Bill Clinton: Why Obama Will Succeed At Health Care Reform
In my interview with Bill Clinton, the former President also talked at some length about why he’s certain that President Obama will succeed at his vow in his speech to tackle health care reform this year.
Clinton’s basic take: The recognition that the health care system is a disaster is now overwhelming; there’s been a major cultural shift towards government activism; the Congress is more willing to tackle reform; and the opposition is in disarray and has run out of arguments. “It’s a better than 50-50 chance he’ll succeed,” Clinton said.
Here’s Bill, on the state of public opinion right now:
The system’s in even worse shape now than when I took it on before…Our costs are more out of line with other countries. We have more people without health insurance. We have more people who are under-insured…
There is a much broader understanding that we have to have comprehensive reform…The health care issue [has] been under-reported in the polls. If you ask people to rank health care on their list of concerns, it ranks high, but it’s buried under their economic concerns.
On why today’s Congress is better primed to enact reform:
He’s got a much more knowledgeable and willing Congress. Even though I had a Democratic Congress, it was a different Congress. There were a lot of people there who were willing to do something as long as it didn’t offend any interest groups…
This current Congress, you have Senator Kennedy already hard at work…You’ve got lot of people in the House interested in it. The problems are worse, the constraints are less, the Congress is willing.
On the strategy reform opponents will adopt and why Obama will prevail:
It’s gonna be much harder to get the doctors and the business community to come out against reform than it was 14 years ago…The only way they can beat it this time is if they can convince public opinion and enough members of Congress that reforming health care now will cost more jobs than it will save. And I think that’s gonna be a pretty hard sell…
The President’s gonna be on strong ground…The last election showed a cultural shift in America which had been building for a decade, and a rejection of the economic and social policies of not just the eight years of President Bush but the 12 years before me. There’s a willingness to take a fresh look at all this. I believe he should try, I’m glad he’s going to, and I think it’s a better than 50-50 chance he’ll succeed.
More from Bill to come.
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WE NEED TO REBUILD THE REPUBLICAN PARTY – CANTOR/PALIN in 2012!~!!!! PLEASE SIGN UP AT SARAHPAC : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysLilRLEBjM
Hey, Davey Thomas- take your spam and shove it. If you really think you are going to find any takers here, you’re nuts. Of course you’re nuts anyway, if you really are pushing Palin and Cantor. Good effing god.
Well, Bill is better placed to know what he’s talking about than most. What he sees is what I think I see, so let’s hope it’s the reality that exists. I don’t see how we’re going to get through the next decade if we don’t do this – it’s a matter of necessity if we’re going to try to put our economy back together.
*sigh*
It’s really really getting bad out here.
The only way they can beat it this time is if the can convince [people that it] will cost more jobs than it will save.
.
I’m guessing they’re more like to claim it stifles innovation and patient options, just like they did in the ’90s.
’m guessing they’re more like to claim it stifles innovation and patient options, just like they did in the ’90s.
Yep – that’s a component of the ball of lies the Right starts tossing back and forth every damn time national health care comes up. Along with the lies about how we’ll all be waiting for care because it will be rationed. Can anyone name one gawd-dammed country that has national health care where care is rationed?
No one in this country walks right in the door of a doctor’s office 10 minutes after they make an appointment. Everyone waits – it’s not immediate anywhere. It’s not that easy anymore to even find a doctor in this country who will treat you unless you have the right insurance and are the right age. I had no end of hell trying to find a doctor who was interested in taking care of my mother when she was in her 80s.
This health care system is ridiculous – it’s absurd. A health care system for profit makes no sense at all – it’s just inviting the kind of abuse we have – where 68,000 Americans on average are murdered by their doctors every year and the doctors get away with it – and it’s unnecessary procedures that kill people – for money.
Cantor in 2012?? Good god, man, what are you smoking? He wouldn’t even get anywhere near a single delegate in the primaries. The man makes Jindal and Pawlenty seem inspirational and dynamic in comparison.
Your employer based health care rations care today. They will cover some things and won’t cover others. Private insurance REALLY rations health care. If you file a claim, they cancel your coverage. Good luck with those talking points republicans. Better yet, let’s have Jindal repeat them ad nauseum on CNN.
They will cover some things and won’t cover others. Private insurance REALLY rations health care.
Word straight up!
Hell I agree with Davey. Lets promote Cantor/Palin for 2012. Not sure Palin would go for being a side kick again but it doesn’t matter because they would get their a$$es trounced anyway. It would be such a beautiful epic fail with two total no nothings that I can’t help but support it.
Greg, I’m just impressed that you’ve got the Big Dog on your speed dial.
Like ABC said, congrats on landing Clinton.
Hell I agree with Davey. Lets promote Cantor/Palin for 2012.
O I think they’re the Republican Dream Team. I just don’t need to read Davey’s spam about it on every thread.
