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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > August > 22 > Entry
Editorial: On health care, compromising is not selling out
This was the week when the two sides in the health care fight turned to internal warfare.
President Barack Obama was trashed by liberals for softening on the “public option.” That refers to government offering insurance, in case people don’t like what private insurers are selling and charging.
He’s for it, but it’s been a tough sell. Republicans insist, among other things, that it would encourage private employers to drop their plans. Some moderate Democrats are worried about the costs and want to substitute nonprofit co-ops for the government.
So the president said he could live without the public option. Enter Jon Stewart,
Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Bob Herbert, Eugene Robinson, Robert Kuttner and Richard Cohen, among others.
A common charge: The president — their president — had sold out to the insurance companies (which oppose competition from government), whose opposition proves the merit of the public option. He’s turning his back on his campaign promises and betraying those who voted for him.
Phew. You’d think the guy had actually dared to disagree with them about something. In reality, he was just trying to deal with the possibility that he can’t get what he and they want.
Then there was House Republican leader John Boehner, playing the role of enforcer on the other side. He sent a “Dear Billy” letter to Billy Tauzin, the former Republican representative from Louisiana who is now the chief lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry.
A couple of months ago, the industry worked out a deal with the White House that resulted in the companies allotting $150 million for television ads selling the general idea of health care reform.
This was a coup. The drug companies had opposed Bill Clinton’s health care reform plan. And, spending hugely on campaign contributions and lobbying, they have generally sided with Republicans. But they have lately contributed more to Democrats.
The drug companies have a lot to gain from the Obama approach. If millions more people have health insurance, millions more will use prescription drugs.
The general understanding of the deal is this: The drug companies agreed to sell prescription drugs at half price to seniors in the famous “doughnut hole” in Medicare (where people aren’t covered until their costs reach a certain level). The industry also agreed to offer other savings, totaling $80 billion.
In return, the White House apparently led the industry to believe the president wouldn’t push to allow the importing of drugs from Canada; nor will it seek authority for the government to negotiate with drug companies on the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare.
Some Democrats think the drug companies are getting off too easily. Rep. Boehner has a different concern. His letter to “Billie” was scathing. Excerpts:
“Appeasement rarely works as a conflict resolution strategy.” (That is the first line.)
“When a bully asks for your lunch money, you may have no choice but to fork it over. But cutting a deal with the bully is a different story, particularly if the ‘deal’ means helping him steal others’ money as the price of protecting your own.”
The John Boehners of the world combine with President Obama’s critics on the left to create the no-common-ground politics of Washington. The presumption is against dealing with the other side, with the bad guys, the “bullies,” the people whose support for an idea demonstrates its venality.
But the health care debate needs constructive compromising, even if, in the end, Republicans won’t ever vote yes. The Democratic coalition includes legislators who legitimately worry about supporting a package of confusing major changes — when most people are already satisfied with their coverage — and a tax increase.
If the president can’t get the Republican politicians on board, he is right to go directly to their usual corporate constituents. And if those corporations compromise with him, rather than just give their proxy to John Boehner, they are being simultaneously smart and public-spirited.
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Comments
By Ice Bandit
August 22, 2009 3:14 PM | Link to this
Is Ted Patrick still alive? Yeah, the dude known as “black lightning” who used to snatch people from the Moonies or the Children of God and “deprogram” them? Well, if Ted is still sporting a body temperature get him over to South Main Street quick, cause Marty and Ellen have been kidnapped and brainwashed by the Obama Kool-Aid Cult. When the Great Helmsman gets caught dirty dancing with Big Pharma, who gets the DDN’s wrath? Why John Boehner of course, for exposing and the back room wheeler dealers. This is the second time this week the DDN has blasted Boehner, which indicates he is doing something right. And it is not Obama that is “selling out” to big Pharma, it is the American people who are being sent, without a paddle, down that creek which cannot be named. Obama partisans were right, the Great Helmsman has united us; both the left and the right are outraged at the Obama administrations incompetence in the handling of American health care. Though Obama’s poll numbers are sinking faster than the Titanic, perhaps it’s not to late for Marty and Ellen. Feed ‘em a couple of good meals, let ‘em get some sleep, but get them away from other cult members, and they’ll be just fine….By davidss2
