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| Economy |
| David "Judas" Gergen turns on Obama over deficit |
| 2009-08-26 |
| Health care reform was already in growing trouble before this report. These deficit projections clearly add another significant threat to its passage. The administration will now have to persuade Congress and a skeptical public that it would be financially prudent to embark upon an ambitious new entitlement program in the teeth of dangerously growing deficits. As vital and as morally right as it is to extend health insurance to everyone in need, the public is also wise to worry about the costs of robust reform. People have long memories, and they will recall that when Medicare was passed in the mid-1960s during the LBJ years, the House Ways and Means Committee projected that Medicare would cost about $12 billion in 1990; in 1990, it reportedly cost some $107 billion. When Washington enacted prescription drug reform in the George W. Bush years, the administration put a price tag on it of $400 billion over nine years; new estimates have projected a cost of $724 billion over nine years. More recently, Massachusetts has embraced a health reform plan that is widely hailed – and serves as a model for the national effort this year – but it, too, has far outstripped original cost estimates. In view of all this, President Obama has a choice. He can push forward with health reform efforts, giving short shrift to these deficit concerns. If so – if he continues to insist that Washington is just too “wee-weed up” — he will find that some of his strongest allies will become more reluctant on a big health reform bill this year. Or he can come to grips with these grim forecasts and present to the nation a credible, comprehensive plan for reining in long-term deficits before Congress acts on health reform. The second path demands more courage – and is also the one of real leadership. |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #9 p.s.: Kathy - I guess I did miss the "CNN special last week on health care". I caught the original version at Obama's press conference |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-08-26 19:42 |
| #8 David Gergen - the talking thumb |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-08-26 19:39 |
| #7 Anonymoose, you are a wicked, wicked man. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-08-26 16:19 |
| #6 > As vital and as morally right as it is to extend health insurance to everyone in need Is it? Is it morally right to punish the well for the actions of the sick? No it's not! |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2009-08-26 15:55 |
| #5 Pfft. Anonymoose, you give him too much credit. He's just pissed he didn't get a post. Also, he probably smells the blood in the water. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-08-26 15:14 |
| #4 I have long thought that Gergen was a mole sent to the Democrats to be a deep insider. First of all, his education tracks almost ideally to be CIA, and he was first recruited by Nixon, which would mean a "deep reliability" test by J. Edgar Hoover. Granted, Hoover missed John Dean. But Gergen stuck with Nixon, Ford and Reagan, with H.W. Bush, who remember had been head of CIA. He was very mole conscious and would have all staffers vetted before becoming insiders. Gergen sweet talked his way into a lateral transfer into the Democrat leadership. If they had half a brain, there is no way they would trust him any more than a live scorpion in their underwear. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-08-26 14:54 |
| #3 Besides, the headline attracts more readers! |
| Posted by: Bobby 2009-08-26 13:40 |
| #2 Kathy, 1) Strike the keys on your keyboard one at a time. Works better that way. 2) Whether Mr. Gergen 'turned' on Obama is a rhetorical phrase. What matters is that he, and many others, are beginning to see that yawing deficit that the health care reform plan, and most especially the "public option", will generate. We have reason to worry. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-08-26 13:36 |
| #1 Mr. Gergen has not turned on Obama. Read his blog!http://gergensvoice.blogspot.com/ Get your facts straight!!! Mr.Gergen is only pointing out the facts ..facts we all need to be aware of since there is so much mis information and stories circulating. Did you listen to the CNN special last week on helth care? If you ahd you wuld not be saying he has turned on Obama. This is a very complicated situation that needs to be solved yes which Mr.Gergen has pointe doput time and time again. |
| Posted by: Kathy 2009-08-26 13:18 |