Last Wednesday, the Trump transition team
disclosed the remarkable
news that Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, an architect of Obamacare, was Mr. Trump’s
first official guest of the morning. The spokesman demurred with respect to the
details of the conversation, but I can guess: Dr. Emanuel was urging Mr. Trump
to remain in office only one term, in accordance with Dr. Emanuel’s principle
that people should be cut off at age 75.
Emanuel proclaimed this doctrine in The Atlantic in October 2014. Mr.
Trump will turn 75 in June 2021, only half a year after beginning his second
term (if elected again). So, surely Dr. Emanuel was just asking Mr. Trump to do
himself and everyone a favor by not wasting everyone’s time taking a second run
at the presidency.
But seriously, it is not a bad idea for
the President-elect to meet with Dr. Emanuel. As I have previously
noted, Dr. Emanuel threw in the towel on Obamacare in September 2014. Most
of those associated with the law have not been so forthright in admitting it
did not achieve its goals.
What was especially interesting about Dr.
Emanuel’s change of heart was his insistence that the federal government could
not force change on the health system. Instead, he now encourages policies
which allow states to innovate. That has long been a Republican principle.
Let’s hope Dr. Emanuel’s visit to the
President-elect signals more acts of contrition from Obamacare’s many other “architects.”
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