LemonMeringue]

Faved and fanned.

Please tell Kucinich and Conyers you support there effort to give us single payer.

kucinich.uscinich.us
mail.house.govail.house.gov

and tell the White House, too, every single day http://whitehouse.gov/contact

If we do not ask for what we want, we are sure to never get it.

[mitsie]

We can't afford single pay for three million, most of the public like and want to keep their private healthcare insurance, and there is no way Congress would ever vote for it. If you want to do something constructive, try getting regulations in place to hone in the profits from the for profit hospitals. They are the ones driving up the healthcare costs because their investors and CEO's want to earn large profits.

[Disuberence]

That's the same things people said in Europe before it adopted single-payer. We most certainly can afford it. The bill (HR676) has everything in place to pay for it. Small businesses, and businesses as a whole, will save money under single-payer.

[whateverlolawants]

Yeah, most of them like their insurance until something catastrophic happens and the company won't cover them. I'm not a big fan of my insurance- yes, I'm grateful I have it, but I don't trust it to take the best care of me should problems arise, and the companies can be bureaucratic nightmares, and I have to pay a lot for it (it's not through my workplace.) And what about all those who don't have insurance anyway? Or could lose theirs any minute due to job loss or financial problems?

You complain, rightfully, about for-profit hospitals. Yet the whole system is overwhelmingly for-profit! Even if all hospitals and medical practices weren't, the insurance companies still are, and they get their money through denying coverage and claims and charging high premiums. Why on earth is health care a "for-profit" venture anyway? It's not any old commodity, it's a need and should be considered a right. We have socialized education in this country, and if someone tried to take that away there would be an uproar. Yet if I can think of ONE THING more important than education, it would be health.

[nylibgrrl]

Great post. While I have the same attitude toward the corporate bosses in the insurance industry, I would feel sorry for all the "little people" working for them. If we ever have a real chance of getting single-payer through Congress, I think the everyday employees of the insurance companies should be offered the first shot at the government positions that would open up to handle the increased need.

[according2mark]

"I have a lot of concerns as a governor,"

It all boils down to this statement!. There are a lot of concerns. Governor Schweitzer lays it on the line. How are states that are already struggling with deficits going to absorb any more expenses? Will adding to Medicaid suddenly make it more efficient? Until the Governor; and the American people, get these answers, Congress needs to slow down, regroup and work to come up for some viable alternative to Obamacare.

[LaurieAnn]

You may well disagree with me, most people do, but I think we do need to look at raising taxes on a federal and state level to pay for expanded service delivery in the areas of health care, education (including special education), colleges and universities and capital improvements to public works. We in the US just don't fund our government to adequately provide basic services to all citizens. A rich nation like ours should do better.

[confuseddemocrat]

True...the problem is that most workers' salaries have been stagnant for 8 years...they have been financing their lifestyles through credit cards because they don't make enough to afford basic necessities plus save for retirement

Increased taxation at this juncture will greatly enhance the hardships of the average taxpayer

[mitsie]

I use to be in local politics and IMO you pick the things the public needs the most, and healthcare is it. You will have to cut your budgets in other places. We all know there is waste yet in local and state governments. If you politicans can't do your jobs, we will vote in someone who can. Instead of saying we can't say we can, and prove it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

Americans are overwhelming supportive on this healthcare plan. We do not want it slowed down.

[LaurieAnn]

I've worked in local government services at the administrative level and I have seen very little waste. Do you consider every administrative position waste? Someone has to work in accounting, grants administration, human resources, purchasing, fleet maintenance, etc. My California county is facing drastic cuts in services next year (requiring lay off). California could easily add more revenues but because of our constitution we are ham-strung by the minority "no new taxes" party. While they politic, people suffer.