The Democrats are using two other strategies to try to quell dissent. The high-minded tactic is the White House’s redoubling of efforts to address the concerns of Americans directly. To that end, the administration has set up a new website designed to debunk half-truths and myths and is pouring money into a huge advertising campaign. Mr Obama has also headed out on the road again, with three town hall meetings on health reform planned for this week alone.
The more underhanded gambit is the decision to bash the insurance industry at every turn. Ms Pelosi now calls its bosses “villains”, while Mr Obama wags a disapproving finger. This will score some political points, as many Americans have a deep (and often well-founded) distrust of health insurers. But the tactic could ultimately hobble or even doom reform. That is because the health insurance lobby may prove to be Mr Obama’s most important friend this year.
Though it has a shameful history, the insurance industry has done a U-turn of late. It now accepts the need for a radical overhaul of insurance markets through measures such as guaranteed issue of coverage and the creation of health insurance “exchanges”. But its leaders are increasingly unhappy about the shrill attacks. Can Mr Obama continue to bash the insurers one day and rely on them the next?
Color me skeptical that they will listen, these leftists need enemies for their 2 minutes hate, clearly the game plan calls for turning the Democrats into white knights to rescue the country from the health insurance monster. Of course the health care industry including the insurance companies have been working with Obama on the issue, but lets not let facts get in the way of the Democrats story lines.
The ways of the O Administration will attempt to be nuanced. But they're political thugs at heart, and I expect thug tactics to come to the forefront.
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