What Clinton could learn from the catastrophic health care catastrophe - President Bill Clinton, Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988

Washington Monthly, March, 1993 by Greg Monfils

For Clinton, this may mean returning to town meetings, Larry King, and the radio talk shows he used so effectively during the campaign. Perhaps it means calling a "health care summit," or even relying on the more traditional, but still powerful, tools of the presidency, like the State of the Union Address. (One role model is Franklin Roosevelt, who was noted for going over the head of Congress, straight to the American people, to push his agenda when necessary.) The exact method matters less than the message. Clinton has shown skill in connecting with the people, which should make selling the nation on his health care reform plan more a matter of will than ability.

Greg Monfils is an Oakland, California, writer.