Dr. David Gratzer, a senior fellow at the prestigious and influential Manhattan Institute, is well respected in conservative and Republican circles for his opinions of about health care policy. But his acumen on politics is suspect. After Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts he predicted that Obamacare was dead and that either a compromise approach must be undertaken by the Democrats or there will be no health care reform. I think he’s wrong despite the fact that the President did not mention health care until about halfway through his State of the Union address last night. Health care was, as the New York Times reported, “wedged into a catalog of presidential priorities” that included the jobs and foreign wars, education and the economy, energy and the environment, deficits and bank regulations. The Washington Post reported the priority for the administration now is job creation. There are several reasons for this and they all come back to saving the Democrats’ sweeping plan for health care reform. First, the President wants to let America know think the White House is paying attention to the brewing backlash as seen in New Jersey and Virginia last November and Massachusetts last week. Second, the President wants to divert attention from the negotiations on health care reform with a new signature bill. Third, another round of stimulus spending can be used to buy votes for the president’s plan for health care down the road. By moving the focus toward jobs, the economy and spending, the White House can push the reset button on health care and try again. The fight to defeat this pro-abortion health care bill is still on.
