Jill Lawrence: Obama Applies the Edmund Burke Theory of Leadership to Health Care
[Jill Lawrence is a PoliticsDaily.com columnist and former national political correspondent for USA Today.]
Why would President Obama and his party press onward to pass a landmark health bill in the face of polls that suggest it's risky to do so? Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell calls it "stunning" and says they are projecting arrogance. "Every election in America this fall will be a referendum on this issue," McConnell says.
That's one way to look at it this seemingly endless tussle over health care, health insurance and health costs. Another is to imagine the political consequences for Democrats and Obama if they were to fail after calling health care a major problem and spending a year trying to solve it.
Yet a third prism would be through the words of Edmund Burke, the member of Parliament who in 1774 offered a classic definition of his role. He said he would give great weight to his constituents' wishes, high respect to their opinions and "unremitted attention" to their business, but would not abandon his conscience or independence: "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion."...
Obama took the Burkian approach on Wednesday in the East Room, joined at the lectern and in the audience by applauding medical personnel in white jackets. "How will this play?," the president said. "What will happen with the polls? I will leave it to others to sift through the politics, because that's not what this is about. That's not why we're here." We are here, he said, "to lead." He dismissed any potential political consequences with a simple "I know it's right." He finished with an ad-lib: "Let's get it done."...
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Why would President Obama and his party press onward to pass a landmark health bill in the face of polls that suggest it's risky to do so? Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell calls it "stunning" and says they are projecting arrogance. "Every election in America this fall will be a referendum on this issue," McConnell says.
That's one way to look at it this seemingly endless tussle over health care, health insurance and health costs. Another is to imagine the political consequences for Democrats and Obama if they were to fail after calling health care a major problem and spending a year trying to solve it.
Yet a third prism would be through the words of Edmund Burke, the member of Parliament who in 1774 offered a classic definition of his role. He said he would give great weight to his constituents' wishes, high respect to their opinions and "unremitted attention" to their business, but would not abandon his conscience or independence: "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion."...
Obama took the Burkian approach on Wednesday in the East Room, joined at the lectern and in the audience by applauding medical personnel in white jackets. "How will this play?," the president said. "What will happen with the polls? I will leave it to others to sift through the politics, because that's not what this is about. That's not why we're here." We are here, he said, "to lead." He dismissed any potential political consequences with a simple "I know it's right." He finished with an ad-lib: "Let's get it done."...