Regional news: 
Obama concedes health care reform is dead, seeks piecemeal agenda
Tony Ondrusek is founder and publisher of Insurance & Financial Advisor and IFAwebnews.com.
According to an article posted during the mid-afternoon today (Wednesday) on the Washington Post website, President Obama has told Democrats not to “jam” health care reform legislation through Congress. He told them that a piecemeal approach would be preferable, with Congress only picking those items that they know will pass.
In other words, health care reform in its current state appears to be dead. Or is it?
Later in the day, Obama said to ABC News: “We know that we need insurance reform, that the health insurance companies are taking advantage of people.”
In other moments throughout the day, Harry Reid, David Axelrod and Nancy Pelosi and others also backtracked, and said that they will push forward with health care.
But how? Democrats no longer have a majority in the Senate, so any such “piecemeal” legislation would be subject to intense scrutiny and approval of not only the Republican party, but Americans in general. And in the voting booths this coming November, the “R” lever will get lots of use, while the “D” levers will gather dust and cobwebs if Democrats push forward with the intention of passing a massive overhaul.
Various quotes:
“We need to move ahead on whatever health-care bill will pass,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat.
On the possibility of using the “nuclear” option, Harry Reid said: “Remember, the bill we passed in the Senate is good for a year. There are many different things that we can do to move forward on health care.”
Washington Democrat Sen. Maria Cantwell said:”I don’t think it is over.”
Washington Democrat Sen. Patty Murray said: ”I don’t see anyone in my caucus saying we shouldn’t do it.”
And Nancy Pelosi is insisting that she will push forward with health care reform. At one point she actually said, “Let’s remove all doubt, we will have healthcare — one way or another. [It’s] just a question about how we would proceed. But [the election] doesn’t mean we won’t have a healthcare bill.”
She is either brave or clueless. You decide.
But one thing is clear. If the president is truly the leader of his party, he needs to end the nightmare of Obamacare.
5 Responses
- florida health insurance Says:
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:58 amThanks for the memories… health reform is unfortunately doa, as is America as a dominant economic power.
- florida health quote Says:
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:59 amHealth care reform has come and gone, and tonight more people will go to bed uninsured and so on…
- florida insurance Says:
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:00 amMassachusetts voters were able to change the course of health reform, and why wouldn’t they? They already all had health insurance and access to health care. Very selfish Beantown.
- florida insurance Says:
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:00 amAt this point all we can hope for with health reform is that Medicaid might be expanded, thanks America! It seems crazy that the voters in Massachusetts who all had health care and insurance were able to change the course of history for the rest of the country where more and more people don’t have insurance.
- united quote Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 5:20 pm“If you’re afraid of the future, then get out of the way, stand aside. The people of this country are ready to move again.” WE ARE SO CLOSE, DON’T QUIT, STAND TOGETHER FOR THE PEOPLE AND OUR CHILDREN.