I personally think that if any party form govt must take care about people health care. Today more people become sick due to mental strain and i also said that
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Unbelievable how people believe that with all of the past Clinton puppets on board this “new” governing team, that anyone thinks Obama has a prayer of any control outside of Clinton approval. He paid too high of a price for winning and it shows. Of course Clinton(s) is going to praise him- see the strings? Clinton’s wife is sitting in the same job and where John Kennedy’s brother sat when he was President…hmmm…
My fellow on Facebook shared this link with me and I’m not dissapointed that I came here.
Interesting information, I love anything relating to health, how I can benefit myself etc. Thanks.
I don’t see how we’re going to get through the next decade if we don’t do this – it’s a matter of necessity if we’re going to try to put our economy back together.
Who comes up with 43 million Americans don’t have insurance. How many of that 43 million Americans elect not to take our insurance? How many of that 43 million are not legal Americans that The Presidents wants to cover? If you are not a legal American then you don’t deserve insurance. Why is it that the people who have very little and have insurance because they know it is needed and pay for this themselve. That the President is wanting this group and other groups who pay their own way to pay for those who elect not to even try to pay their own way. I never hear anyone addressing this on any of the news channels.
I love your work, stay healthy
Your employer based health care rations care today. They will cover some things and won’t cover others. Private insurance REALLY rations health care. If you file a claim, they cancel your coverage. Good luck with those talking points republicans. Better yet, let’s have Jindal repeat them ad nauseum on CNN.
The Court of Veterans Appeals, Chief Judge’s “Constitution, Statutes and Regulations” “policy freely ignored” by Congress and the VA Secretary are below,i.e., PARAGRAPH 9 with 1 & 8 as background. It is now 15 years later without his advised Congressional oversight and accountability. Your loved ones health care is lost!
Please hold your Congressional Representatives responsible.
The complete 16 paragraph “STATE OF COURT” transcript is available on request. Previously at, and now missing from, hyperlinks: http://www.goodnet.com/~heads/nebeker and http://www.firebase.net/state_of_court_brief.htm
STATE OF COURT
CHIEF JUDGE FRANK Q. NEBEKER
STATE OF THE COURT
FOR PRESENTATION TO THE
UNITED STATES COURT OF VETERANS APPEALS
THIRD JUDICIAL CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 17-18, 1994
{as it appears in Veterans Appeals Reporter}
PARAGRAPH NO. 1:
I will speak to you today about my view of the state of the Court and the scope and chain of authority within the veterans’ benefits system. Let us remember that Board mistakes and inconsistent results were deemed to warrant review and oversight on a case-by-case basis where the results were adverse to the claimant. Hence, the Court was created and began its operation five years ago today. Before the advent of judicial review, that system, as now, functioned in a two-tiered operation-agencies of original jurisdiction and the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Whether the former were within the direct chain of authority under the Board, or acted as a separate surrogate of the Secretary seemed of no concern for many years.
——————–PARAGRAPHS 2 through 7 in TRANSCRIPT.——————————————
PARAGRAPH NO. 8:
Imagine, if you will, the creation of a government of a new state in our union, or one in the world of emerging nations. In that state, there is an Executive and a Supreme court and a Court of Appeals. At the local level, however, there are adjudicative bodies which initially resolve disputes. But, the Constitution leaves the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals with direct authority over the local adjudicators. It is only when the Executive can be persuaded to issue the proper order that these local adjudicators must obey. Thus, the locals determine, quite independently of the courts, when, and how they will decide matters before them. I dare say, you know of no viable republican form of government with such a system, and it is not hard to see that it would not work well.
PARAGRAPH NO. 9:
I believe my message is clear. There is, I suggest, no system with judicial review which has within it a component part free to function in its own way, in its own time and with one message to those it disappoints — take an appeal. That is, I am afraid, what we have today in many of the Department’s Agencies of Original Jurisdiction — that is AOJs — around the country. Neither the Court, through the Board, the Board, nor the General Counsel has direct and meaningful control over the Agencies of Original Jurisdiction. Indeed, it is also clear that the VHA — the Veterans Health Administration — ignores specific directives to provide medical opinions as directed. And this is resulting in unconscionable delays. Let us examine judicial review. Remember, the Court and the Board do not make policy, the Secretary and Congress do. The Court simply identifies error made below by a failure to adhere, in individual cases, to the Constitution, statutes, and regulations which themselves reflect policy — policy freely ignored by many initial adjudicators whose attitude is, “I haven’t been told by my boss to change. If you don’t like it — appeal it.” (Emphasis added)
——————–PARAGRAPHS 10 through 16 in TRANSCRIPT.——————————————
- – - End – - -
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Is Clinton really that unprofessional that he says “gonna” all the time??!! WTF?!
Nevertheless, I still think Obama can pull it off.
After searching for this information, I will have to say most people agree with you on this topic.
thinking is flawed here, sorry but i dont agree