Axelrod on Health Care: ‘There Will Be Compromises’
EmailNo new red-lines today from David Axelrod on health care.
He wouldn't take sides on public option between House Dems and Olympia Snowe.
And he resisted union claims that excise tax on health plans is a middle class tax.
On the deficit, he signaled that President would sign $248 billion dollar "fix" in Medicare doctor payments scheduled for a vote this week — even if specific "pay-fors" not attached.
Here's our exchange:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yet just this week, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is going to bring a bill to the floor that — Republicans call this the first installment on health care, which is going to permanently repeal savings gotten from payments — Medicare payments to doctors, $248 billion over 10 years. Must that be paid for, for the president to sign it?
AXELROD: George, first of all, understand that that — when the Republicans say this is the first installment on health care, it's not part of the health care bill. This — this has been — there's been…
STEPHANOPOULOS: It was in the House bill.
AXELROD: Yes, but the point is that, every year, this — this provision of the Medicare law goes into effect. Every year, draconian cuts are proposed for doctors that would have a deleterious effect on patients. And every year, the Congress acts on it and defers on that. And the fact is, it's a charade.
Everyone in the Congress knows they're not going to let that go forward. All that we're saying here is, let's be honest about it. The president provided for it in his budgets, and we ought to acknowledge that this is a — this is an ongoing expense that we'll have to meet.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But isn't it actually — isn't it also a charade if you're saying, "We're going to do this. We're not going to pay for this $248 billion," and that's the only way you can end up not increasing the deficit…
AXELROD: Well, it will be — it will be part of the budget. It will be paid for as we move — as we move forward. The fundamental health reform, George, that we're talking about that would provide subsidies to people who can't afford health care today and ancillary expenses are all going to be paid for.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But will — would this particular bill have to be paid for? Because the House — Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that she's not going to pass it through her chamber unless there are specific things…
AXELROD: As I said, the president's provided for it in his — in his budget, and we will account for it.
Watch our full exchange HERE.
- George Stephanopoulos
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Obama had better not have been watching this, might be the last time we get to see axelrod, what a dufus.
Posted by: earl | October 18, 2009, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
I saw that compromise it was in his brain waves. Why not answer the question, THAT NOT NEWS STATION should love this ????.
Posted by: earl | October 18, 2009, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
Nothing like watching BO’s lackeys’ get throw softball questions by a Democratic Operative who pretends he’s a serious journalist…… Hey Georgie… are you still having your daily private meetings with the Whitehouse…
Posted by: Vet1973 | October 18, 2009, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
We have already been compromised when we chose a Marxist for president.
The present assault on the basic pillars of our freedoms will end up being for our good. The challenge to know what we believe and why people have died for that belief will wake up a sleeping America.
Sometimes it takes a generous dose of evil to wake up the good people that have been sleeping in the complacency of a growing “nanny state”. An all promising government with its $1.4 trillion deficit and a $12 trillion national debt. A government that is afraid to admit it has no plan, or hope, of mitigating that debt!
Posted by: Ed Taylor | October 18, 2009, 1:41 pm 1:41 pm
“Sometimes it takes a generous dose of evil to wake up the good people that have been sleeping in the complacency of a growing “nanny state”. An all promising government with its $1.4 trillion deficit and a $12 trillion national debt.”
Ed Taylor | Oct 18, 2009 1:41:52 PM
Ah, the good ‘ol lie of evil Obama’s deficit. What was the deficit predicted to be in January, before Obama took office and there was zero stimulus? Well, for those who care about reality that is documented:
“CBO projects that the deficit this year will total $1.2 trillion, or 8.3 percent of GDP. Enactment of an economic stimulus package would add to that deficit.” – January 7, 2009 CBO Directors Blog Budget Projections BEFORE Obama even took office
So, even after the $787 billion stimulus program – over $200 billion of which was direct tax cuts not spending – and the worse than expected recession cutting revenues, the deficit is only $200 billion higher than what the Republicans are DOCUMENTED as having left (recall this is the fiscal, not calendar, year when talking about this year’s deficit).
