Friday, March 26, 2010

Obama vs. Business: A Continuing Series

President Obama on Thursday began an aggressive White House public relations blitz to sell his newly-signed health care overhaul to a skeptical and sometimes confused public, calling the measure “pro-jobs” and “pro-business” and taunting Republicans who are vowing to repeal it. (New York Times, 3/25/10)

Susan Eckerly, senior vice president of the National Federation of Independent Business, which bills itself as the “Voice of Small Business,” issued a statement following passage of the bill late Sunday. It read in part: “Those who chose to vote ‘yes’ for this bill have chosen to ignore the protests of their job-creating constituents. We couldn’t have been clearer how damaging this bill will be to America’s small businesses and the economic recovery of this country. America’s small businesses are outraged that so many members of Congress didn’t have the courage to stand up for them and vote against this job-killing healthcare bill.” (FoxNews, 3/25/10)

Even before President Obama signed the bill on Tuesday, Caterpillar said it would cost the company at least $100 million more in the first year alone. Medical device maker Medtronic warned that new taxes on its products could force it to lay off a thousand workers. Now Verizon joins the roll of businesses staring at adverse consequences. (Wall Street Journal, 3/25/10)

President Obama – who claims the health care bill is pro-business – and various business leaders – who claim it isn’t – cannot both be right. Obama has never worked in the private sector and has spent his term vilifying insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, banks and financial institutions. So who has more credibility?

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