The similarities are "downright eerie," in the words of one expert: A popular and charismatic leader launches a yearlong blitz to remake the health care system. Reformers early on brim with excitement about the prospects for change, but enthusiasm wanes over time as Republican opposition hardens and special interests take aim.
One attempt — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's gambit in 2007 to extend coverage to millions of uninsured Californians — died in a legislative committee amid worries that the state couldn't afford the multibillion-dollar price. Now, with similar political dynamics at work, Democratic President Barack Obama is trying to succeed where his Republican counterpart in the nation's largest state fell short.
11 years ago
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