Barack Obama has attacked his party for its unwillingness to challenge institutional obstructions to enacting their agenda. It’s a fair criticism, but the 2009–10 retreat on a public option in Obamacare might be Exhibit A of this tendency.

However, amid Obama’s media tour unveiling his new $850 million presidential center, documents obtained by Zeteo and the Lever through an open records request show Obama as president scoffing at demands that he more forcefully navigate those same barriers on health care policy, when he and his party controlled the White House and large majorities in Congress.

The documents also show Obama’s staff cheering him on after he rebuffed a supporter who was disappointed by the president’s surrender on his promise to enact a public health insurance option — a proposal that conservative Democrats continue to tout today as an alternative to Medicare for All.

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    7·
    3 days ago

    The tough was going because they were too busy following procedure and decorum instead fighting tooth and nail for citizens.

    He literally used the parliamentarian as an excuse, when the Republicans had already dispensed with following rules.

    He could have steamrolled the parliamentarian and gotten the public option. A lot of us spend time thinking what could have been if Democrats hadn’t been so focused on decorum and gentleman handshakes and working across the aisle and instead rammed it down everyone’s throats like fucking GOP claims they did anyway.

    Trump is literally president again because Biden was too focused in decorum and gentleman handshakes too. There wasn’t a good reason to make Merrick Garland AG, for example, but Garland got put in anyway.