10 headlines the President wasn’t looking to see after his speech to Congress

1. “The Case for Killing Granny”

Newsweek Cover Story – September 12, 2009

Ironically, Newsweek makes a compelling “character of the nation” argument for reform in the same issue, but way more folks will see and read the cover story.

2. “Obama plan could add to cost of premiums”
“Employers and consumers face increases in cost of coverage”

Star Ledger Lead Story – September 11, 2009

Two days after the speech, the Ledger runs an Associated Press story based on a flimsy study conducted by “Erik Gordon, a health care analyst and assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.” If one didn’t know better, it would seem that the state’s leading newspaper went out of its way to sabotage the President’s effort.

3. “‘Severe’ doc shortage seen hiking wait time”

Boston Herald – September 15, 2009

If the “Massachusetts Experiment” is a model for the nation, many believe it has tripped and fallen off the runway. “The shortage is getting more severe,” said Dr. Mario Motta, the medical society’s president, tells the Boston Herald. He adds that the state’s health care dilemma can “serve as a valuable lesson for a nation.” Massachusetts’ “health reform initiative illustrates that universal coverage doesn’t equate to universal access,” he said.

4. “Young Adults Likely to Pay Big Share of Reform's Cost”

Washington Post – September 16, 2009

With friends like these … Another media ally weighs in. The President is counting on the foot soldiers who successfully waged his election battle – those 30 and under – to once again pick up arms and fight for him. The day after the speech he went to the University of Maryland at College Park and implored them to “seize this moment.” It will be a measure of his Presidency to see if he can get them to advocate against their own self interest.

5. “Obama Clarifies Position on Tort Reform on ‘60 Minutes’”

CBS News – September 14, 2009

It was less than a bone that the President threw advocates for medical malpractice reform during his speech before the Joint Session of Congress; it was more like “Kibbles and Bits.” On Sunday, the President took the Kibbles away and left the Bits when he “clarified” his remarks and said he is not willing to consider caps on malpractice judgments. What little hope there was for significant Republican support when “poof” with the clarification.

6. “Obama should ‘stand up for the 70 percent of Americans who aren't crazy’”

“Bill Maher Takes On Obama ‘This Isn’t What I Voted For’”

HBO Show – September 11, 2009 (and June 2009)

The President wasn’t likely to hold the fringe left for long without abandoning the core principles which bind the nation, but some of them lasted less than six months. On his HBO show on a Friday evening in June, Bill Maher complained about the President’s frequent public appearances, saying he was a lot like Lindsay Lohan: “in the papers a lot but not doing very much.” He added, "This is not what I voted for," Maher said. To add insult to insult, he urged the President to be more like George Bush (yes, really) saying, "What he needs in his personality is a little George Bush ... What we need to do is to marry the good ideas that Barack Obama has with a little bit of that Bush attitude and certitude."

7. “Crowds Pack Downtown DC to Protest Spending”

NPR – September 12, 2009

The National Public Radio introduction of the story of the so-called September 12th “Tea Party” march on Washington began thusly, “Tens of thousands of people marched through Washington Saturday to protest President Obama's proposed health care plans. The rowdy pilgrimage capped a series of conservative "Tea Party" rallies across the country. As the demonstrators walked along Pennsylvania Avenue toward the U.S. Capitol, the line stretched as far as the eye could see in either direction. The crowd was so thick in places that it was difficult to move. People like Jenni Goyet, a mother of two from Virginia Beach, Va., say they came for a whole range of issues.”

A whole range of issues … about all of which, these folks are angry. The sign that said it best for me was held by an elderly black man and read, “I don’t belong to the Party of NO. I’m with the Party of HELL NO!” Both Republicans and Democrats misread exactly who these people are to their own peril.

8. “Unemployment rate continues climb, reaching 9.7 percent”

NJBIZ – September 16, 2009

The biggest thing standing between the President and meaningful health reform is the long line of millions of unemployed Americans, many of who are perplexed that their plight has been pushed to #2 on the White House hit list. No matter how many times the President says health reform “doesn’t add to the deficit,” many are scratching their heads wondering why the focus of these budget neutral funds is not the economy. The President has yet to convince the nation that health reform and the economy are inextricably linked.

9. “Seniors may face higher Medicare drug costs”

The Villages’ Daily Sun – September 16, 2009

So what are “The Villages” and who cares what its “Daily Sun” has to say? Well, The Villages is Florida’s “friendliest retirement community” in “the heart of Central Florida” covering three zip codes and home to thousands of seniors. The “Daily Sun” is their newspaper. While AARP is spending millions in support of health reform (and losing “tens of thousands” (Source: ABC News) of members in the process, everyday senior citizens remained in steadfast opposition to reform. They’re scared – justifiably or not – they are.

10. “Opposition to Health Care Reform Reaches New High at 55%”

Rasmussen Reports – September 15, 2009

Perhaps this is the most important headline of them all. Rasmussen has been tracking health care reform daily. Here is what they had to say on the 15th: “One week after President Obama’s speech to Congress, opposition to his health care reform plan has reached a new high of 55%. The latest Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll shows that just 42% now support the plan, matching the low first reached in August. Following the speech last Wednesday night intended to re-launch the health care initiative, support for the president’s effort bounced as high as 51%.” As one blogger cleverly opined, “Man, the shelf-life of his magic is getting shorter and shorter.”