On the Bill Press Show, Eric Massa “Calls ‘em as he sees ‘em”.
Yesterday, Eric Massa was featured on the Bill Press Show (You can listen to the podcast here.) The topic of Health Care, of course, came up. Our feisty freshman congressman did not pull any punches. This from The Hill:
Freshman Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) openly lamented the Obama administration’s calculated decision to let the House and Senate craft their own health bills, with the congressman blaming the president for the vast discrepancies between the two bills now.
“The Senate bill and the House bill are on different planets,” Massa said during an appearance on the liberal “Bill Press Radio Show” podcast. “And they’re on different planets because, as much as I want this administration to succeed, they did not present a piece of legislation to the United States Congress.
“We still don’t have a piece of paper that says what his plan is. We’re kind of like pilots flying blind,” he added.
Over the summer, our congressman confronted fear and misinformation at a myriad of town halls, many of them covered here, so if you were not present, you had an idea of what he was up against.
“It was the perception of many that the administration stayed on the sidelines of the summertime healthcare debate until the president, rightly so, addressed a joint session of Congress and solidified this as being a top priority.
“But if you believe that the battle of public opinion was fought in town hall meetings this summer across this country, then you’ve also got to agree that the army of healthcare reform and their commanding general stayed in the barracks,” Massa added.
And just where did the president stand, while Eric and other congressmen were taking the heat?
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In two minutes of googling I found the following articles describing Obama’s efforts on health care reform this summer (Obama health care reform july 2009).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070102149.html
http://www.gallup.com/poll/121814/more-disapprove-than-approve-obama-healthcare.aspx#
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/us/politics/23obama.html
I’m sure there’s more, and I’ll find it if you’d like.
Obama has worked tremendously hard, not just on health care reform, but on a myriad of issues, since before his inauguration. Why on earth would anyone imply that he has not?
I want to know why he didn’t start with single-payer. I want to know what kind of backroom deals are being made with Big Pharma and the Insurance Companies. I want to know why he’s not demanding at least, a public option. Please, if you have these answers, feel free to share.
I am sure he has been working hard, but in the midst of the debate on the issue that will define his presidency, he has taken the “Charlie Brown” approach.
Two problems here.
1. Your questions and disagreement with Obama have nothing to do with your original insinuation that Obama was doing nothing. You have a disagreement with his policy - that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate to claim he spent the summer doing nothing. When folks make claims that aren’t supported by the facts, whether it’s on the right or the left, they damage their own credibility.
2. When questioned about your insinuation that he was not working this summer, your response appears a bit snarky towards the questioner (me).
I know from reading this blog that you are committed to progressive causes, and that you work hard in support of your beliefs. But if we progressives start behaving the way the extremists on the right do, making false claims and attacking unfairly, we harm ourselves and our cause.
I happen to believe that single payer, though a laudable goal, wasn’t going to be a realistic short term achievement this year. I think a public option is the goal now, with more later. I think if Obama sought single payer off the bat he’d have gotten nowhere. Not sure yet where we’re going with the current status, but I think he’s trying to achieve something that may be doable short term.
So, on July 1st he makes a speech. On July 21st he has a press conference. When do we hear from him again? In August, when our congress critters were taking the heat at town halls across the country, what was he doing? He doesn’t start with single payer, he gives away the farm at the very beginning by compromising with his nebulous public option and now, he’s not even insisting on that. I apologize if I sound snarky, but I’m extremely frustrated after working so hard to get this man elected and he has turned out not to be the liberal for whom I had hoped. Far from it.
And, one more thing, in the post when I ask, “Where did the president stand?” That actually was meant to have the double meaning of, 1)where was he physically?
2)where was he policy wise?
I’m sorry if that did not come across. Actually, it looks pretty clear to me.
I noted that I did 2 minutes of googling. If you’d like, and when I have more time, I can reconstruct his entire schedule. But I think you know he wasn’t hanging out on the beach all summer.
Yes, you did and, no, it won’t be necessary to do anymore. I am aware that the president was not at the beach all summer. The photo was hyperbole for effect.
The point I want to make is what Eric was talking about when he said,
Frankly, I have disliked Massa’s approach on health care over the last several months, though I’m glad he did the town halls. I have to admit I haven’t followed him recently, but my recollection is that he said he would not vote for anything but a single payer system earlier in this process. If I’m wrong, please forgive me. But if everyone took that approach, we would have been guaranteed no reform wahtsoever. As for Obama, I think that sometimes a leader does have to hang back for a while and let people hash out some of the issues. I don’t know if it was strategy to let this play out, but I do know Obama is an extremely bright man who has accomplished what others have described as impossible, not just in becoming president, but in prior political endeavors. In those instances (such as achieving videotaping of confessions in Illinois) he worked both sides of the aisle and was successful. Change takes time, and sometimes requires that folks compromise in order to achieve results.
“he said he would not vote for anything but a single payer system earlier in this process. If I’m wrong, please forgive me. But if everyone took that approach, we would have been guaranteed no reform”
With all due respect, if everyone took that approach, we would have a single payer system right now.
Disliked his approach? Exactly what did you dislike about it? That he like some many talking heads including President Obama said that a single payer system was the best solution for a health care system and unlike the vast majority of those talking heads - chose not to drive towards that objective and pushed it off the table as not feasible hiding behind pragmatism. Heck Massa is in a R+5 district yet he speaks his mind. I’m OK with that.
I’ve followed Massa quite closely and with regards to health care he had delivered on what he campaigned on. Imagine that. He campaigned on a medicare for all approach (single payer), co-sponsored HR -676. Ultimately as the Congressional and Executive leadership discounted that as a option he has become a supporter of the Public option. Attempting to drive the Public option to be just that Public and an option. There was a time in August where the Public Option was not public nor was it an option. I don’t know what the final bill will be but tied to medicare, available day one are important aspects to a robust public option.
Like many in the House and part of the progressive block he will vote for a health care bill that has a strong robust public option and will oppose one that doesn’t which is why there will be a Robust public option in the House bill. The Progressive block is holding firm and demanding it.
Massa did take some criticism because he opposed HR 3200 as written in the August time frame - Well, guess what that was a crappy bill. No public option, basically giveaways to the insurance companies. it was crap Massa and many of that same progressive block opposed it and guess what - the bill is getting better. Imagine that.
I no doubt that President Obama is an extremely bright man. However, I want to know what to expect - I get the vision, the hope and desire, however, I’m beyond waiting for some secret plan to hatch and all will be right with the world. There are extremely powerful interests in Washington that simply do not have my (probably yours too) interests at heart. These interests have been in DC before Obama was president and will be there long after he is gone.
How does someone counter those interests? Frankly you get involved and stand up for what you believe. There is no doubt in my mind that the protests in Max Baucus’ committee helped move health care reform in a more progressive direction.
Re your assertion “my recollection is that he said he would not vote for anything but a single payer system earlier in this process.” I don’t recall him saying that - I do recall him saying that he will vote for a health care bill and not everyone will be pleased with the bill. You have to find the quote - I think you are not recalling it correctly.
If he can do the impossible, then single payer wouldn’t be such a stretch for him. Look, all I’m saying is that he gave away the ability to barter when that was taken off the table. You should probably start with the ideal (single payer) and compromise to the acceptable (strong public option). Starting with a strong public option leaves us no room for compromise. Yes, change takes time and 60-100 years is a long time to wait.
Frankly, I’ve disliked Obama’s approach. Way too centrist for my taste.
Eric gets it. I haven’t agreed with all of his votes, but, you never have to question where he stands.