Hold the Mayo

August 11, 2009

White House Weasel Words

There's a lot of buzz on the internet about this clip of The One at an astroturf event in support of socialized medicine in New Hampshire. The standard take is that this denial of his support for single payer directly contradicts his earlier statement in support. But I think the standard take is wrong.

Follow the link and watch the clip at Below the Beltway. They also have the clip of The One speaking to the AFL-CIO saying that he is a proponent of single-payer.

Then come back and read the transcript below. It is a study in the classic politician's non-denial denial. He says he is not promoting single payer because the transition would be too disruptive. In other words he does not favor legislation immediately establishing single-payer.

I have not said that I was a single-payer supporter because, frankly, we historically have had a employer based system in this country with private insurers. And for us to transform to a system like that I believe would be too disruptive.

So what would end up happening would be a lot of people who currently have employer based healthcare would suddenly find themselves dropped and they would have to go into an entirely new system that had not been fully set up yet and I would be concerned about the potential destructiveness of that kind of transition.

Alright, so I'm not promoting a single-payer plan. I am promoting a plan that will assure that every single person is able to get health insurance. At an affordable price. And that if they have health insurance they are getting a good deal from the insurance companies.

That's what I'm fighting for.

Thus his plan is to create a Public Option that will allow them to develop an entirely new system and over time move everyone - except members of Congress - onto it. It's not that he doesn't want single payer, it's just that he knows that he cant get there all at once. Because doing it the Pubic Option way would be less destructive.

And the thing that would be destroyed in an attempt to move directly to single-payer? Democrat control of the White House and Congress. The One knows that if they tried that, it would make the reaction at less scripted Town Hall meetings seem like a tea party. The kind with fine china, raised pinkies and cucumber sandwiches.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 08:59 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment