Obama's Health Care Summer Goes Awry
The summer recess that was supposed to bring focus to the health care debate has so far brought mainly befuddlement and anger at government. It expresses itself in sound bites about socialism and pulling the plug on grandma. On the defensive, President Obama oscillates between retreating and holding the line on a government health care plan, and is reduced to writing an op-ed page article explaining why we need health care reform.
He complains that "loud voices have drowned out some basic facts about our plan." But Americans are hardly listening. The eloquence that served him so well in the campaign has not so far availed him against a brooding suspicion of government and all its works. Behind that suspicion lies anger and anxiety, compounded by pinched pocketbooks, lost jobs, foreclosures and intractable wars.
"Status quo is not an option," the president says, as health care costs continue to rise. But not many are willing to believe that government has a better option. As a result, the administration and the Democratic leadership in Congress are having difficulty mobilizing support for change.
Before the return of Congress in September, about the best the administration can hope for are basic bills that could then be expanded in quiet, closed-door sessions of the Senate-House conference.
But the administration still has an uphill fight to convince the public that a government beset by lobbyists and special interests will, or even can, work for them.
In short, it will have to persuade Americans that government is not the enemy.
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ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
And I'm Melissa Block.
The soundtrack of this summer? One candidate would be the fractious town hall meeting. Summer of love it has not been, at least for members of Congress trying to sell an overhaul of health care.
Our senior news analyst Daniel Schorr has been listening in.
DANIEL SCHORR: The summer recess that was supposed to bring focus to the health care debate has so far brought mainly befuddlement and anger at government. It expresses itself in sound bites about socialism and pulling the plug on grandma.
On the defensive, President Obama oscillates between retreating and holding the line on a government health care plan, and is reduced to writing an op-ed page article explaining why we need health care reform.
He complains that loud voices have drowned out some basic facts about our plan, but Americans are hardly listening. The eloquence that served him so well in the campaign has not so far availed him against a brooding suspicion of government and all its works. Behind that suspicion lies anger and anxiety, compounded of pinched pocketbooks, lost jobs, foreclosures and intractable wars.
Status quo is not an option, the president says, as health care costs continue to rise. But not many are willing to believe that government has a better option. As a result, the administration and the Democratic leadership in Congress are having difficulty mobilizing support for change.
Before the return of Congress in September, about the best the administration can hope for are basic bills that could be expanded in quiet, closed-door sessions of a Senate House conference. But the administration still has an uphill fight to convince the public that a government beset by lobbyists and special interests will, or even can, work for them.
In short, it will have to persuade Americans that government is not the enemy.
This is Daniel Schorr. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
