Newsweek's Alter Accuses the "Angry" Left Of Forsaking The "Moral Core" Of Health Care Reform

As the New York Times's Jeff Zeleny and Carl Hulse report, President Barack Obama on Wednesday injected a new talking point into the health care reform debate, casting the effort as "a core ethical and moral obligation." Today, on MSNBC, the notion of "moral obligation" was offered both as a central driving principle behind reform -- and as a brickbat against the "angry" left, and their pursuit of a public option.

This all went down during a panel discussion between MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, and Newsweek's Jonathan Alter. Mitchell asked Alter to assess whether or not President Obama would "survive this politically" if he had to alter the health care bill to "satisfy the left part of the [Democratic] party." Alter gave the following response:

ALTER: The left is really angry right now, Andrea, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is that there be a bill and then by next year, a lot of these details will have fallen away. Where the left has been kind of off-kilter lately is that they're not focused on the moral core of this bill, which is ending discrimination against people who have been or might, in the future, be sick. This is a critical, critical component of the bill, ending discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. So the debate has been dominated by the public option and these other things. The left has lost sight of what the core of this is. That will remain intact as long as he gets that through and universal coverage, he'll be okay politically.

It's worth pointing out that what Alter is losing sight of is that the "public option," as outlined by the president himself, is the compromise accepted by progressive members of the Democratic caucus to appease the centrist wing of the party. Left up to progressives, the health care reform would more likely resemble a single-payer system, or a government-administered system like Britain's National Health Service. Those options, naturally, address what Alter now suddenly asserts as "the moral core" of health care reform, ending "discrimination" by ensuring universal access to health care.

As it stands, I'm all but certain that "the left" holds fast to the public option precisely because it would address the "moral core" of health care reform. But, really, Alter's statement will serve his purpose: If you call out a group of people on their lack of morality, it's likely to irk them, and then -- VOILA! -- you have the "angry left!" The system works.

Meanwhile, what goes unasked is how the whole notion of a health care reform bill containing both a public option, and the means by which "discrimination" ends has managed to entirely elude Alter. And one wonders by what mechanism does the health care reform of Alter's imaginings achieve fulfillment of the "moral core" of the bill. Alter either doesn't know, or won't say, but what really matters in the end to Newsweek is that Obama will be "okay politically." Asinine.

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Comments

[altohone]

Alter was hired because of these views, by people who share them.

The corporate media is a bunch of insiders pushing their own agenda.


What he says shouldn't influence anybody any more than a commercial for tires or deodorant.

[SgtLucifer]

I'd take a wild guess that Jonathan Alter gets premium coverage working for Newsweek and MSNBC, which is why he believes the left-wingers anger is unjustified.

[PhilipTaylor]

Marcospinelli said:

“Alter, DLC Democrat, has been a T00L of Corporations and not an impartial journalist, but instead furthers his views and his own personal situation. He should provide a disclaimer.

Alter's got a particularly virulent form of lymphoma, and is lobbying to pass Obama's Plan because of the end to caps. His insurance company can cancel him for maxing out his benefits. He's fighting for his family's wealth, which I don't begrudge, but it's at the expense of others' lives.

He uses TV to make his argument that "a public option won't be in the final bill" dishonestly with arr.o.g.an­t opinion and NO FACTS.

0bama has reduced us to Pitting one against the other with Progressives being expected to cave.”
__________­__________­___

Alter of NEWSWEEK protects Obama's SIDE DEAL$ with HealthCare Providers+­BigPharma!

Public Option Medicare for those who want it allows 150,000,000+ people to negotiate FAIR PRICES for Health Care+Drugs but CORPORATISTS don't want that!

NEWS organizations CONTROLLED by GREED MACHINES of WallSt+Corporatists have spent $Billions to BUY C0NGRESS+P­01iticians­!

Media is a distortion TOOL of 0bama Corporatists!

0BAMA’S Actions speak LOUDER than WORDS!

$1=Main Street for Every $600=WallSt is enough EVIDENCE for MOST!

But there is plenty more: No Foreclosur­e/Mortgage Adjustment Laws, No Caps Credit Card Bill, A1G Bonuses, No prosecutions of WallSt Executive+Military Cr!mes!

WH1TE-C0LLAR CR1ME out of control with 0bama rewarding CR1M1NALS!

Delude yourself Alter but I will continue telling the TRUTH and F!ght!ng for Strong Public Option!

[sisterdebmac]

1. N u t w i n g e r s are carrying loaded assault rifles to town hall meetings and shouting their representatives and everyone else down and the LEFT is angry??? Excuse me!!! Is Alter deaf, d u m b & blind?

2. This is the same guy who said two weeks ago that we don't need healthcare reform, that there's nothing wrong with the current system.

