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The Spectacle Blog
Earlier this morning, David Plouffe sent out an email to supporters of Organizing for America, Obama’s campaign arm that is now part of the DNC, previewing 2010. Here’s an excerpt from the email (pay particular attention to the part I put in bold):
2010 will be a year of new, exciting challenges. We’ll be working hard with President Obama to finish the fight for health insurance reform, put more Americans back to work, and get our economy running strong. We’ll fight to protect consumers and our economy from Wall Street abuses, improve transparency in Washington to elevate the voices of the American people, and create a vibrant, clean energy economy. And we’ll stand up for the President’s allies at the ballot box.
If improving transparency is a major goal for 2010, then the year is already off to a rocky start. Yesterday, I noted reports that House and Senate Democrats planned to skip a conference to merge their health care bills, and instead negotiate behind closed doors, in clear violation of Obama’s campaign pledge to have all negotiations broadcast on C-SPAN. Now even the press pool is taking Democrats to task — see this roundup from Mary Katherine Ham. Most notably, C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb has sent a letter (PDF) to leaders in the House and Senate in which he writes:
President Obama, Senate and House leaders, many of your rank-and-file members, and the nation’s editorial pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on reforming the nation’s health care system. Now that the process moves to the crucial stage of reconciliation betweem the Chambers, we respectfully request that you allow the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every single American.
Not only does Democrats’ secrecy make Americans more suspicious about what’s in the health care bills and more inclined to believe critics, but it gets to the heart of why Americans are so cynical about the way business is done in Washington. And it’s that very cynicism that helped Obama transcend ideology in 2008 and sweep into power on a promise of change.
View all comments (13) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/05/as-transparent-as-a-block-of-l
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Pingback| 1.5.10 @ 11:37AM
Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : As Transparent as a Blo links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Franklin| 1.5.10 @ 11:53AM
I'm surprised that there are still people out there that expect Obama to live up to his campagin promises.
Mr. "I won, now shut up" only said those things to get elected. He had no intention of living up to anything he said.
That's what he is still doing and why he can say two completely polar opposit statements in one sentence.
Don't pay attention to that man behind the curtain.
Lazy Jack | 1.5.10 @ 12:00PM
Who needs transparency?
If I were the legislature I would not want it televised. After all, if I voted for it I likely did so without reading it or fully understanding the bill. In a public discussion I might actually have to make an attempt to comprehend the consequences of the legislation and articulate why it is good for the citizenry. I might actually have to strip away some of the make up and reveal that no matter how well made up, the pig is still pig. Wait, since it will just be democrats, there will be no debate, just serving portions of the pig around the room.
For those of use hoping fortune smiles and the Democrats are unable to pass a reconciled, so-called healthcare reform package, the news that it is now a one-party vote is disheartening. Eleven pages of differences represent only difference colors of makeup for the pig. A bill will get passed only because the Democrats must pass something, anything, regardless of cost or consequence.
Among the real dangers to us as citizens is the real whopper, the mandate that you must buy health insurance. At a fundamental level, the individual mandate creates an obligation, accrued at birth, for every citizen in the U.S. Not only does it appear to violate the letter and the spirit of the constitution, it presumes that we accept that an imperial central government is more moral than the individual and actually has a conscience.
Regardless of the differences between the house and senate versions, I think we end up with a bill that creates an unconstitutional indenture of every U.S. citizen (See: Article 1, Section 8; Amendment 10; and Federalist 41). We also end up with higher cost, a broken compact (however misguided in its current form) with seniors when we cut Medicare, higher taxes on the majority of tax payers, and reduced access to care. What do you think?
For more about the conscience of the federal government, see:
http://thanksforthelaughs.word.....onscience/
Best,
Lazy Jack
Pingback| 1.5.10 @ 1:10PM
CSPAN’s Rockin’ Health Care Negotiations With Ryan Seacrest « Around The Sphere links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Patriot| 1.5.10 @ 1:22PM
November 2, 2010
National Pink Slip Day for Democrats!!
Fire them all!
Warrior | 1.5.10 @ 2:13PM
A question. When does the mandate to have medical insurance start? Does a child have the requirement to hold medical insurance or is it the responsibility of the parents to provide this insurance until 18? In other words, if I do not pay for medical insurance for my underage child (other than being a deadbeat) what consequences are there and to whom?
Thanks in advance. I'm playing elected official this week and do not have the time to read the bill.
DINORight| 1.5.10 @ 3:22PM
Brief answer - you will pay a fine and go to jail if you don't purchase the "acceptable level of coverage" mandated in the bill per individual. Once the 2 bills are reconciled, this will be more clear. ALL people are mandated to purchase insurance coverage. Or else.
Pingback| 1.6.10 @ 3:00AM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : As Transparent as a Block of … Consolidations links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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racking | 1.6.10 @ 11:05AM
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Pingback| 1.6.10 @ 1:26PM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : As Transparent as a Block of … Medic links to this page. Here’s an excerpt: