To say there's been pushback on the president's health care reform crusade is a little like saying California's got a budget problem.
The Senate's proposal to tax the rich all the way to that health care promised land met with about as much success as the House's classic strategy of just borrowing our way to better coverage. Suddenly, everyone realized that not only have we already emptied the cupboards to prop up the banks and car makers, but that maybe we should take our time and think this thing through. Do we really want to rush our way through a $1.5 trillion plan – no matter what you think of it – to meet some arbitrary deadline? There's a reason shotgun weddings rarely end well, and it's got nothing to do with the band at the reception.
As a result, Obama's approval numbers have tumbled down to 55 percent for the first time, Kathleen Sebelius hit the Sunday morning talk shows and the president himself is calling another one of this prime time press conferences tonight. Looks like they're pushing back against the pushback. Guess it doesn't really matter what the people want after all, huh?
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On a much more serious note, I'd like to take a minute out of my usual ranting to honor a fallen colleague. This past week, Employee Benefit Adviser editor Robert Whiddon passed away. Despite the fact that Whiddon and I remained rivals, I always had the utmost respect for him. He was a true professional and one of the most likable cats in the industry. And to be honest, he always seemed like a kindred spirit (and not just because he enjoyed basketball, too.) Maybe that's because we were both in the industry but not of it, documenting its products, trends and people. And here I am left documenting the loss of one of my own.
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