I'm sick and tired of "trial balloons."
We elected Obama to lead, and we and the congressional progressive caucus have only been following the lead that he presented during the campaign. He campaigned in support of a public option. Any backing-off on that option now represents a leader unwilling to lead.
I'm sick and tired of waiting for congress to craft "bi-partisan" legislation, when one of the parties has clearly stated, time and again, that they flat-out will not support the kind of legislation we actually need.
But the real point of this diary has to be that this is a problem Obama made himself. He campaigned one way, as a leader on health-care reform, then sat back and took his hands off the wheel. I've been willing to give him grace all along, but I've had it.
The House wouldn't be standing so firm on the public option if Obama hadn't campaigned on it. Had he given clear, no-nonsense specifications about exactly what he wanted in a health care bill before this whole debate began, the majority of Democrats, liberal and blue-dog, would have fought even harder to give him exactly what he asked for. Faced with his incredible popularity (at the time), only a few ACTUALLY on the fringes would have taken issue with whatever that direction was.
But instead he left it up to congress. And how he wants to give a major speech on healthcare, while his aides keep dropping trial balloons left and right that the public option may just need to be dropped. He could have avoided this. He could have not let us get our hopes up by leading and being clear. If he supported a public option from the get-go, there would be more support for it in congress. If he didn't support a public option from the get-go, then why did he campaign on it?
Perhaps his speech will prove me wrong. Or will it be too little, too late? I know some on here will take issue with me and say I'm playing into the GOP's plan to make this his "waterloo." If he loses us, he loses in 2012. Well, I'm writing this in the sincere hope that someone in the WH actually checks this blog and changes course before it's too late. They certainly checked in a lot during the campaign and during his years in the senate.
Personally, this is my big issue. I have Sleep Apnea - and not because I'm obese. I'm 6'1" and weigh 185 lbs. No, it's genetic. My doctor told me I have "bad geography" in my throat. Bottom line, even though I'm treating it with CPAP (the $3,000 mask I wear when I sleep), it's a pre-existing condition that bars me from getting private healthcare that costs less than $600.00 a month. I am a constituent that WANTS A PUBLIC OPTION. My father is British, so I know what national healthcare looks like, and it looks dang good compared to here. President Obama, you are the first President I truly felt ownership of. I voted for Jackson in the '88 primary (the first time I was old enough to do so), Brown in the 1992 primary, Bradley, Dean, and you. So why don't you get out and lead, and get it done?
Right now, BO smells a lot like Clinton. Pity, I could have voted for one if I wanted triangulation. Only I didn't. However, it makes me wonder if HRC actually could have gotten HCR done right, because she learned something the last time. Instead, it seems that we're content to make the same mistakes, which will probably result in another 1994 senate election.