On Sunday’s The Chris Matthews Show, the HuffPo’s Howard Fineman and the WaPo’s David Ignatius both identified Obamacare as Pres. Obama’s biggest mistake. On Twitter, some on the right — including some I consider to be very sharp — consider the comments an interesting admission, or worthy of mockery. There is more to the comments than that.
Consider the actual quotes:
HOWARD FINEMAN, HUFFINGTON POST: Chris, on things under his control, not the wars so much because they were built in, his decision to spend all of his political capital in a year and a half of his time on the healthcare reform law I think was his biggest political mistake.
MATTHEWS: Wow. Smart statement.
***
DAVID IGNATIUS, WASHINGTON POST: I would agree with Howard. The idea of launching a major change in social legislation without having a consensus in the country and in Congress about what that should look like was a mistake. That’s just not how a president makes good policy.
Note what is not said. Neither believes a government takeover of the healthcare sector was a bad policy. Rather, they believe it was a political mistake and that it is “bad process” to pass legislation without consensus. The establishment media took an entirely opposite position when it counted. When the debate was raging, the media never tired of writing about how everyone was going to love Obamacare after it was passed.
Many Republican guests on TV at the time were pointing out how Obama and the Dems were going to “own” ObamaCare since not one Republican would vote for it.
Now that almost two years have passed and it isn’t liked even a whit more, there is regret on Dems’ parts.
See?
To Dems it is Republican’s fault that Dems look bad now.
Sheesh!
The biggest mistake? Possibly. But let’s not forget:
– the embarrassing world apology tour
– the stimulus, sold as funding “shovel ready” projects to conjure up images of bridges and dams, which in reality was simply “shovelled” into state budgets to prop up unsustainable payrolls and benefits
– slapping our staunchest allies (Britain and Israel) in the face
– making nice with every tinpot leftist leader in Latin America
– the big “reset” with our BFF Vladimir Putin
And that was all within the first 2 years with control of both houses of Congress – heckuva start wasn’t it?
@Doug:
Doug, most sane people would say that you have very good points. However, the Liberal/media/left/welfare/lemmings believe that all of your remarks needed to be done/said, they were spoken by the anti-Bush so they see nothing wrong.
Passing Legislation such as Obamacare “without having a consensus in the country”… WHAT???
What the hell? Wasn’t there like, a million people [Tea Party] marching in Washington, DC and tons at the Capitol just before the bill was to be passed??? Oh, Idunno, wasn’t THAT A CONSENSUS [AGAINST ] this Piece of Legislation??? AGAINST Socialism in America??? Against any and all failed Liberal/Democrat/Progressive Policies that are a total disadvantage to America and the accumulating debt that we just cannot afford any longer ????
Can we please stop beating around the bush, and just come out and say the [ Tea Party People] were DEAD ON about Obamacare….!!! Big Mistake and totally wrong for the Country….
Seriously, what Drugs do these people take?? And what ‘reality’ do they live in??
I met up with the brother of a neighbor of mine. He is a Vet. He has had serious trouble with his back, spine, feet… He does not ‘trust’ the VA any longer because they have given him terrible advice and little or no remedy for his pain. He must go to doctors “as specified by the VA” regardless of how good or bad (in his case not very good) they are. He seems to feel they “try to save money” and try to “go around his problems” rather then go at them with a positive outcome.
He cannot see doctors outside of the VA, mainly because I believe he is on a fixed income for his disability, and his disability is very obvious.
He believes Obamacare is his ‘saving grace’ . His “Hope” is in Obamacare.
If what he says is true, I think it is a ”National Disgrace” to treat our Veterans with “anything less” than the quality care they so deserve. They should not have to ‘plant their hopes’ in the likes of Obamacare….
I do not believe all of Obamacare is bad, that there may be “some good in it” however, I do believe it was created with much haste and even less thought… another reason this Liberal/Progressive piece of legislation does more harm than good for this Nation….
My neighbor’s brother is a really, really nice person, please say a prayer for him….