Has Obama Delivered on Healthcare Reform?

Has Obama Delivered on Healthcare Reform?

Eric Alterman asks, should Americans be proud of what Obama has done so far, or has he succeeded only in passing weak reforms?

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"You made a lot of noise with your article, Eric," Chris Matthews told Nation columnist Eric Alterman last night on Hardball, referencing "Kabuki Democracy," Alterman’s investigation of why and how President Obama’s campaign promises have largely fallen by the wayside.

Alterman appeared on the show alongside Neera Tanden of the Center for American Progress to discuss how Obama’s performance on key campaign issues like health care reform, financial regulation and climate change has panned out. While Alterman has, from the beginning, been an enthusiastic supporter of Obama, he says that the president’s delivery thus far has been disappointing, particularly on financial regulation. "We’re 95 percent there on health care," he says, "but on this [financial regulation] bill, I’m much more critical, because he had the country behind him on this one."

—Carrie Battan

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