The Status Quo Isn't Working, Indeed

How does a president fight back against an unwilling population and unfavorable videos from town halls? He scripts one of his own, and gets favorable media coverage to turn the tide! CNN covers this one, featuring a common refrain:

He called a health care overhaul essential for ensuring long-term economic stability while ensuring that that virtually all Americans have access to health insurance. "The status quo is not working for you," Obama said, to applause.

Neither is the status quo on reform working so far. It's a mess, actually. Obama seems to be saying that his and only his reform is the way, which is part of the reason old geezers and handicapped people have been recently hitting the streets--they don't trust the man who worked for school reform with a guy like William Ayers. And they don't completely understand it, either. There's a lot of noise from both sides.

All the more reason to hold a giant health care rountable event, where ALL stakeholders can get a guaranteed amount of time to present their concerns and gulp, alternate ideas, to government officials and a national audience. Host it with big name bloggers, not MSM flacks. And make sure the politicians cannot hijack the format and filibuster, as Obama has done in several of his health care made-for-TV adventures.

This is far too important a change for Americans to take the president's word on it verbatim, or that of arrogant elected officials who have the temerity to scold honest hard-working citizens for daring to speak out before permanent 'change' is rammed down their throats in a few weeks.

MORE 8/11/09

Can this be called 'disinformation'?

In selling his plan, Obama listed off the endorsements he has received from industry groups, but he may have overstated support when he said, "We have the AARP on board" and that "the AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare."

The organization refuted that statement, saying that while the organization shares the president's commitment to act this year and wants to work with lawmakers, "indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate."

And here we see the main problem with the sales staff--they've promised record levels of transparency, riding into power on the backs of the previous occupants through a viscous portrayal of past secrecy and war crimes, yet seem to be rather casual with the facts and loathe to open the windows to show the hot dogs being made.

At the same time they are setting up web sites to glorify their glorious grip on the truth and the disinformation from their opponents, a virtual giant Redwood tree of hubris.

BTW, Obama's comparison of the public option being USPS and the health insurers turning into FedEx and UPS was pretty funny. It's as if he's suggesting we set up a huge bureaucracy, fund it through confiscatory taxes and fill it with draconian red tape and regulations, just so we can get private sector insurance companies to lower costs. Pelosi said it the other day--America has been waiting since Teddy Roosevelt for health care reform. We can wait until a sensible plan shows up that everyone understands.