Thursday, July 23, 2009

Media fail on the health care presser

The coverage of Obama's health insurance reform presser is all so depressingly predictable. A look at the Memeorandum page tells the sad story. There is one headline that offers the full transcript. Otherwise there are:
15 headlines and dozens of blog posts about his remarks on Prof. Gates and the Boston cop.

7 headlines about the Dems inability to bring the bill to a vote.

A couple of disingenuous critiques by reliable sourpusses, Kaus and Ben Smith.

A few headlines reacting in general. Steve Benen rounds up the links to the more reasonable reactions

And only one post at TNR that addresses the substance of Obama's answers.
My reaction? I like the professorial approach Obama takes to these pressers. It may bore the attention span challenged media stars, but I find our President refreshingly honest -- as politicians go. He doesn't take the easy out with sloganery and comfortingly vague answers.

Which is not to say I liked all the answers. I remain greatly concerned that the public plan option is going to turn into another bi-partisan Medicare-D type scam that will placate the industry and won't solve the problem. I'm enormously pissed off that single payer isn't even being discussed. But as I said on Twitter last night, no matter how you feel about the substance of the answers, there is no denying that Obama exudes well-informed competency and confidence. I have no doubt that a change is coming. Whether it's going to be a change for the better remains to be seen.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]

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2 Comments:

Blogger Woody (Tokin Librul/Rogue Scholar/ Helluvafella!) said...

I remain greatly concerned that the public plan option is going to turn into another bi-partisan Medicare-D type scam that will placate the industry and won't solve the problem.

Fears about this are not assuaged by the news, from CREW, yesterday that Billy--the cousin-fuckin coonass--Tauzin, and head of PhRmA, has visited the White House numerous times. Tauzin, you will remember, directed Medicare Part 4 through the Congress, and then resigned to take over the chief lobbyists job for the pharmaceutical industry a month later...

10:32:00 AM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Damn I do remember him. That is bad news.

10:37:00 AM  

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