President Obama should play hard ball with the Blue Dogs on the public option. They owe him big time. And they'll line up behind a successful health care program in the future--just like they do behind Social Security and Medicare today.
On the other hand they will be the first to fall if the Democrats fail and have a repeat of 1994. So, I think they have a huge incentive to play ball that isn't being exploited...
But if all else fails and he ends up signing a bill that has no public option and no other way to control costs and ensure quality of care, then I have a secret weapon that he should unleash on the GOP and the Blew-it Dogs.
Use the presidential signing statement to enact Medicare For All (we all know that in his heart that's what he really wants--he said it himself).
After all you know they deserve it.
I think the president should state that health care reform is a matter of national security. And as soon as he does it he can send legislation down to the congress to ban the use of any further politicized signing statements (but that is a topic for another post).
Mr. President, give the Republicans a taste of their own medicine and then make sure that medicine can never be used again. In one fell swoop we could ensure the health of the American people and protect the constitution from further erosion.
I welcome your comments.
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Although I think the idea is fun, I am fundamentally opposed to the reality. It is my fondest hope that one of our presidents, namely this one, will give back, forsake, some of the power that others have usurped. Leadership, yes. Ideas, yes. International relations, yes. Lawmaking by executive fiat, no. Not now, not ever. It is wrong for the goose, wrong for the gander. Just because it could be done, does not mean it should.
ReplyDeleteShould Congress use its majority to steamroll the opposition? Yep. They are the lawmakers. Should the president? No, that's not his job.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteI haven't researched it, but I suspect many of the blue dogs come from districts with a large majority of Republicans and Independents combined. And I suspect they've already assured their constituents that they would not vote for a bill that included the dreaded public option. I don't think these blue dogs feel they "owe Obama big time." Rather, they believe they won in '08 by deemphasizing Party affiliation and successfully associating the financial collapse and recession with their opponents. I think that many of the blue dogs won their seats by appropriating the conservative mantle; they succeeded in convincing enough of their conservative constituents that it was Bush and the Republicans in Congress who abandoned conservative principles by being fiscally irresponsible. You may be right about the blue dogs falling in line with a strong health care bill, but I wouldn't bet on it.
I also think Shawn has a point. Rule by presidential fiat is not how our government should operate. Besides, Obama would run a very serious risk of having such efforts backfire, much as FDR's "Court packing" attempts backfired following his landslide re-election in 1936. The electorate does not take kindly to presidential interference with Constitutional checks and balances--except when he can convince the populace(such as after 9-11)that our country is in imminent danger of attack.
Len Lempel