Jackson Diehl has an extremely interesting op-ed ("George W. Obama") in today's Post.I am fairly certain that Diehl is a liberal, but he is very critical of Obama's current trajectory, analogizing Obama's decisions to Bush's in three ways:
1. BUSH: After September 11, rather than asking Americans to sacrifice for the common good, Bush encouraged them to go shopping and implemented huge tax cuts.
OBAMA: In responding to the economic crisis, Obama has emphasized that most Americans will not be asked to make any sacrifices for the good of the country ("[For 98% of Americans,] you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime. In fact, the recovery plan provides a tax cut . . . and these checks are on the way."
2. BUSH: Rather than forging a bipartisan response to September 11, Bush used it as an opportunity to push through controversial Republican priorities.
OBAMA: Diehl argues that "like Bush, Obama offered a few early gestures. And like Bush, he has been unapologetic about using emergency measures like the stimulus bill to press polarizing Democratic priorities, such as the expansion of Medicaid benefits to the unemployed and union-friendly contracting provisions."
3. BUSH: He used 9/11 as the pretext for launching a long-standing "big-picture" Republican goal: removing Saddam Hussein from power.
OBAMA: He is using the economic crisis as the pretext for launching a similarly "big-picture" Democratic goal: universal health care.
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I think Diehl's analysis with respect to points 1 and 2 is spot-on. I am particularly discouraged that Obama is not talking, at all, about how Americans should/could sacrifice for the common good. I understand if he does not want to increase taxes right now, but couldn't he come up with some other policy proposals that encourage community/shared sacrifice?I think his point on universal health care, though, is wrong -- Obama made it very clear during the campaign that reforming the health care system was a major priority - there is no "surprise element" here the way that there was with the Bush Administration's pre-developed plans to invade Iraq.
If anything, I give Obama credit for moving forward with this initiative even while the economy is so unsettled; he is following through on a campaign pledge even though it might be politically expedient, right now, to put health care reform on the back-burner.
