The Big Speech

Hey, no pressure, Mr. President. It’s not like your presidency, not to mention the health and welfare of the Republic, hangs in the balance.

OK, seriously. My theory is Obama has taken the best shot that anti-reform forces could muster (and it was quite a shot), and now things are going to start coming together for health care reform. It may not be as comprehensive as some wanted, it may not in the end include a public option, but there’s simply no option for failure for the Democrats. They have to pass health care reform. And they’re going to do whatever it takes to do it.

Something I’d like to hear tonight is a clear, concise attack on the “let’s start over” argument. Something along the lines of:

“Some on the Republican side say we should not rush into this. They say more time is needed, more discussion, more studies. Certainly, we should discuss this thoughtfully. We’ve been trying to.” (slight pause, just to let people remember the town halls) “But we cannot forget that health care has been a drain on our economy and a burden to millions of working Americans for decades. For eight years, Republicans controlled the White House. For six of those years, Republicans controlled Congress. And yet, aside from a well-intended but inefficient Medicare drug benefit, Republican leadership did nothing to address the health care crisis in America. They did nothing to reduce the number of the uninsured. They did nothing to end the insurance industry’s practice of dropping patients for pre-existing conditions. They did nothing to address the high copays and deductibles that make health care prohibitively expensive for millions. They did nothing to control the premium increases that are hamstringing small businesses and forcing them to drop coverage for employees.”

“They had six years. They did nothing. We cannot wait another six years. We cannot wait another 16 years, which is how long it’s been since the last president tried to reform health care. Let’s be clear: we have a plan before us that would address the biggest domestic problem that America faces. On the other hand, the Republican solution is to do nothing. I believe that is not an option.”

Too partisan? I dunno. Certainly is true, as far as I can see.