DIsappointed...

[sleigh]

I find I'm increasingly disappointed with Barack Obama and his administration's performance, as well as that of the Democratic majorities in Congress. For the Administration, there's been the backpedaling on the closure of Guantanamo (helped by the Senate), some of the softening of his environmental stances,, a distressing use of "signing statements" for which he had chastised President Bush, and most recently and most strongly, the handling of health care reform -- specifically, a provision to fund a public health care plan.

Sunday, two administration officials indicated that the Obama administration would be willing to take that off the table. Robert Gibbs, White House spokesman, said the president could be "satisfied" without it. On CNN, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that a public insurance plan is "not the essential element."

What it increasingly looks like is that the big corporate health care providers have won this fight. They have lobbied and cajoled, have worked with the Republicans, and have frightened the Democrats in Congress into emasculating the bills they will eventually consider. Health care 'reform' seems to be turning into a minor tweak of the system that will leave all the same problems and (most importantly for the private companies) the same profits in place. We're going to get rhetoric and band-aids, not any true reform.

And what disappoints me is that I don't hear the Obama administration calling anyone out on how Congress is folding and caving. What I see them doing is shrugging their collective shoulders. Is this the best we can do?

What I had hoped for is an administration that would take their victory and majorities in both houses of Congress and make some real changes regardless of howls of protest from the right. I wanted to see a health care reform bill that would utterly change the way health care is handled in this country. I wanted us to hold fast to the vision of country that would provide basic, essential care to each and every one of its citizens, as do many other first world countries. I wanted to see a health care system that would among be the best in the world, not one ranked #50 (as we're currently ranked in Life Expectancy, for instance). I wanted to see visionary leadership.

I'm not seeing any of that. I'm seeing cowardice. I'm seeing a congress and administration who would rather be re-elected than do what is right.

I'm sorry, Mr. Obama. I really, really was full of hope when you took office. I was looking forward to seeing genuine, substantial change. Now, hope and change are rapidly becoming "business as usual."

And that's sad.

ETA: Here's an article by David Goldhill in the Atlantic on the subject of health care that I found thought-provoking.

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Well said. I hate to say, I'm seeing the same thing.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Call. Call. Call.

K.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Put aside your rage and sadness for a few minutes and call. It might make a difference.

K.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Didn't call, but sent a version of the post on to White House and Congresscritters. Let you know if I hear anything.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Call, using a telephone. It makes a difference -- much more than an email does.

B

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Anywhere you can send this as an opinion piece?

[tltrent.livejournal.com]

I've been trying not to see things this way, but like yours, my faith is starting to slip. And what's really worrisome to me is the the right isn't just howling; some of them are threatening things that make me truly afraid for this country.

[gryphart.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I am regrettably coming to think that much like bailing out Wall Street, Congress will always choose their lobbyists over their constituents.

[tripodella.livejournal.com]

I agree, but it's up to us now to put the pressure on Obama to change his mind. Please, e-mail/call your state representative, your Senators, and the White House. Contact Pelosi, Reid, and Burgess. Make sure they know you're not happy with the state of health care and you support the public option.

So far I've contacted the White House, both my Senators, and my representatives. Today I'll contact Pelosi, Reid, and Burgess.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

Interesting.

Here are my thoughts.

1) When Obama was sworn in on January 09 I decided to give him two years in which I would not be critical (I should note I think that people should absolutely be calling the White House and/or their congressfolk to express their views on the crucial issues of the day) in the larger sense; that I would, that is, accept that the new administration inherited an awful mess and a horrific political atmosphere (seen with the howling right wing), and that things would take time and might not always be exactly what I wanted. For me, I felt that to do otherwise in terms of my overall support would be to play into the hands of the Palin/Beck/Limbaugh wing, because they are what we will get if progressive withdraw their support from Obama and this administration goes down. We will not, imho, get a true progressive as president. Not right now. Not any time soon. Maybe not ever.

2) What's most interesting to me is to see the reaction of my older relatives. My parents, my aunt, etc: people in their 80s, who went through Depression, the War, and so on. They like Obama. A lot. They see him as steady, as mature, as practical, and they see him as someone who takes the long view rather than short view. These are not conservatives, not at all. They just have a very pragmatic view of how things proceed. I listen to them.

Again, I'm not saying not to call and be angry, not to stand up and expression opinion after opinion, not to go to town hall meetings (or whatever) and ask hard questions. That's vital and necessary.