Healthcare Schmealthcare

I really have no fucking idea what is going on in the Obama administration. Reports about the president's State of the Union address tonight suggest that Obama's not going to use the opportunity to rally the troops and rekindle passions for flailing healthcare reform, over which the Democratic Congressional caucus is in utter disarray. Instead, as the WaPo notes, he "is not expected to call for a precise way forward, although he will reiterate his commitment to the cause."

Yeah, good call. We wouldn't want our president getting all distracted with leadership and shit.

Lest you think that's merely a bit of acerbic hyperbole, Ezra Klein reports:

Every Hill office I've spoken to in the past week has had the same complaint. "Where," they ask, "is the White House?"

There's been no clear message on the way forward for health-care reform. No clear articulation of preferences. No public leadership to speak of. The administration is taking temperatures rather than twisting arms. The White House press team is blasting out speeches where the president says he'll never stop fighting on health care but pointedly refuses to throw a punch. The president is giving interviews where he seems to endorse paring the bill back and also seems to argue against doing anything of the kind. The daily message has run from banks to freezes, and early leaks suggest that tonight's speech will focus on education.

…[E]veryone agrees on one thing: Tonight's speech is the most important of his young presidency, and it will be the most revealing of his career. Does he stand and fight for a health-care bill he believes to be a historic and necessary step forward? Or does he back away from it, letting some gestures toward his commitment to the issue stand in for the determined leadership — and the political gamble — that would represent real commitment to the issue?

If healthcare insurance reform does happen, it may well be because Congressional Dems made it happen despite the president.

What a sad tale.