Posted by: jhw539 | October 18, 2009, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
Hey fat cats, stop the nego compromising crack and let’s do the rap.
Posted by: Sue | October 18, 2009, 5:36 pm 5:36 pm
Without a public option I don’t see any way to stop the huge increases in health care from continuing. My premiums will increase 13.3% next year and my prescriptions will cost 20% to 100% more, depending on the tier. Soc. Sec. recipients are being told there’s no inflation – yet more will be deducted for their medical costs – 11% for the drug program!
Right now, health care eats up 17.5% of our GDP and is expected to rise to 25% in several years. No other nation spends more than 10%. It’s a long-term economic backbreaker.
If you asked the average American if he wanted the American health system or the Canadian system plus and extra $100 per week in his paycheck, my guess Canada is more than good enough. We can’t keep getting drained worse and worse.
Health premiums eat up over 10% of my pension now and will eat up about 33% in another decade since my tapped-out employer can’t keep paying the same percent of premiums.
Without a public option, much of this “reform” is worthless except for improving the extent of coverage.
Posted by: The_Mick | October 18, 2009, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm
George, George, George, Why do you continue to invite people like David (we’ll see) Axelrod on your show. You ask him specific questions and he answers none of them. If he will not answer questions from someone like you, who is so obviously a fan of the president’s, then what hope is there for us conservatives to have our voices heard. Perhaps that is why so many of us turn to Fox News. Any of the other administration staffers you have had on the show have done the same dance routine around your questions. Is there a journalist out there who is not afraid to say, “You didn’t answer the question,” and then refuse to move on until he/she does answer the question?
Posted by: roger h. | October 18, 2009, 9:09 pm 9:09 pm
I agree with The_Mick, the cost of health care is going to bury us. I mean we can all scramble for the jobs that have awesome healthcare coverage like govt. jobs but there’s no guarantee you’ll get to keep your job. The whole thing is the biggest mess. yes, we want to keep the quality but it’s getting so only the elite workers of the country (govt. employees) or union workers are able to get the kind of coverage that actually protects against bankruptcy and doesn’t bankrupt you paying the premiums.
Posted by: Gregory | October 18, 2009, 10:19 pm 10:19 pm
One of the central features of the proposed legislation would allow millions of individuals whose income levels currently preclude them from qualifying for Medicaid to meet eligibility requirements for the program. states must put up a five percent match to help cover the additional costs. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made no bones about what he plans to do to avoid any political fallout back home. He has stated unequivocally that he will not allow a health care bill to come to the floor if it increases Medicaid costs for Nevada. The Senate Finance Committee bill would exempt four states—Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and (yes) Nevada—from the requirement to pay the five percent funding match. The alleged justification for making the exception is that those states have been the hardest hit by the recession.
The Senate should rebel against Senator Reid feathering his own nest. Other states shouldn’t have their budgets savaged by another huge unfunded mandate coming down from Washington while watching Reid and a handful of his cronies grin like bandits counting their loot.
The health care reform debate is starting to focus attention on what happens when arrogance meets partisanship. It is almost impossible to pass legislation that will cover all of the uninsured, reduce the overall cost of health insurance, and “not add a dime” to the deficit as President Obama promised. There are going to be winners and losers if the legislation passes. The losers will be young Americans and healthy policy holders who will have to pay much higher costs to insure or subsidize the elderly, the uninsured, and individuals with health problems or unhealthy life styles.
Posted by: bailedout | October 18, 2009, 10:36 pm 10:36 pm
He refuses to get specific on anything and rambles on about nothing. I listened to Jarrett on Meet the Press and she had the same worn out lines as Axelrod. I imagine their incompetency is Fox’s fault?
Posted by: Gwen | October 19, 2009, 1:38 am 1:38 am
Obama is a crook and this whole care thing is a scam to steal money from Americans—-wake up people, this thing is bad for all of us but Obama will try to get his foot in the door to get this scam started.
