President Obama & Health Care - A Missed Opportunity

The issue of health care can be summed up by what President Obama did not say in his State of the Union address.  Unfortunately, the President's remarks were predictable and left the American people without specifics on how he plans to provide sound and affordable reform to our nation's health care system.

He failed to acknowledge that a clear majority of the American people clearly reject the health care proposals now under consideration in Congress.  The American people understand that 'health care reform' in Washington means nothing more than government-controlled health care - and with the Senate-passed bill - using federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortion.

President Obama also failed to address what Americans want: affordable health care coverage that makes sense and does not turn one-sixth of our economy over to the federal government.

And, President Obama failed to acknowledge the lack of transparency - the closed door, behind-the-scenes, out of public view negotiating that's been taking place in the Senate and House.  Remember, it was President Obama who repeatedly promised that the process would be open, transparent, and even televised on C-Span.  That shortfall did not make it into his State of the Union address.

Even as he delivered his remarks, we know that the Democrat leadership in the House and Senate is moving forward to pass health care reform - even without the support of most Americans.  They are plotting and working - still behind closed doors - to develop legislative strategies that would result in passage of their flawed, government-controlled, pro-abortion health care proposals.

Not much attention is usually given to the Response to a President's State of the Union address.  But after the President's remarks, newly-elected Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell clearly expressed what most Americans understand:  "All Americans agree, we need a health care system that is affordable, accessible, and high quality.  But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government."

President Obama failed to capitalize on an important opportunity with his State of the Union address.  Americans wanted to hear specifics from the President - details on how health care could be made better for all Americans - without a government takeover of health care, without taxpayer dollars used to fund abortions, without backroom deals made to secure votes. 

Sadly, that did not occur.

President Obama did remind the American people of his campaign motto:  "Change we can believe in." 

The fact is that when it comes to health care reform, the kind of change President Obama envisions - along with the Democrat-controlled Congress - is not something most Americans believe in - or want.