Specter’s Dilemma August 5 2009
Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter certainly expected backlash from multiple corners upon jumping ship and joining the Democratic Party this past spring. What he probably did not bargain for, however, was being placed in a position in which he would have to vehemently defend President Obama’s health care plan to his constituents. Already stripped of his committee seniority, Specter was recently relegated to share a Philadelphia stage with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. So that’s two Democrats at a town hall in a city that voted for Obama at nearly a 5-1 margin. You would assume such an event would go over splendidly. In reality, the crowd reaction was comparable to what one would see if Sen. Russ Feingold were to pitch gun control in Wyoming. A pivotal moment came when Specter tried to explain the bill-making and voting process. He told the audience that legislation was compromised of various sections, some of which were read by staff members. “We have to make judgments very fast,” reasoned Specter.
Who said you had to make hasty decisions, Arlen? Amidst the rush to pander to both party leaders and special interests, representatives on Capitol Hill (on both sides of the aisle, mind you) have forgotten the American taxpayer. Whether it’s the insurance companies, the lobbying firms, the hospital industry or the White House, Congress has been quick to fulfill the needs of all that come knocking. The public, conversely, is left holding the bill. While I admit that health care reform is needed and that it entails numerous voices, President Obama and his Congressional allies have not proven that the federal government can manage the overhaul. One questioner at the Philadelphia town hall put it perfectly:
“I look at this health care plan and I see nothing that is about health or about care. What I see is a bureaucratic nightmare, senator. Medicaid is broke, Medicare is broke, Social Security is broke and you want us to believe that a government that can’t even run a cash for clunkers program is going to run one-seventh of our U.S. economy? No sir, no” she said.
To be frank, our health care system is on a fatal course towards financial ruin and has the potential to severely damage the economy. Reform should focus on adjusting costs to reflect results, not simply the services provided. In addition, administrative expenditures must be cut by transferring medical records to electronic form. Finally, there has t0 be a fundamental push to highlight self-reliance, restraint and preventive health.
Yet, such measures will ultimately be ignored by a Congress set on producing a middling and uncontroversial bill—one that does not produce tangible solutions for our problems of cost, coverage and long-term viability. Growing opposition towards the boondoggle-in-waiting health care bill has nothing to do with right-wing fanatics or hypocritical fiscal conservatives as Paul Krugman, Robert Gibbs or Barack Obama may have you believe. It’s true that Republicans lost their way (and their power) in part because they ran the country deep into red territory. It’s also true that returning the nation to a solid footing does not gel with rushing legislation that will influence such a large segment of the economy.
In a surprising twist, Senator Specter’s struggles speak to the possibility that Pennsylvania voters may reject a legislator who stands by Obama. Only nine months after granting the president a solid electoral victory, the Keystone State could be a testament to a new political landscape: A growing portion of middle-class voters are frustrated over rising deficits, Congressional relations with special interests and have a general feeling that federal health care reform will not solve the system’s core problems. These people are not partisan hacks or devoted conservatives; some even voted for Obama. While they like and admire the president on a personal level, they are likely to become increasingly disappointed with his actions over the coming months as he pushes Congress to pass a Democrat-centered bill if Republicans refuse to cooperate.
With Congressman Joe Sestak officially in the race to challenge Specter for the Democratic nomination, Obama and his allies in both Congress and Pennsylvania have some tough choices to make. How will the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Governor Ed Rendell and Senator Bob Casey back Specter and diminish a formidable (and real) Democrat in Sestak? Rest assured, they’re already off to a fast start. Although I am not an avid supporter of former Congressman and Club for Growth president Pat Toomey, he has maintained a consistent profile and has a legitimate chance to capitalize on voters’ angst and win the seat. Toomey would be wise to continue to push fiscal issues and state-level reform in the face of an ever-growing federal government. No matter what, Pennsylvania’s Senate race will provide some fireworks.
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