Fineman Says ObamaCare Was President's Biggest Mistake - Ignatius Agrees
Wouldn't it be fascinating if media members that helped this President pass ObamaCare against America's wishes came to the conclusion this was his biggest mistake?
On Sunday's "The Chris Matthews Show," the Huffington Post's Howard Fineman and the Washington Post's David Ignatius both told a somewhat startled host that Obama spending so much of his time and political capital on passing healthcare reform was his worst decision to date (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: This week we want to do something slightly different with our "Tell me Something" segment. Let me ask you all, all four of you, what has been President Obama’s biggest mistake in his two and a half years so far? Howard.
HOWARD FINEMAN, HUFFINGTON POST: Chris, on things under his control, not the wars so much because they were built in, his decision to spend all of his political capital in a year and a half of his time on the healthcare reform law I think was his biggest political mistake.
MATTHEWS: Wow. Smart statement.
Moments later, David Ignatius of the Washington Post agreed:
DAVID IGNATIUS, WASHINGTON POST: I would agree with Howard. The idea of launching a major change in social legislation without having a consensus in the country and in Congress about what that should look like was a mistake. That's just not how a president makes good policy.
MATTHEWS: Wow.
I agree with Matthews - Wow!
After all, without the media's help, Obama and the Democrats could never have gotten this awful bill passed. No chance.
Now those that aided and abetted him are beginning to think it was a mistake?
If that's the case, maybe they should take some of the blame and apologize for their role.
Readers are advised not to hold their breath.
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Comments
Democrats own it
Submitted by Texndoc on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 11:59am.
Like Rush says, they can't say they weren't warned. Not one Republican vote.
Now There is the Realization?
Submitted by Lakewood Ed on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:11pm.
How's that again? Ramming through social legislation that the country did not want was a mistake? Ya think?
A complete reversal -- or is it a confession?
Submitted by Galvanic on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 3:18pm.
Ignatius's acknowledgement that there was no consensus is exactly the opposite of what the Dems and their MSM parrots insisted was true in 2009. They insisted that the nation wanted Obamacare.
If only Ignatius would admit that he and WaPo were wrong back then, I might actually have a smidgeon of respect for him. But I'm not holdin' my breath.
Joe Biden was more correct than he knew
Submitted by ekslib on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:15pm.
when he told Obama that health care reform was a "Big f'n deal" (Though, maybe, "Big f'd up deal" would have been more accurate.
They're still trying to find
Submitted by motherbelt on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 1:15pm.
They're still trying to find a way to blame that on George Bush too!!
New slogan for the Democrat
Submitted by DWoSD on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:18pm.
New slogan for the Democrat Party ---- "We are a Collective of Idiots-Join US"
reminds me
Submitted by mom_rox on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 8:20pm.
of Al Gore's unofficial presidential campaign slogan: "Stupid people want me to be president." (think butterfly ballots)
Yes, great story in St Paul Pioneer Press today, too.......
Submitted by merly1 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:26pm.
The 1A, above the fold PP story tells of MN Nurses Association facing 20-40% premium increases
for members because one covered member has rung up 4 million in medical bills--- just by April--- of this year.
A few paragraphs in it reports that the Health act of last year ended individual lifetime benefit maximum limits, and in 2014 it will end annual limits of benefits, too. I am unsure if true but if it is, that's fascinating as no coverage limits for all of us in the land of trial lawyer supervision will explode annual health spending in a way that is likely unimaginable.
It sounds like this union had addressed lifetime max benefits in 2007, but now with Obamacare, the union (AND US) will likely face these type of premium increases. Big mistake Mr President and Ms Pelosi........
The law of unintended
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 4:55pm.
The law of unintended consequences strikes again.
Excellent point, merly1. I
Submitted by stratman on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 6:47pm.
Excellent point, merly1.
I wonder, how many of the membership are wishing a speedy death panel verdict for the person costing them money? I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that the Left will eventually use these types of increased costs to further rationing and institutionalizing of the so-called "death panels" while simultaneously crowing how they are compassionate in requiring no-limits coverage and whatever else they can get away with.