Posted by: talkhooloo | October 19, 2009, 4:20 am 4:20 am
The compromise was the original proposal. There is nothing left to compromise with. Their proposed bills are one step above surrender. The republicans won. n/t
Posted by: jan | October 19, 2009, 8:41 am 8:41 am
Let me get this straight.
We’re going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose head says he doesn’t understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn’t read it but exempts themselves from it, signed by a president who also hasn’t read it, and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that’s nearly broke.
What possibly could go wrong?
Posted by: cartoonist | October 19, 2009, 9:33 am 9:33 am
Why wasn’t Axelrod on Fox News? Because the white house is trying to censor the press they don’t like and has declared war on Fox. Left or right, people must let this white house know that censorship of the press will not be tolerated. Obama must think he is Nixon.
Posted by: brian | October 19, 2009, 10:54 am 10:54 am
Here’s how I see this. I see things very straight. I see things very clear. Obama’s health care plan will be, one, written by a committee whose head says he doesn’t understand it — that would be John Conyers — his health care plan will be, two, passed by Congress that has not read it; number three, signed by a president who smokes; four, funded by a Treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes; five, overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese; and, six, financed by a country that’s nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong with this?
–Rush Limbaugh, August 2009
Let me get this straight. We’re going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose head says he doesn’t understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn’t read it but exempts themselves from it, signed by a president who also hasn’t read it, and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that’s nearly broke. What possibly could go wrong?
–cartoonist | Oct 19, 2009 9:33:34 AM
Is Rush Limbaugh also a cartoonist now?
Posted by: WWW | October 19, 2009, 12:27 pm 12:27 pm
Now more than ever, Americans are being forced to decide between being able to afford prescriptions or their next meal. With more than half of the American population taking daily prescriptions, this hits home to most of us.
Fortunately, we have other options. Discount generic prescriptions are available that provide a cost saving solution to the sky rocketing prescription and health care crisis.
You can locate discount generic alternatives right in your own neighborhood and for as little as $4 on search engines like Medtipster.
Posted by: Nadia | October 19, 2009, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
I want government control. I need the government to tell me when I can go in for an operation. I want a government who will tell me if I can surpass the amount of medical treatments justified for my age. I want a government who will take my hard earned money and distribute it to the poor. I want a government to force me to buy insurance. I want a government to take our tax dollars and fund abortions. I want a government to raise our energy costs through the roof with their bright ideas on Cap and Trade. I want a government who will take away “In God We Trust” on our currency and who will stomp on our Constitution, and forbid any prayer or pledge of allegiance in public places. I want a government to turn into a total control Marxist, socialist dictatorship! Come on people, we need to be open to change!! Heck, it’s better than the last 8 years right???
……may God Bless us and give us the strength and courage to stand up….before we get ourselves in over our heads. Amen.
Posted by: Logan42 | October 19, 2009, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
It’s unfortunate that the discussion constantly devolves into fears over a nanny state or conspiracy theories of government takeover. The current health system is horribly broken and was broken in part by health insurers and health providers who are unable to keep costs under control.
Education, road infrastructure, water, sewer, police services and the military are all under government control and arguably are doing what they are intended to do moderately well. However, for some reason, basic accessible health care to provide the most fundamental of human needs is a sticking point on which to base a whole anti government discussion.
Seeing things in this manner is really a very distorted view of looking at what’s important.
Posted by: Wellescent Health Blog | October 19, 2009, 11:02 pm 11:02 pm
Can the government manage anything efficiently? Let us not forget waste such as the Pentagon’s infamous $436 hammer and $640 toilet seat. Another nightmare for taxpayers is the Department of Defense’s (“DoD”) Defense Travel System (“DTS”), which has produced miserable results after six years of development and an investment of more than $500 million. Also, recall the metric conversion!
I contend that government managed healthcare would just be yet another open door for waste, fraud and abuse and if implemented it will only guarantee another crisis down the road in need of reform.
Posted by: Ed Taylor | October 20, 2009, 12:55 pm 12:55 pm