[The Times, U.K.]
Financial Times Deutschland, Germany
Obama’s Health Care 'Coup'
"The
Republicans have proven themselves once again to be a party of fear-stoking, the
sole purpose of which is not the success of the country, but the failure of
Obama. … Not only are they a party of naysayers, they are a party of
ignoramuses."
By David Francis
Translated By Ulf
Behncke
September 10,
2009
Germany - Financial Times Deutschland - Original
Article (German)
Barack Obama has
set out to regain control of the debate over health care reform. Fully and
convincingly in a speech before legislators, the U.S. president comprehensively explained how he imagines a state-based health
care system would work. Despite a summer punctuated by citizen assemblies [town
hall meetings] that descended into ugliness, Mr. Obama impressed with his steadiness
before lawmakers. He calmly described how he intends to cut unnecessary
spending, tax employee benefits to fund public assistance and how he wishes
to ensure that all American workers have compulsory health insurance.
Under
a plan that's been gaining a lot of support, the program but forward by the chairman
of the Senate Finance Committee, Democrat Max Baucus, would cost what sounds
like an astonishingly expensive $900 billion. Obama was seeking to unite the
American people - and he apparently succeeded. According to the polls, the
public has responded positively to the speech.
In addition,
he has also sought to unite the various factions within his party. He made
minor concessions to both wings, but if he wants to implement his plan despite
opposition from Republicans, he’s got much more to do. The Baucus
Plan, or something like it, may well be Obama's last chance to unite Democrats
and to reform health care.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
[The
Telegraph, U.K.]
The
Republicans meanwhile have proven themselves once again to be a party of
fear-stoking, the sole purpose of which is not the success of the country, but
the failure of Obama. During Obama's speech, a Republican backbencher from
South Carolina [Joe Wilson of
South Carolina] - one of the last havens of right-wing ideology - called
the president a liar at the top of his lungs, a huge breach of protocol that
showed disrespect for the most basic rules of etiquette and for the office of president.
EMBARRASSING BEHAVIOR BY REPUBLICANS
Other
Republican members joined in. Their behavior is embarrassing for the country
and should be counter to the interests of Republicans - since it had the effect
of uniting the American people behind Obama. Americans like their leaders and
become rather ill-tempered when someone publicly insults their commander in
chief.
[The
Independent, U.K.]
But
the concerns of Republican voters shouldn’t be ignored by Obama's reform plans.
The example of George W. Bush has shown that a president will fail if he
governs from the fringe of his own party. The Republicans in Congress should give
their constituents a fair hearing in Washington, but they do a disservice to
their voices if they can think of nothing better than to heckle the president before
the cameras.
The
Republicans are showing themselves to be a party of obstacles, obscuring the facts,
obstructing any form of change and unwilling to compromise. Not only are they a
party of naysayers, they are a party of ignoramuses.
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Der Tagesspiegel, Germany:
Americans Demand 'Freedom' to Pay More for Less
Le Figaro, France:
Health Care: Obama's 'Moment of Truth'
Le Quotidien d'Oran, Algeria:
Health Care Knocks Obama Off of His Cloud
The Independent, U.K.:
The Brutal Truth About American Health Care
Daily Mail, U.K.:
U.S. Debate on Health
Care 'Fit Only for Children's Ward'
CLICK HERE FOR GERMAN VERSION
[Posted by
WORLDMEETS.US September 12, 4:05am]
![[The Independent, U.K.]](http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00240/cartoon110909_240891d.jpg){kind=link}