(AP)
President Barack Obama's campaign promise of an open government disappeared shortly after he took office and the closed-door, secret negotiations on health care reform demonstrate all too clearly that politics in Washington remain "business as usual" in his administration.
The secrecy that surrounds White House actions rivals that of the often-criticized administration of former President George W. Bush and key decisions on health care reform now are not being made in the open but in behind the scenes negations involving three Democratic Senators: Majority Leader Harry Reid, Christopher Dodd and Max Baucus.
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is also participating in the secret sessions along with other members of the White House health care team: A far cry from the open door government that Obama promised while campaigning for office.
Washington Post staff writer Perry Bacon Jr. reports that the closed door sessions are "a setting that is anything but revolutionary in Washington."
The group will make such key decisions as whether to include a government-run insurance plan designed to compete with private insurance companies. The bill passed in July by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which Dodd led while Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) was ailing, included such a provision, but the legislation passed last week by Baucus's Finance Committee did not.
The secret sessions are a far cry from promises Obama made 90 days before the election when he said "I'm going to have all the negotiations around a big table," adding that the negotiations would be "televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies."
Republicans, of course, are not happy with the secrecy:
"This bill is being written in the dark of night," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio told the Post. "The president ought to keep his promise to the American people and open this process up."
Few in Washington expect that to happen.
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Business as Usual - Of course. What did we expect?
Obama IS a politician. We elected a right of center politician, did we really think it was going to change THAT significantly?
The system is entrenched and will take a major upheaval of revolutionary proportion to get it changed.
It is not the fault of the people in DC. Not really.
IT IS the fault of you, me and everyone else in the country that continually ignored it for decades until it got so bad we could not ignore it any longer. We have placed official after official in that rancid muck hole to destroy this country while we were too busy deciding what to eat, where to eat it, what mindless drivel with which to fill up our time, what to buy next to fill the empty hole in our bellies in which that moral compass once lived
We need a good shock to pull us out of the doldrums and bring us kicking and screaming, clawing back reality…..We went off the precipice and thought we could fly but are crashing to the bottom and don’t even recognize that the ground rising to meet us is actually us falling.
We are responsible for the failings of Washington since we ARE Washington – voting in crooks, liars, scam artists while accepting their inhumanity and lack of morality. They are representative of the people since we have all lost our own willingness to stand for what we say we believe, what we say we exemplify, what we say we are.
We are fat, lazy, immature, whining scared little children who need to grow up and grow up fast or we just might lose what we claim to be so precious…if we haven’t already.
Hi Cosmic Surfer,
My wife and I voted for this guy. His elocution was stunning to say the least and he's a fairly bright guy. When he talked about change we can believe in and that now was the time to get it right; ie., this past election, we both thought that there was a remote possibility that a true leader was emerging to take over the reins of power.
John McCain was not an option without getting into the details as to why not. Both of us were fierce supporters of Barak Obama, but obviously both us and millions of other voters have been snookered by a slick talking "jive turkey" from the "Windy City".
Prior to his inauguration as he started to form his team, his first pandering was to his campaign opponent Hillary Clinton all with a big production as to what spoils she would get from her humiliating loss. Then came the list of retreads from past administrations etc. Very little original thinking came with this man as he fitted his Presidential limousine of state with the equivalent of cheap "recapped" tires.
So now as we move into the tenth month of him in office, millions of voters are suffereing from buyers remorse. Griff said sometime back that I have to get beating myself up about my bad decision, but based on my knowledge of how the game is played, my head is still spinning as to how I could have been conned so masterfully.
"It is not the fault of the people in DC. Not really." ...extract from post
Although I understand you've written this for impact, I cannot entirely agree. It's difficult for any of us to find out the true mettle of any politician running for office as in this case, mainly because he didn't have a lengthy track record to expose him for what he is, as opposed to someone like John McCain. Then you have the MSM which is owned by the shadowy oligarchs who exert their ghostly hand of power over this nation through the banks and their media outlets to deal with.
It's just difficult to stomach that the majority of people that make it to high office or as appointees are corrupt. They take oaths, but have no shame when it comes to engaging in secretive, duplicitous, and in many cases outright criminal behavior against "we the people". This is not an excuse for us and our lack of keen discernment when it comes to choosing, but there should be some price for these aforementioned crimpols to pay when they backstab the American people. Even the American justice system has failed mightily with a totally compromised DOJ. It's been so politicized that its almost impossible to get anything investigated much politicians in high places brought to justice.
Thanks for your thoughts concerning this seemingly terminal situation for our nation.
Carl Nemo **==
Carl, I have to say your vote for Obama shocked me.
I was looking at his accomplishments and found none. At least none legislatively. He signed on as co sponsor on meaningful bills, but originated nothing.
He promised to filabuster the FISA. Not only did he not filabuster, he voted for it.
He talked a good game. I just didn't see much of a track record.
He impressed me as a lightweight. I highly respect your insights and prayed when Obama was elected I would see the same qualities that impressed you.