Why is he on MSNBC? Wouldn't he fit in better at FOX?

[BobFreukes]

Incidentally, the idea of Andrea Mitchell questioning of a democratic president's ability to politically "survive" his support of his own base, gives you an idea where the beltway establishment’s bias is oriented

[BobFreukes]

Alter has said, in asides to Shultz and Olberman, that he is not opposed to the public option.
Then he sniffs at the left's (all (77 percent of us) inability to understand the issue, as it relates to his idea of a "moral core" big picture.
I assume Alter can pay whatever premiums and deductibles are imposed on him for his lymphoma treatment, as long as his treatment does not cease to be covered after reaching a lifetime cap. He apparently comes from a family that is well off enough, not to have ever considered that the moral core of reform is still denied to uninsured people if the senate finance committee version of "the end of discrimination" is enacted.
They are proposing we be mandated to buy into a plan that would impose a $10,000 deductible, then only pay 65% of the remaining medical bill, after that $10k is reached. So, after forcing us to pay private insurance premiums we would stretch to afford, a family with a median $50,000 income would still be bankrupt in the event of an illness!
Imagine a typical family incurring a typical $30K hospital stay. They would be responsible for:
1) about $8,000 in annual premiums. 2) their $10,000 deductible. 3) 35% of the remaining bill
($7,000).
Total family outlay for their $30k hospital stay - $25,000! One half of their pre-tax income.
If this is a moral victory, it's a hollow victory for a middle class family .

[Malkin72]

Robert Byrd and Ted Kennedy should both retire now.

Both have Dem governors and we need their 2 votes to pass health care.

[Grulg]

From what I've seen, Alter is actually on board w/ a Public Option. Like it or not, it's not gonna be anything like a socialized medicine approach. You're going to have a glorified Medicare type thing if anything.

[takdan]

Mr. Linkins:

I am not sure why you need to insult Alter for answering the quesion he was asked. From what I read he never stated that he thought the political equation was "what really matters". Further, how does a public option fulfill the core moral principles? Your juvenile rant in no way explains your position.

If all insurance companies are required to insure people regardless of age or health condition, if there are subsidies to ensure everyone can affford insurance and if there penalties for not obtaining insurance, how has the litmus test not been met?

While a public option is undeniably a tool for ensuring that costs are kept low and while I am definitely no fan of private insurance, your attack on Alter is unjustified and says a lot more about you than him.

[rockyb26]

you can't mandate people to have coverage and not supply a public option that will be cheaper than the exorbitant private insurers

[iblogleft]

Our opposition to real reform is not coming from the right, it comes from giant corporations and the media it controls, through men like Alter.

[Malkin72]

Eliminating the insurance companies ability to EXCLUDE people with pre-existing conditions WITHOUT any way of containing costs will DOUBLE insurance premiums.

We HAVE to have cost-containment in the bill.

That means a public option.

[arvay]

The moral "core" rationale is most likely to help defeat the bill.

The Republicans will translate that into " hey, white people and especially elderly white people, Obama wants to cut your benefits so he can pay for illegal aliens and non-white welfare queens. "

Americans are great at expressing sympathy for unfortunate and poor people, but their actions are always self-serving. They need to be convinced they will benefit.

Mr. Alter needs to learn that "the left" elected Obama, and without us, the Republicans will re-take Congress and turn the Obama administration into goop.

[AxelDC]

By "Left", you must mean the 77% of Americans who demand a public option.

Just like those 79% of the country who think that gays shouldn't be fired from the military.

Those radical Lefties. Too bad they make up over 3/4 of a very conservative nation!

[WorkingClass]

That's it Axel. The American people are the left. The right is our corporate masters and their whores in congress and the media.

[CTtransplant]

Folks, it's OUR taxes that pay for a majority of the cost of health insurance for our Congress people! Why should WE be paying for them to have what we ourselves cannot afford???? And what the health insurance industry is paying them to deny US????

We need to turn up the heat! Time to put more pressure on! Please sign this petition to have paid health care removed from our representatives in Congress until such time as they reform health care - to include a strong public option - for 'we the people' who they are supposed to represent. Then spread the word to anyone and everyone you know!

http://www.petitiononline.com/PubOp676/petition.html

[AxelDC]

Just think:

As you pay your ridiculously high insurance premiums this month, a good chunk of that money is being spent to lobby Congress to make sure your premiums stay high, your care stays low and if you lose your job, you lose your coverage. In essence, you are funding your own lobbying to ruin your own financial, physical, and political health.

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

You are so right-on.

Like being gang-raped in a hotel room.... and having to pay for the room!

[johnsonc20]

I love these well-fed pundits, all fully covered with excellent health care plans, pontificating about the unreasonable demands of the rabble. We only expect our President to honor his campaign commitments to us - no more and no less.