Today, on day 15 of his presidency, Barack Obama fulfills another campaign promise and signs the State Children's Health Insurance Program bill. This tri-partisan triumph, supported by Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and nonpartisan groups from the AARP to the YWCA, will provide health coverage for 11 million American children, and a down payment on the promise of universal health care. Coming a day after Tom Daschle's sad but honorable withdrawal as HHS Secretary, this historic health care development is a reminder that despite the drama, President Obama is able to deliver the change he promised.
While President Obama has stumbled, he has not fallen. He set out lofty goals for himself - progressive economics and post-partisanship; speed and deliberation; ethics and experience - that sometimes are at odds with each other, but this has not stopped him from pushing an economic recovery package, assembling over 2/3 of his cabinet, and drawing lines in the sand with his own appointees and corporate executives all in his first 15 days as President. He accepted responsibility for his mistakes - what a breath of fresh air! - and pledged to learn from them. So far, so good.
As to the liberal laments and conservative catcalls about triangulation, let's get real: yes, President Obama will triangulate his base and his party on some issues because that is what Presidents do. We knew this going in; indeed, many of us Democratic National Committee superdelegates discussed this publicly during the marathon 2007-2008 election: what happens when we nominate a candidate to straddle the dual roles of leading the Democratic Party and leading the country? The voters decided that Barack Obama's "post-partisan" approach was the best choice for the times and we worked our hearts out to elect him President.
Now that President Obama is working to remain above the fray, how does it feel to go from being "the base" to being "the fray"? Well, about as expected: we knew this would happen, that it wouldn't feel great, but that our agenda would be worth the trouble. We have the stamina to push our agenda of a 21st century economy, universal healthcare, and reasonable return of our troops from Iraq mindful that, as Obama said today, we cannot "let the perfect be the enemy of the essential." We are not about to go to main street workers or uninsured kids or military families and say "gee I was going to work on this agenda but Barack Obama is triangulating me so I quit." Please. Our times are bigger than that, our call to service is bigger than each of us, and as long as President Obama shows us his good faith efforts to deliver the change he promised, his early stumbles will not keep him from walking his walk.
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SCHIP: Obama Signs Bill On Children's Health Care (VIDEO)
President Obama signed an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program Wednesday afternoon. "This is a down payment on my promise to cover every...
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Thanks, Joe Vecchio writer/director, WHY I LEFT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND JOINED AL QAEDA. A satirical educational documentary about oil consumption by democrats. borodinobullett.com.
To all of you who suggest that it couldn't be worse than private industry ... Congratulations, you've "eaten the dog food."
Here's what I don't understand: If a socialist system is so appealing to you, why didn't you emigrate to a socialist country years ago?
Obama has raised taxes on the poor by raising tobacco taxes,especially by raising the tax on bulk tobacco to over $25 a pound.
It is not up to you or the governmnet to tell people what to do with themselves so please don't exclaimthat "smokers should quit".
If you aren't a smoker you don't have the moral right to discuss or support this bill because you aren't paying for it.
Funding S-Chip by raising tobacco taxes $25 a Lb exposes what this bill was designed to do; punish smokers.
It would create a much larger and constant money stream to have added a penny to every cell phone call or text message.
This bill is one more step toward an organized Black market in tobacco.
Black markets ALWAYS create violence and corruption and end up creating more problems and higher costs.
I want to help pay the cost of S-Chip and I don't want to buy tobacco to do it.
As it stands I have no right to applaud this bill because I don't fund it.
No one but smokers have bupkiss to say on this bill, and I guess when we get fed up paying/funding other peoples healthcare, we will just quit smoking....where will the money come from then? Hopefully they will tax coffee and other things that are more universal to include EVERYONE pitching in.
How about a "your child acts like an animal in public" tax?
Or how about if you cant afford insurance for your children, stop having children?
That could work......
You think this is good? It only points out that the people writing these articles have no clue to what is about to happen in this country. My father found in WWII and now wonders why he fought. The communist/Socialists have won.
Do yourself a favor and do an internet search on article about cancer patients in the UK not getting their chemo drugs. Once there is only one payment system [the government] you have no other options. You sure don't have the option to go to another health plan.
Yep, to many people in our society are like those sea gulls in the movie Saving Nemo. They sit on the post screaming...Mine!....Mine!....Mine....Mine!
I find being an Independent gives me the luxury to attack any of them when they are acting up? Apparently you don't have that luxury.
Security! Since 1974 I have been self employed. I have and do spend some sleepless hours when times get tough. I do not like paying my health premium anymore than I enjoy paying property taxes, my $450 a month heating bill, etc. But you know what, throughout history and into the future people will need to take care of their own business.
One of my fiends that is very, shall I say liberal, coined the phrase false sense of entitlement. Daily he sees people using food stamps for expensive foods that he can't buy and then buying with cash, things like a dozen long stemmed roses,
In 1972 I spent 1 month on food stamps. I got a job delivering newspapers because to me, & my up-bringing, living on foods stamps was not an option. I was living in a car in a parking lot. I know what it is like to be poor. The false sense of entitlement society is no longer stigmatized by living on the government dole.
See this passage from above post:
"This tri-partisan triumph, supported by Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and nonpartisan groups from the AARP to the YWCA, will provide health coverage for 11 million American children, and a down payment on the promise of universal health care."
Is that what was promised? I thought I kept hearing the words universal healthcare over and over again from Obama. It doesn't sound like he's fulfilling that pledge
Links for reference:
Then-Sen. Barack Obama was a co-sponsor of S.1224 - the S-CHIP bill of 2007
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1224
McCain was opposed.
http://healthcare-economist.com/2008/08/18/obama-vs-mccain-health-care-policies/