How President Obama Blew Health Care and What to Do About It

In their heart of hearts, few in the Obama administration would have predicted late last year that they would be this well positioned by June to achieve a major victory on health care. As the economy faltered, and attention focused on Wall Street and Detroit, it seemed unthinkable that Congress would be ready to devote the summer of 2009 to the costly proposition of providing health coverage for all, a goal that has eluded presidents since Theodore Roosevelt.

So begins Kevin Sack in his em>New York Times article< explaining the White House efforts to reform American health care. His piece, which ran last Thursday, would have made for an excellent read as recently as ten days ago.

But by 18 June – the publication date of Mr. Sack’s article – it looks less like incisive reportage, and more like wishful thinking. President Obama’s prospects of health reform are in serious trouble.

Indeed, this past week may mark something of a turning point, not simply for his work on his signature issue, but perhaps his presidency.

Let’s be clear: the president is still very popular; the Republican opposition has good linebackers, a few talented rushers, but no quarterback; the public supports health reform in a way not seen in a decade and a half. But the White House took two big, direct hits. First, the AMA publicly and strongly came out against the public plan option – the centerpiece of ObamaCare. Second, the CBO scored the Senate Finance bill – which encompasses key elements of the White House plan – at a sky-high $1.6 trillion over ten years. Privately, Democrats have called the latter a “public relations disaster,” as Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei note in em>Politico<.

The damage? Senator Baucus, slated to release his Senate bill last Wednesday, decided to re-tool, aiming for release after July 4th. It’s difficult to see a meaningful bill being introduced, amended and debated, then passed by August recess.

That means that, baring a legislative miracle, President Obama will be negotiating in September, and may not even have legislation passed this year. He has squandered good will and united his opponents. ObamaCare is on life support.

What to do?

Here’s free advice for President Obama.

1. Learn from HillaryCare. Attempts to pass big, sweeping changes to American health care without a bipartisan majority are doomed (like HillaryCare in 1994) or hopelessly delayed (like Medicare in 1965). The public plan option, in other words, is a loser. So lose it.
2. Fire your advisors. No one can doubt that President Obama is a gifted individual with a sense for the concerns and fears of the American people. But are his aides on this file? They have managed in under six months to box their boss into an expensive, divisive and liberal policy position. Quick: name a single Republican enthusiast for the public plan option?
3. Embrace a Republican plan and Republican advisors. President Obama has years to reform American health. Why not start with an important but meaningful step in that direction? He can do that by picking a Republican plan with Republicans sorting out the details, thereby ensuring both bipartisanship and results. Senators Bennett, Coburn, and Burr have all offered up intelligent (if different) plans for reforming American health care that would reduce the number of uninsured – just as the President wants. And who should the President be calling in the middle of the night? Dr. Mark McClellan, who ran CMS under President Bush, implemented a meaningful expansion to Medicare, without running over budget.

The President has remarked on the campaign trail that he isn’t interested in Democratic ideas or Republican ideas, just good ideas. His post-partisanship can start with health reform.