Comment: Editorial: No hurry, Barry

March 20, p. 6

Many people here are obviously deeply disappointed that US President Barack Obama has again postponed his trip, originally scheduled for Tuesday, to ensure he’ll be at home to fight for his troubled healthcare reform bill. So many people have gone to so much trouble to prepare for the “homecoming” of Barry, Obama’s nickname when he spent time as a child in Indonesia.
The visit has raised much expectation and anticipation and a little healthy controversy about the pros and cons of his visit here.

Your comments:
President Barack Obama is assuring the people of Indonesia that he is looking forward to visiting his former home once the healthcare debate is resolved.
Obama says he looks forward to buying some bakso, a meatball soup, when he returns to Indonesia. For those who are sympathetic with Obama and his tireless efforts for the bill to be passed this Sunday. We can see how great his love is for the United States.
Teddy Roosevelt, Republican, was the first to advocate that everybody should get healthcare in that country. Every decade since, we’ve had presidents, Republicans and Democrats, from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon to JFK to Lyndon Johnson — every single president has said we need to fix this system.
It’s a debate that’s not only about the cost of healthcare, not just about what we’re doing about people who aren’t getting a fair shake from their insurance companies. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for Obama along with his administration.
Healthcare reform is not for Obama, but for every single American. “Health care is a fundamental right, not a privilege”. “It is not a political issue, it is a moral issue,” Edward M. Kennedy.
Rudiyanto
Denpasar