This is a rant and I need to just write about it so read at your own risk...
This morning, like every other morning, I go to the New York Times Opinion Page and look for interesting editorial pieces. This morning, I ran into this:
Health Care Now
Why has the Obama administration been silent about one of the key promises during the campaign — the promise of guaranteed health care for all Americans?
By Paul Krugman
After I read it I almost bought a ticket from DC to New York and wanted to find this guy and beat him to oblivion...or at least knock some sense into him.
Before you accuse me of being a bully or anything, please hear me out.
I understand that Paul Krugman is a Nobel prize winner. I understand that he's one of the best economist that we have. I understand that he's likes to give his opinion on everything besides economics. But I also understand that he must or should know what's going on with the Obama administration.
Here is my take...
First, we know that Obama is working really hard on his second week in office to pass one of the most expensive bills in the history of this nation. He's spending a lot of political capital to do it and we all hope that his popularity and approval stays as high as it's one or two years from now. We all hope that his plans to fix the economy actually works and every single American can see the difference, especially after 8 years of digging this country into the ground.
Second, we all know that Obama appointed former Senator Daschle to be the Health Czar because of his vast experience and contacts with Congress and because he knows how to move the bill through it, and hopefully get some bipartisan support. However, we know that there is been a delay in his confirmation for political and personal reasons (family emergency is the last thing I heard) so his confirmation has been pushed to sometime soon, hopefully.
But as any impatient child because that's the only thing I can come up with right now and fits perfectly, Krugman is calling out on President Obama to speak up about universal healthcare.
I mean, that's just nuts!
Does Krugman think that because President Obama is not speaking up about Universal Healthcare that it means that he's not doing it? I understand that he can chew gun and walk at the same time but he has been doing just that during the past two weeks. However, I also know that one must find the perfect timing to introduce something new, such as affordable healthcare, to the national discourse.
Right now, everyone is focusing on the $800 billion bill that's going through Congress. We don't have a Health Czar who will be the key architech to move it through and President Obama has been busy these past TWO WEEKS getting his staff in the key positions, signing his first major bill, and reversing 8 years of Bush bullcrap!
So Mr. Krugman, shove your Nobel prize up your you know what and stop sounding false alarms about issues that will take the right place at the right time in the national discourse. We're just in week two of President Obama's tenure so please check back by week 20 before you start complaining that nothing was done.
UPDATE #1
Like I said in the first line, this was a rant and to read at your own risk. Now that's out of the way, I read every single, seriously, comment made on my diary.
I understand as someone mentioned, that "Healthcare reform is a life and death issue, an immediate one. It deserves to be nagged about."
I also understand as someone mentioned, that "It's never too early to bring up universal health care, especially now, when so many are losing their jobs, can't afford Cobra and then, if they have a pre-existing condition, they might not get health care again. It's a huge part of putting the Country back together."
I agree with the above statements 100%...BUT
Would you agree that talking about bringing up and passing "affordable" healthcare now would sidetrack the stimulous bill or both?
Would you agree that passing "affordable" healthcare will take a lot of time and effort and manuvering?
Would you agree that we tried this before during Clinton and it failed; so we need to approach this differently and carefully?
Would you agree that we're just in week two and the stimulous bill would probably be ready for signing before President's Day (mid-February) and Obama can focus on his next big project, hopefully Healthcare?
And finally, do you know that the stimulous package has some provitions that help indviduals and families with affordable healthcare right away?
If you answer NO (except for the last one) to any of my questions then you're more obtuse that I thought some of you were.