August 22, 2009 7:10 PM | Link to this
Nah. Marty and Ellen need a few years of rest to get their minds straight. Contact cox newspapers to suggest replacements who are able to give balance to our newspaper. If they can’t change it cancel your subscription.By jane
August 22, 2009 9:15 PM | Link to this
Compromising IS selling out! Why do we have to COMPROMISE with an industry that has no interest in people’s health? Who elected the president anyway, the people or the corporations? It sounds like, from your article, it was the corporations. And the people are simply bystanders who should just shut up and take their medicine, no matter if it does contain a little arsenic.By dale
August 22, 2009 9:36 PM | Link to this
Why do we have to compromise,with the Republicans .?. They have done nothing to solve this countries problems for the last eight years .The only thing they know how to do is say no .Where is their plan to fix health care . They have had control of the white house for 20 out of the last 28yrs. Their record of accomplishment has not been stellar , on solving the countries problems.By Howrad
August 22, 2009 11:45 PM | Link to this
What is the big deal, they already sold out to big Pharma and getting money from big Pharma for TV commercials supporting the presidents plan, they have sold out to the SEIU and AFL-CIO by excluding them form the program. They have the AARP on board even though the AARP doesn’t want to admit it. What is one more special interest.By mat
August 23, 2009 1:02 AM | Link to this
We spent over a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq, with very few complaints, even though it almost bankrupted our country, and we’ll be paying it off for the next twenty years, or more. Yet when President Obama tries to find a solution for the tens of millions of Americans to be able to afford to go to the doctor, we hear the scare tactic cries of “Socialism”. If you believe that it is the “American Way” to sit back and do nothing while our children can’t go see the doctor because it’s too expensive, then I’d guess that you are wealthy and selfish, or work for Big Drug/Big Insurance/AMA. Health care should be affordable for EVERY American! First, let’s get us all insured, then let’s look at the the sadly ridiculous costs of medicine-reasons like insane tort laws devoid of common sense; or the limiting of the number of graduating doctors by the AMA. If the last election proved anything, it’s that average Americans want their tax dollars spent on improving their lives, for a change.By Tom
August 23, 2009 7:53 AM | Link to this
Naturally you would have an editorial backing the political left, since you endorsed nObama to begin with.By JON
August 23, 2009 9:21 AM | Link to this
Sorry,can no longer take any newspaper seriously after they put Omarosa on the cover!By Leslie
August 23, 2009 10:37 AM | Link to this
If the government is full of moral people that care about the people of this country, why do the employees need a union? Who are they protecting the employees from? No big greedy corrupt CEO, so again, why do government employees need a union?By Common Cents
August 23, 2009 4:15 PM | Link to this
Excellent editorial. Very insightful!By davidss2
August 23, 2009 4:24 PM | Link to this
The real problem here is Obama tried to do this the same way he got elected; talk in platitudes and blame Bush!!!——But someone actually read the bill!!!——If you believe people should have free healthcare at other taxpayers’ expense, then you’re for his plan. If you believe he’s not really in favor of single payer after his statements of 2003 and 2007, then you’re for his plan. But don’t blame me when you discover he’s charging you a whole lot more to cover all the illegals, ones who don’t want to work who are able, and all sorts of others.——-These numbers games are just like when they wanted to blame Republicans for homeless folk. The numbers of homeless kept getting inflated everytime someone included a higher number in their range of homeless. Then when Dems were elected the liberals didn’t worry much about the homeless: they’re doing the same now with the Obama wars. If 95 people were killed with Bush president, it would have been front page; instead it’s page 12 in bottom left corner because it’s Obama’s war. Didn’t he say he was going to get us out right away? After he closed Gitmo? And he enlarged the war in Afghanistan. ——Yeah, he says exactly what he’s going to do in those platitudes all those Dem voters bought into. So buy platitudes for healthcare as the media tries to spoon feed you. You don’t see County Judges paying extra taxes out of their high salary just to help the poor. You don’t see the newspapers donating food to the poor in a kitchen in the unused building on Ludlow street.By DDN hater
August 23, 2009 4:38 PM | Link to this
If this health care plan is so great, why is Obama selling it so hard? Great ideas sell themselves. The president should not be taking hours of prime time to sell this, there is more to it.By DDN hater
August 23, 2009 4:48 PM | Link to this
If this health care plan is so great, why is Obama selling it so hard? Great ideas sell themselves. The president should not be taking hours of prime time to sell this, there is more to it.By davidss2
August 23, 2009 8:59 PM | Link to this
