In Good Company?

" In the personal story segment tonight in another new attempt to damage control over the health care mess the president is now comparing himself. To FDR and JFK."

" FDR. Was called the socialist when he -- Social Security. JFK. And Lyndon Johnson and they were both accused of a government take over health care when they passed Medicare. -- this is the process that we go through because understandably the American people have a long tradition of being suspicious of government. Until the government actually does something that helps some of them. They don't want anybody messing with -- whatever gets set up."

" Joining us now from San Francisco is Douglas Brinkley presidential historian and author of the book. The wilderness warrior Theodore Roosevelt and the crusade for America doctor Brinkley thank you so much for joining us. At let me ask you big mistake on the part of the president to -- sort of invoke. The memories of FDR and JFK and compare himself."

" Well it's never mistake for democratic president to raise the Specter of FDR and Kennedy force base. I think the Lyndon Johnson comments on gets more to the crux of the typical to the president's having you know that is you know the great society is what don't Ronald Reagan. Forty -- in fact I edited Reagan's diaries he he wrote one passage. Itself voted four times for a cure and the new deal but I was I'm trying to roll back the great society. Medicaid and Medicare came through Lyndon Johnson. But so did a lot of other governor government programs that people after the conservatives been trying to roll back some of the welfare state programs for example so there's a suspicion on the American. People that's been really very part of our entire history but. But it actually has since 1980 in the Reagan revolution of too much government and so I think the problem this summer for. President Obama is that he's pushing health care after all that. Economic stimulus money and there's credible wolf factor going on saying of this might be too much too fast too expensive. How come Democrats never compare themselves to listen to Jimmy Carter and and bring up other democratic. A president's from the past. Well you know Brothers Carter's somebody who say as they say these the White House this -- stepping -- for his ex presidency. Lyndon Johnson I actually -- part of a documentary. And LBJ because that's a hundredth birthday was this past August and the democratic. Convention didn't wanna show anything attribute. LBJ because of Vietnam. You know he's seen is sort of poke some applause site pariah in some ways. So is but but you know Johnson that a lot in with civil rights acts of 64 and 65 that. Medicaid Medicare. But since 1980 it's been the rage of -- Reagan from really 82 -- 2008 is kind of been a rollback. Of government a more conservative on. Feel in the country and Barack Obama's trying to stoke a progressive movement in these. He's catching the same problem of Bill Clinton. Did after he tried bill pushing health care through that first year on meaning he eventually had he had a Gingrich revolution and then. Bill Clinton had to do triangulation. To kind of bumps do some rollback of federal programs there was a clear difference and FDR was --"

" And of the country was in a absolute turmoil and in public confidence was down. The interesting thing is most people are happy with their health insurance I'd love to see some reforms and improvements but they don't want the government taking in over. This is a very different kind of situation isn't it."

" Well at different times to -- Franklin Roosevelt and during the Great Depression was doing whatever they could to try to keep the country afloat. A certainly present Obama's correct Social Security was -- was controversial people to know whether it was gonna worker not. Now most people won't believe that it's been a success. On Medicaid and Medicare is the same in and that gets to the point that. Present Obama's trying to make that I know a lot of people are afraid to make this and plunged into. And my health care program republic option but people were afraid in the past. And if it's the argument he needs to make in a lot of ways but I think the difficulties facing governor is going to be that there. It's been since 1988888. Fear of too much government -- in the last few months we've seen a lot of that so he's -- now. He's got a very tough fight ahead for him this fall doctor."