Hi Sherry,
My vote shouldn't shock you. If you recall I was a fierce supporter of the man juxtaposed against the alternatives; ie., John McCain and Hillary Clinton.
I guess Obama's appeal could simply be compared to the old expression that "in the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king". Obama's speaking abilities and publicly displayed intellect which are quite stunning made McCain seem quite inadequate concerning leadership skills etc. along with his seedy track record as a politician.
To the electorate including myself, Obama was that man with at least one eye. Big mistake on our part! Only two votes yes, but two votes too many as far as I'm concerned.
Thanks for your input to my commentary.
Carl Nemo **==
Do anything and say anything as long as you get elected.
False, naive hope. No government has ever operated with complete transparency. If someone can think of one, please name it. No government could operate with complete transparency. Somehow the mechanics have to get worked out without all of the politicians 'on camera' for the whole process. There has to be candid dialog in fora where not every syllable is gaged for media effect. Otherwise there is no hope of accomplishing anything besides massive grandstanding and no discussion of unpleasant realities.
Was Obama promising something he knew he couldn't deliver, or was he just that naive?
—W—
Hi Warren,
Naive and from Chicago? I think not. : |
Carl Nemo **==
Agree. Which begs the question of just who was naive. Possibly we need to judge the viability of candidates' promises against the wide range of realities, and not just wishful thinking.
—W—
Hope springs eternal...
Hi Warren,
One thing I learned growing up from my Dad is that one's word is their bond.
I'm fiercely observant of this principle. If I say I'm going to do something I do it. If I commit to meeting someone at a certain time and place, I'm there and on time, most of the time early. If I make a financial deal, my handshake is my bond...period! No waffling, ifs and buts; ie., excuses. I also pay extreme attention to details.
My Dad made it through both the invasion of Normandy D-Day plus a few days to being reassigned to the Asian theatre post victory in Europe. He was also called up again for Korea too, but luckily it was winding down otherwise his luck might have run out. I'd still around since I was born in 1945, but I would have been an only child if he were killed in Korea. I have three brothers and one sister. My father, along with my brothers including myself have served as officers in the military inclusive of all branches except the U.S. Coast Guard.
The other thing he impressed upon us kids is that lack of attention to detail will get one killed in combat and also lead to disasters in life.
So to me, one's word is their bond and attention to detail is important for both safety and success in life.
What's my point. Obviously I would fail as a politician because lying, obfuscating, back-stabbing and sloppiness concerning one's job; ie., not reading the bills or extracts thereof to be passed is not part of my persona.
So American's, me included will get duped by slick-talking, seemingly wholesome personalities as this President projected on the campaign trail. Most people with their heads screwed on tightly always have hope beyond hope that things will turn out regardless of the odds against it especially when it comes to politics.
It seems we have to assume they are all evil crooks; ie., "silver-tongued" devils with an agenda as Obama's. We've been had plain and simple by a dishonorable man who's word means nothing and that attention to details are delegated to faceless, shufflebutt bureaucrats; ie., the ultimate buffer from being blamed directly.
That's all I can offer you Warren on my part as to why myself and no doubt many other Americans are naive on occasion much to our detriment and to the crimpols advantage.
To quote Almandine: "hope springs eternal"...no?!
Carl Nemo **==
Too bad you don't run for office, Carl. Of course, you'd never win, but a man of truth on the campaign circuit would be refreshing.
My dad was a corpsman in the battle of the bulge. He never really recovered from it. His wisdom for me was to always question authority.
—W—
My dad was screwed up from the "bulge" too. They called it psychoneurosis in those days now PTSD in our times. His last assignment in Europe was running a POW camp and he ran our household the same way. We all turned out ok, but life was tough growing up in that he expected full measure from all of us. No slacking "ever"! Only my sister skated, the only girl in the family; ie., "daddy's little girl"... :) No problem she turned out ok too with an MBA in business and was Wendy's marketing director for a bit finally latching on to an M.D., they now living in Atlanta.
Carl Nemo **==
My dad is Vietnam combat veteran and his advice about the military was to take a GI Joe figure and make it hold it's butt and said, "The Army is a pain in the ass."
When I asked about government he typically said, "All governments are pretty much the same. They just give us a little more leash."
His spiritual wisdom, "We are all just sacks of meat."
I think it's pretty amazing many of us that think like we do about what is going on had combat veterans for fathers. At least it seems like a common contributor to our ways of thinking.
Concerning the article, check out this video.
Wow is all I can say Woody about the stunning vidclip you've supplied with your commentary. It only highlights seven lies too when in actuality Obama's entire watch to date has turned into construct built upon lies.
I'll reference one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written concerning the foibles of our 'dear leader' and possibly his true roots. : |
*****
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:43-45
****
Carl Nemo **==
He could have beat the one and a half minute mark if he didn't have to wait for the Kool-Aid freaks to finish their mindless adulatory applause.
I wonder if any of those people feel the least bit idiotic at this point.