Reporter's Note: President Obama will speak at the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy; a fitting send off for a man who proved important to the President’s success in the election. I won’t be there, but I’ll continue with my letter each day to the White House.
Tom Foreman | Bio
AC360° Correspondent
Dear Mr. President,
As I have watched the funeral activities for your friend, Senator Kennedy, I’ve thought about his approach to politics. He was, as you know, a polarizer in many ways. Few other names provoked so much spitfire anger from conservatives. (Don’t even mention the things he said in the Bork confirmation, or they’ll start throwing flatware and smashing the china.) On the other hand, he was also a skilled negotiator who gained respect even from opponents, by taking little bites of success when he couldn’t get big ones.
Many times he wanted the whole enchilada in some piece of legislation, but if he could not wrangle it, he settled for striking a deal and getting something actually passed. Then, in the years that followed, he would add on to that base. That’s frustrating and time consuming, sure, but hey…your wife is into gardening. Ask her about the need to plant, to water, and to wait.
So imagine if Hillary Clinton had tried a much more low-key and limited approach to health care reform back in 1993; something that would not have made a lot of headlines, but which might have been approved.. And think about what might have been added in the time since. Today, you would still be trying to advance reforms, but you’d have a sixteen year head start, and something to build on. I know, I know…even talking about such a thing infuriates some on the left and some on the right, who are equally committed to an all or nothing proposition. Plenty of Dems are hotly debating whether you should compromise at all on your health care plans. That’s up to you, but I can’t help but think that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
Btw, apropos of nothing, and on a far less serious or somber note, I have been totally grooving lately on a Winton Marsalis cover of “Caravan” lately. His family lived only a few blocks from an apartment that my wife and I had in New Orleans, and many nights I commute home through the neighborhoods where Duke Ellington used to play, so maybe it’s a natural. Anyway, what a smoking tune!
Usually I spend a portion of each run up to the first day of autumn at the piano working on Brubeck’s “Autumn in Washington Square,” but I think I need to add “Caravan” to the list. I’ll give you a call when I have it in shape and you can come over for a listen. Better yet, let’s give Winton a call and have him join in the jam!
Regards,
Tom
© 2010 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Help | Advertising Practices
The "Bullying: It Stops Here" town hall
Anderson answers your questions
The art of booking guests
Who will be the chairman on NCLB ,PL 107-110 in reauthorization ? Senator Kennedy was the ice breaking deal maker. Hoist the lines fast and get the sails up ! Treasures await with the gifts he left with more work.We need bus money for transportation and schools repaired.
Some of yo need help but when the government want to help other people you say its socialist or the government is taking over. To some of you Obama haters its not about his agenda its about him.
Mr. President Why?
How many homes would you have saved if you had given us the money you passed on to the banks?
My mortgage Company has helped me this () much in ten months.
I have been working/following-up/providing information to my mortgage company since December 18, 2008.
I did not get any help from anyone. Passing the buck is what they are good for. You don't qualify they ket on telling me for this and that plan.
When I had a job and was having trouble making payments I got no help.
When I lost my job (as of 7/30/09 I got no help.
They told me that I do not qualify for the President's help plan due to not making enough money with the unemployment. When I had a job and making more money, I still did not get help.
It has been ten months and still nothing.
The mortgage company stated that I could be put on a balloon plan, (I do not have to make a payment for three months) but I have to pay the balance of the three months all together at the point. What? How does that help me?
I have called every two weeks for 10 months. My cell phone minutes have been exhausted repeatedly because of it.
Gerardina Sullivan
PS President Obama, Please Help me keep my home.
Ted Kennedy was too far to the left for me, a person who mostly votes Democratic, but I'm sorry he died. To blame him for Massachusetts' health care reform problems is uneducated. While he lived in that state, and undoubtedly had influence among legislators there, he was a member of Congress and did not vote on the state's reform package. Don't forget that package passed while a Republican was in the governor's mansion.
Health care reform died weeks before Mr. Kennedy did, the death squad paid for by the insurance lobby, big drug companies and medical groups. Those of us who have been unfortunate enough to have to use our healthcare plans a lot because of our age and chronic conditions know how it pushes you to the verge of homelessness and how abusive and sometimes criminal health insurance companies can be. Only those who have used their health insurance very little are satisfied with it. Their bliss will eventually be destroyed because they too will get sick some day. It's a real kick in the pants to have a (church-owned) hospital call and threaten to take your house if you don't pay your bill faster. It is a lot of fun to have your doctor "fire" you as a patient because the amount of money you are sending him every month is not sufficient. It's wonderful to have to argue with a nitwit at the insurance company that having a pacemaker replaced is not uncovered, elective surgery. Those of you against reform, enjoy your ignorance while you can.
Most of these letters seems to me that they are negative.
So here is a "Quote written by Gabriel Garcia Marque"
A MAN HAS THE RIGHT TO LOOK DOWN ON SOME BODY ONLY WHEN HE IS HELPING HIM TO GET UP.
Just think about it.,and soften your hearts,and give a chance,to any one.
Regards
Helen
Mr. Foreman, in the copy of Boston Metro(weeend, August 28-30,
2009) you opined that "if Barack Obama had been seated beside him
in poli-sci class, the new president might have been accused of pla-
giarism". You have a real plagiarist sitting besides you in CNN. He
is Mr. Reza Aslan who claims to be the author of "No god but God".
Go to Amazon.com and be puzzled how many people have books
with the same title.
Adam Hussein
The true author of "No god but God".
Really powerful point about the small steps to great success. Thanks.
In a time when all we hear is that our politicians (wouldn't it be great if they really WERE representatives??? You know, actually interested in REPRESENTING the people???) want everything their way and refuse to even think about having any respect for "the other side" or honestly trying to work with "the other side" or heaven forbid ever putting themselves out there and admitting that "the other side" might have a good idea, your view is what they all need.
Have you considered running for office?
Just kidding. Like everyone else we elect, Washington politics would probably change you more than you could change it. Makes me sad.
Kennedy had a chance to make his Dream come true with Health Care, but because he didn't want to work with Republicans it never came to pass. Now, Republicans are supposed to work with Democrats, so it is passed in Kennedys memory?
Great point of view. We'll see how it pans out.
I would like to know why the President would lie to the country and say this Health Care Reform Bill has to be passed to order for the country to survive?
We are in debt like never before in our history and now we have to approve a bill that is greater than our national debt. Just how stupid does he think we are?
He needs to back up his boat, and listen to the majority of the United States. The majority DOES NOT WANT THIS BILL THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN!
We are still a Democracy, what part of that doesn't he understand? Get rid of the non-elected Czars and start doing what you were elected to do. That's REPRESENT the country, not just the liberal left!
Teddy doesn't deserve a trillion dollar memorial in the name of Teddycare over the backs of the taxpayers...just because he died....only the creepy left would play that death card.
Just paint a portrait (it would be cheaper) and title it ......"Massachusetts Healthcare ...Teddy left this earth while leaving Massachusetts in the financial tank."
The only fine example he left....is to prove to Americans we need term limits.