If someone in the US finds out what’s really going on with health care reform, will you please let the rest of us in on it? CNN’s Gloria Borger and Jessica Yellin are reporting that the Prez and his staff are hard at work on their own draft health care plan. What was August all about? First the President seemingly leaves health care draft legislation up to Congress. Congress can’t move off the mark so they put it up for discussion with the entire nation at hundreds of heated town hall meetings and now – having surveyed the scene god-like, the great I AM THE PRESIDENT is quietly putting it all together over the holiday weekend. Moses, grab the tablets; take a memo.
Where to go for answers about our leader, for a framework in which to consider the man? Why to that place that knows him better than any other outside Chicago politics: HARVARD. Here then is the received word from Bill George in an article titled “U.S. Health Care and the Two Obamas” published 2 September 2009.
http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2009/09/obamas_janus_problem.html
Like the Roman god Janus, with two heads facing in opposite directions, Obama the Politician pulls against Obama the Leader. This identity crisis is eroding the President’s political capital, hampering his chances for legislative success on health care, and alienating recession-stricken Americans.
We have always known there were two Obamas: one, the idealistic and compassionate community organizer whose service changed lives; the other, the skilled operative who emerged from the political wars of Chicago’s south side. During the long, brutal presidential campaign, Obama did a brilliant job of integrating these two facets of his persona. Many who supported him hoped and trusted that once elected to the nation’s highest office, Obama the Leader would retain his passionate commitment to certain ideals over and above political considerations. Since January, however, politics has seemed to dominate many of his decisions, with health care being the most recent example.
Rather than provide the leadership he promised on this crisis by presenting a comprehensive, integrated health care policy to the American people, Obama is instead playing politics by ceding leadership to Congress. In leaving the details of the reform bill to Congress, he has effectively abdicated, removing himself from substantive Capitol Hill discussions. Congress, in turn, has focused on only one aspect of this complex problem: health insurance reform that will provide guaranteed access. The other essential aspects of health care — cost, quality, and consumer focus on wellness and prevention — are being virtually ignored. All three must be addressed in an integrated fashion before the health care crisis can truly be resolved.
This will require real sacrifices and concessions from everyone, and a politicized executive cannot make that happen. What’s needed here is realistic and, above all, forthright leadership. How can the President shed political pretense and become the same galvanizing leader on health care that he was during the 2008 campaign? How can Obama the Leader predominate over Obama the Politician and take full ownership of this process?
As leader of this all-important reform effort, he must immediately face the reality that the debate is going in the wrong direction, acknowledge the mistakes he made in abdicating and ceding leadership to Congress, and put the legislation on hold until early 2010. In my recent book, 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis, this is Lesson #1: Face reality, starting with yourself.
Like all good authors of substance, Mr. George seizes on every opportunity to apply his published theories. But in this instance he is to be congratulated. This is not a needless academic exercise; this is spot on analysis of a crisis both for the Presidency and for the nation. Congressional leadership has failed us. Many will no doubt be swept from office in 2010. It remains for Obama to bring it all together as he had promised. Under these circumstances, we could use a little draft stealth health care legislation.
Warrant One Girl - asil
September 5, 2009
SamHenry, Very good! you go girl, you’ve been busy, the site looks great.
Yes, I saw what you said! hahaahah
That’s me, zooming here and there!