Names have connotations, so perhaps that's why Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) corrected a reporter Thursday for referring to the Affordable Care Act as “Obamacare.”
The Washington Times captured the story:
“First of all, it’s called the ‘Affordable Care Act,’ ” the California Democrat said after a reporter asked about House GOP efforts to try to tweak the law.
Democrats, who just a couple of years ago were happy to call President Obama’s signature achievement Obamacare, now are bristling at the name and have tried to remove it from the political lexicon. The change comes as the law’s rollout has been rocky, leaving Americans sour.
On Thursday, at her weekly press conference, Mrs. Pelosi was asked by a reporter whether Democrats would vote with Republicans to impose new privacy safeguards in health care, and if so, whether that would be a signal Democrats are worried about the politics of the law.
“Absolutely not,” Mrs. Pelosi said. “First of all, it’s called the ‘Affordable Care Act.’ If that’s what you’re referencing, yeah, they are going after the Affordable Care Act.”
After Obama’s approval ratings sank to new lows in December, Democrats may be wise in trying to detach the president’s name from the law. Obama himself guaranteed that once the Affordable Care Act is running well people will stop calling it "Obamacare."
The truth is, Obamacare is the president's signature piece of legislation, a law for which he fought and campaigned. Why not own up, and just give credit where credit is due?
