President Obama said yesterday, "We fumbled the rollout."
But it's about much more than a dysfunctional website.
Columnist Michael Goodwin wrote yesterday, "When I first saw the headline saying Bill Clinton was advising President Obama to 'honor his commitment' I had to laugh. The idea of Monica Lewinsky's boy friend as moral referee always cracks me up."
While not as cynical, many share the sentiment. When credibility is lost, trust is also lost.
The President, who has stood his ground on his signature legislation, Obamacare, has apparently had an epiphany.
Is it merely political? Or was there some moral aspect to his words yesterday?
He told the country, "I hear you loud and clear."
The mega chorus of millions who have lost their healthcare combined with the Democrats running for re-election in 2014 is not singing "Ode To Joy." Everyone is hearing the message loud and clear.
The President said, "I completely get how upsetting this can be for a lot of Americans, particularly after assurances they heard from me that if they had a plan they like, they can keep it."
But the haunting question for the millions of Americans who are upset seems to be, "Why would he tell us that, when we now know that he knew 3 years ago this would be the outcome when his heath care plan was rolled out?"
Did he do so just to suppress opposition until he could get Obamacare through Congress, knowing he could perhaps better deal with the truth later?
We know he is hearing us, but what is the motive of his new promises?
He is telling us he will instruct the insurance companies to extend or reinstate those canceled policies for a year.
Will they comply? Or have they lost sufficient trust, concerned about the next chapter of the Obamacare saga, to say thanks, but no thanks?
Speaker of the House John Boehner is asking if the President actually has the authority to change the law with his new promise.