In his first State of the Union address, President Obama touched on the growing sense of disappointment in the American people acknowledging, "right now, I know there are many Americans who aren't sure if they still believe we can change - or at least, that I can deliver it." Considering the exorbitant list of promises Obama made on the campaign trail, this shift in sentiment should not come as a shock to anyone familiar with how politics works. Big promises on the campaign mean broken promises in office. Get out of the Middle East? Nope. Close Guantanamo Bay? Not just yet. Fix the economy? Working on it. Balance the budget? Don't make me laugh.
However, out of all the broken promises, the one that is most disappointing, and the one on which there has been the least progress made, if any, is the claim that he would usher in a new era of politics and increase transparency. One is hard-pressed to find a more prime example of dirty and dishonest D.C. politicking than the sweetheart deals and payoffs to buy votes for the Senate healthcare bill. Such slimy backroom bargaining should be a potent remedy to anyone stricken with Obamania.
Most prominently, in a move known as the "Cornhusker Kickback," to secure Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska's vote for the healthcare bill, Nebraska was guaranteed permanent and full federal funding for an expansion in Medicaid, while all other 49 states still have to pay their share. How can anyone even begin to conceive of a justification for this? It is unconstitutional and immoral to ask the American people as a whole to completely pay for Nebraska's Medicaid expansion on top of having to pay for their respective state's. It is a blatant, indefensible, and indubitable pay-off, and nothing more.
Sadly enough, that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sweetheart deals included by White House and congressional negotiators made in the closed-door talks on healthcare. Others include the exemption from the excise tax on health plans for union members, one of Obama's biggest donors, $14 billion for Bernie Sanders of Vermont for community health centers, $300 million for Mary Landrieu of Louisiana in additional federal aid for Medicaid, $100 million for Connecticut for a "healthcare facility," and many more. The tax dollars earned and paid by Americans are being used to bribe senators to pass a health plan most Americans do not even support!
It does not seem unreasonable to suggest that this backroom dealing has contributed to the lack of support for the healthcare plan from the American people. Poll after poll consistently reveals that a majority of Americans do not support the healthcare plan being peddled by Obama and congressional democrats. For example, a recent USA TODAY/Gallup poll signifies that 55 percent of Americans oppose the proposal with only 39 percent in favor. If one requires any more proof of the public's discontent, look no further than Scott Brown's surprising victory over Democrat Martha Coakley in Massachusetts. It says a lot when the most respected and loudest spokesman for universal healthcare is succeeded by a candidate who campaigned as the sole person who could defeat it.
The size and scope of the promises Obama made during the campaign could only have been delivered by a god. With a year of experience under his belt, he has been revealed to the people as a mere man, and perhaps to himself, as well. However, it's not too late to regain the trust of the American populace. Instead of using dirty tactics to force a healthcare overhaul down the American people's throat, he should listen to public opinion. Instead of trying to secure legislative victories, Obama should focus on the most pressing concerns of the American people; such as unemployment. If Obama has any interest in keeping his job, perhaps he should start with restoring the people's jobs.
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