The media has hidden facts and has tried to push Obama’s causes all along. I almost doubled over in laughter this week when some of the left-leaning media were comparing him to Ronald Reagan. Obama speaks in stilted lilt; Reagan was a true orator and spoke in interesting phrasing the lured you into his rhythm. Reagan was sincere; Obama is just stating whatever platitude will make the people think he’s doing something they want.By daveb
August 24, 2009 9:16 AM | Link to this
what exactly did obama give to big pharma for their support? Was it the recent huge increase in tobbaco tax so they could siphon the money over to big pharma?By Luke
August 25, 2009 10:46 AM | Link to this
The thing about dropping the public plan is that it won’t gain any votes! No Republican will vote for the bill in any form, which means that the bill will have to go through reconciliation in the Senate (since Byrd and Kennedy won’t be present, and their “good friends” won’t honor their dying wishes by voting for cloture). If we lose Kent Conrad’s vote, that’s 57-40 instead of 58-40. So by compromising, we’ve gained 1 meaningless vote. That’s a bad deal!By cella smith
August 25, 2009 9:18 PM | Link to this
I don’t want to give up my freedom. It is my right in a free country to see my doctors when and where I want. Why have so many Americans died so we could be free?I have not been to any town hall but I am angry!!!By cella smith
August 25, 2009 9:19 PM | Link to this
I don’t want to give up my freedom. It is my right in a free country to see my doctors when and where I want. Why have so many Americans died so we could be free?I have not been to any town hall but I am angry!!!By cella smith
August 25, 2009 9:19 PM | Link to this
I don’t want to give up my freedom. It is my right in a free country to see my doctors when and where I want. Why have so many Americans died so we could be free?I have not been to any town hall but I am angry!!!By RAW
August 26, 2009 2:33 PM | Link to this
Why is anyone worried about the Republicans and the letters that they may send to corpoation regarding healthcare? The fact is that the Republicans can do absolutely nothing to stop this from passing. The only opposition that matters is the opposition in the Democrat party. THis is simple, the Dems cannot agree on how to best control every aspect of our lives, starting with healthcare. The blue-dogs say that level of control will be too expensive, the libs say that this initial effort does not have enough control without single-payer system. The Repubs have no dog in this fiaght. It is the American that people have seen through the brown murkiness of Washington politics and discovered that if it smells like… it must be… While polls are not conclusive evidence, they are usefule for determining climate, and Americans overall are satisfied with their healthcare and their insurance. Given that data, there is only one conclusion that can be drawn for introducing a bill that at present will require many to lose their private insurance and switch to the government, and over time, force employers to drop coverage and not allow new enrollees into private group plans thqat do not meet federal mandated coverage. The mandates alone will force the cost so high in the private sector insurance, that the only rational choice will be the “public option”. That is what is meant by the destruction of our private health incsurance sector. This will take a number of years, but it is inevitable that we will eventually be on a single-payer system if this bill is passed as written. Now, I do like the idea of offering a common marketplace for indiduals to pick, a la carte, the kind of coverage that suits their lifestyle. I also like the idea of non-profit coops, with the caveat that they not be subsidized with taxpayer money should they fall short financilay. Also, the creation of durable, thax-free Medical Savings Accounts (not supported by Dems). These are private options that would provide choice and competition in the market and solve much of the issue with cost, and also keep the government out of the insurance business. BTW, these are all ideas proposed by Republicans and struck down by Democrats. Who is playing partisan politics?By Terri Kemper
August 29, 2009 6:00 AM | Link to this
Every president since 1900 has tried to get universal health care for U. S. citizens without success. Incidentally, every other industrialized country in the world HAS universal health care for its citizens, none of them calling it “socialized medicine”. Shouldn’t this be one of our “inalienable rights” guaranteed by the Constitution? IF it were, we could eliminate the billions of wasted money spent of administering thousands of different employer-based health plans. Isn’t our system the most INEFFICIENT, yet COSTLIEST in the world needing $ 30/$1 to maintain. Having a BASIC plan for every working American would eliminate this. Then, tort reform MUST be part of the plan. Between the two, we could pay for coverage for EVERY citizen.By joey
September 2, 2009 7:58 AM | Link to this
This is about government control of our lives. There is already plenty of competition of health care insurance plans. Reform needs to come in the form of tort reform, health savings accounts, portability, and the government keeping their hands off our health care. I always taught my kids when they receive something for free, they better ask themselves who is paying for it. The answer is we the taxpaying people and we will be paying dearly, not with just money but our own quality of life.