Flashback: Herman Cain Was the Real Saboteur of Hillarycare
At least according to a 1994 Newsweek article:
An articulate black entrepreneur, Cain transformed the debate when he challenged Clinton at a town meeting in Kansas City, Mo., last April. Cain asked the president what he was supposed to say to the workers he would have to lay off because of the cost of the “employer mandate.” Clinton responded that there would be plenty of subsidies for small businessmen, but Cain persisted. “Quite honestly, your calculation is inaccurate,” he told the president. “In the competitive marketplace it simply doesn’t work that way.”
Unfortunately, he has no credible plan of his own. See Avik Roy.
That’s fascinating! While I sincerely doubt the unnamed Senate aide’s assertion that Cain was the lightning rod for small business, it is interesting to connect the dots 17 years later.
I’m sure Cain wishes this hypothetical remark to employees were the subject of all the media hoopla instead of the other reported comments!
The real saboteur of Hillarycare was John Goodman’s Patient Power; that, and common sense.
Thanks for this reminder, but I tend to agree with Al.
Great article. It also underscores how hard it is going to be to reform Medicare, at least politically, but that the process of reform can be initiated by those with the right wisdom, experience, and knowledge. The article claims that Herman Cain hasn’t been able to do it – but maybe having more business people elected to Congress (as opposed to career politicians) might bring some of that needed experience to the table so that the reform process can start.
At the very least he’s an interesting voice in the race