What one hand giveth, the other hand taketh away... and then some.
nope not obamacare
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:44pm.
While obamacare was a huge political waste the real culprit is the stimulus that spent our life savings and returned nothing. After the failure of the stimulus and obama's lack of being able to get the economy going the public now knows it has to change leadership to get a different result. obama won't be able to fast talk and flash his smile to make folks believe in him again. He's toast.
will Fineman publish a mea culpa for this?
Submitted by Hoosier Conservative on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:45pm.
Didn't take too long to find it either.
Fineman speaking on MSNBC, July 2009:
"Well don't forget, it's the RNC -- the Rush Newt Cheney (as in Liz) Republican party -- and based on that RNC, the Republican strategy is to talk about racial fears and resentments, to talk about where Barack Obama was born, but not to really talk about healthcare..... I think a lot of Republicans privately, when they're in their sort of non-tribal moments, will admit that. The problem is that the economy is in a big hurt locker right now. People are concerned about their jobs in part because they're concerned about losing their healthcare.... That fear, connected with the economy itself, is what's driving politics today. Obama is on the right side of that. Republicans so far are on the wrong side."
Source
Soooo if Obama made a mistake, he only has people like Fineman to blame for egging him on.
Yes, Obama Destroyed America for Generations to Come
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:51pm.
Sure, Obama ruined the country, but he did it with style, and he was so transformational. We are all better off for having voted for him, even though he was a disaster.
What's that? You didn't vote for Obama? Do you have something against black people?
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
...and electing this clown
Submitted by Average_JoeMN on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:48pm.
...and electing this clown was OUR biggest mistake.
20/20 Hindsight
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 12:53pm.
Does this mean they will be taking back all the nasty things they said about the Tea Party? I'll not be holding my breath.
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
Noel
Submitted by stratman on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 1:02pm.
Please pass this picture on to your video technician. Maybe reading isn't their forte on sound equalization, so a picture might be more helpful. Have you hired Leftists again to do the video editing or are they the same outfit (or "unfit") used for the software rewrite/implementation?
As usual, good article.
and they told us Obama was sooooo smart
Submitted by ohio granny on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:23pm.
Looks like the republicans who disagreed with the MSM and obama were and are the smart ones. The truely dumb ones pushed for and voted for this monstrosity.
Geez, and the MSM told us Obama was soooooo smart and look at how they lied. So it seems to me the really dumb ones are Obama and the democrats in congress. The rest of us knew better right from the start.
Took Howard long enough to
Submitted by Maestroh on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:44pm.
Took Howard long enough to figure it out. Smart people knew it 2 years ago.
Noel . .
Submitted by Gary Hall on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 2:48pm.
. . simply delicious.
Super post - great news. What else is there to do today. He he
(;~> gary
Don't You Just Love Matthews Saying "Wow"
Submitted by Conservator on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 3:09pm.
He lowers his voice every time another fellow leftist states anything negative about Obama. It's a sigh of Chris' delusional disappointment that someone on the left actually has the nerve to be critical of the Anointed One.
I like the 'Wow....smart
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 09/04/2011 - 3:45pm.
I like the 'Wow....smart answer' too. The Leghumper is such a high-strung. low-rung little twerp - he doesn't know what to say or do when 'one of his own' actually says something derogitory about his man-fantasy Boy Barry!!!!
Well, how about this.
Submitted by jessieH on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 11:24am.
Well, how about this. Everyone who pushed this crap through, anyone who promoted it, anyone who tried to force American Citizens onto this crap, they get to keep their Obamacare. They must keep it, since they wanted it, so badly. The rest of us get to find their own healthcare, nationwide. Problem solved.
Fast and Furious is not going
Submitted by jkwtrading on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 11:38am.
Fast and Furious is not going to be his masterpiece. That one can get him tried.
Sure, Obama ruined the
Submitted by bagtree on Thu, 03/29/2012 - 2:34am.
Sure, Obama ruined the country, but he did it with style, and he was so transformational. We are all better off for having voted for him, even though he was a disaster.
What's that? You didn't vote for Obama? Do you have something against black people?
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