Did Obama Deliver the Goods?
September 10, 2009
In a speech that was at times reminiscent of his fiery campaign stump sessions, President Obama last night mustered support for what he hopes will be the final push toward health-care reform.
Obama outlined the need for reform, telling the gathered lawmakers that the time to act is now.
"Well the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care," he said.
But while the President’s inspirational call to arms may have been enough to rally his base, critics say the speech contained nothing new and did little to move the ball in the health-care debate.
“On a few of the goals -- he set out to provide more specifics and regain some of the momentum and further explain the benefits of their proposals -- I think he missed the mark,” said David Merritt of the conservative Center for Health Transformation, a health policy think tank founded by former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. “I just didn’t hear anything new from …earlier this summer.”
Republican lawmakers also said the president did not deliver on promises to present specifics of a plan he would support. The president referred to healthcare reform as “my plan” but at least one lawmaker said he still questions what the president supports.
“He has never presented a plan,” said Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), a member of the moderate Tuesday group. “He talks about principles and ideas he supports, but he’s never said here is what I support and sent it to Congress. I thought it was imperative that he get very specific and offer a plan. I didn’t hear that last night.”
But the President was able to sway some skeptics with his one-hour speech. Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats said he heard enough to throw his support behind a plan, so long as it remains deficit neutral.. The Blue Dogs had put up some opposition to health-care reform based on the cost, which the president said would hit $900 billion over 10 years.
“I think the president made an effective case on why we need to do reform. He talked about how he won’t sign a bill that adds one penny to the deficit,” Altmire told FOX Business. “The ball is now in our court in the House. We have to rewrite the bill. The bill that we have put forward in the House is flawed. I think we can do better.”
For now, analysts say Obama has not yet cobbled together enough support to pass any of the bills making their way through Congress.
In what was the most highly anticipated portion of his speech before a joint session of Congress Wednesday, the president endorsed the public option, the controversial government run alternative to private insurance, but stepped back from requiring it as a part of the final package.
“It is only one part of my plan, and should not be used as a handy excuse for the usual Washington ideological battles,” Obama said in his speech. “To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage affordable for those without it. The public option is only a means to that end -- and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal. “
Speculation was rampant Thursday that the tepid support from the president killed any chance that the public option would be part of the final reform package that will ultimately come before both houses of Congress for vote.
In a sign of the importance of the initiative and perhaps the precarious level of support from the public, the president continued the health care blitz Thursday morning with a speech to a nurses’ group. Obama also will attend a healthcare rally Saturday Minneapolis.
Copyright © 2009. Fox Business News.
