Obama Claims Democrat Healthcare Reform is “Moral”, Same as Civil Rights Legislation

“The Republican leadership,” Mr. Emanuel said, “has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama’s health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face every day.”
Obama Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel – August 18, 2009

On August 18, the New York Times reported that the Dems “seemed set to go it alone on the Health bill”:

“WASHINGTON — Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority’s cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks.”

On July 9, Time published the article “Can Democrats Pass Health-Care Reform on Their Own?“. Here’s an excerpt:

“The Democrats now have 60 votes in the Senate and a parliamentary tool that gives them the power to pass health-care reform with a simple majority of only 51. That means Republicans are, theoretically at least, powerless to stop President Obama’s top domestic priority with a filibuster. So why are Democrats even bothering to keep negotiating with the minority party? Why don’t they just pass health-care reform on Democratic votes alone?”

The Time article is well worth the read as it highlights the problems within the Democrat party passing Obama’s coveted healthcare reform almost 6 weeks earlier and before members of Congress and Senators got an earful from constituents. Six weeks before Rahm Emanuel claimed it was the Republican’s “fault”.

On August 19, the Washington Post reported that the President was “surprised” by the “debate’s path”. Not a debate between top Republicans and Democrats over the massive healthcare reform legislation but between Democrats. WaPo wrote that a “rift” has developed between the President and the “left of the left”. And not only a rift but a political “firestorm” too.

In the midst of the firestorm developing between the Democrats, President Obama reached out to progressive, liberal faiths, claiming that passing healthcare reform was the “moral” thing to do:

From ABC News:

“In a conference call with liberal and progressive religious leaders Wednesday afternoon, President Obama railed against those who were “bearing false witness” in the debate over health care reform.

“I know there’s been a lot of misinformation in this debate, and there are some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness, but I want everyone to know what health insurance reform is all about,” the president said.”

And this:

“Mr. Obama said these claims were “fabrications that have been put out there in order to discourage people from meeting what I consider to be a core ethical and moral obligation, and that is that we look out for one another, that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper, and in the wealthiest nation on Earth right now, we are neglecting to live up to that call.”

While Obama inferred that those who opposed his healthcare reform were “immoral”, he also compared the struggle to pass healthcare reform to the 1960’s civil rights amendment:

“These struggles always boil down to a contest between hope and fear,” he said. “I’m going to need the help of all of you. … I need you to spread the facts and speak the truth. Time and again men and women of faith have helped to show us what’s possible when we’re guided by our hopes and not our fears. That’s what you’ve done before. That’s how we are able to succeed in establishing Social Security and Medicare and bringing about justice through the civil rights movement. That’s what you can do again today, to help us achieve quality, affordable health care for every American.”

Here’s the facts:

The “hope and fear” doesn’t relate to Republican’s “stonewalling” Obama’s coveted healthcare reform. It relates to the “rift” between the Democrat party, and the fear that the liberal left’s hold over moderate Dem’s will break. The “firestorm” in Washington being fought between liberal Dems who desperately need the public option plan to remain intact and moderate Dems who are against the healthcare legislation due to economic reasons, the inability to “pay” for the massive restructuring of America’s current healthcare system. A system that the majority of Americans believe is viable. Americans that include senior citizen Democrats. What’s not viable, the spiraling cost of healthcare coverage and the numbers of Americans who cannot afford or obtain coverage. Rather than addressing the central core issue, liberal Dems are in the process of overhauling the entire healthcare system. A system that the majority of Americans do not want government interference.

Obama’s coveted healthcare reform is in critical condition, the “doctors” unable to diagnosis the true symptoms, and thus, the illness that threatens to destroy the Democrat party. There’s no doubt that Democrats will pass healthcare reform. Reform that the majority of Americans did not ask for, and do not want. Reform on the scale of social security and medicaid and medicare. Reform which Dems believe is for American’s “own good”, the “hope and change” Obama promised he’d deliver.

By LBG

Image – Moral Disorder