The president's ObamaCare apology: Too little, too late?

I regret very much that what we intended to do — which is to make sure that everybody is moving into better plans because they want them, as opposed to because they're forced into it — that, we weren't as clear as we needed to be in terms of the changes that were taking place. And I want to do everything we can to make sure that people are finding themselves in a good position, a better position than they were before this law happened...

Even though it's a small percentage of folks who may be disadvantaged, you know, it means a lot to them. And it's scary to them. And I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me. We've got to work hard to make sure that they know we hear 'em and that we're going to do everything we can to deal with folks who find themselves in a tough position as a consequence of this...

In good faith, we tried to write the law in such a way that people could keep their care — although we really believe that ultimately, they're going to be better off when they're buying health care through the marketplaces: They can access tax credits, and they're benefiting from more choice and competition. But obviously, we didn't do a good enough job in terms of how we crafted the law. And, you know, that's something that I regret. That's something that we're going to do everything we can to get fixed. [The Washington Post]

It remains the case that a) parts of the administration understood the chaos approaching, b) the president's peculiar management style shut down the debate, c) Obama told voters something that turned out to be quite false, and d) many people may have embraced the principle of ObamaCare without realizing its potential consequences. [Telegraph]

He's right to remind us how chaotic and disruptive the market was before the ACA, and right to offer a personal apology for the political obfuscation he repeated far too long. His credibility matters. He made up some ground tonight — in his usual unflappable way.... In the long run, the current website fiasco may seem as minor in the backview mirror as it was with the Medicare D rollout. The ACA may work in the long run — both substantively and politically. [The Dish]

I know he tried, but is that the best he's got? Given that people are freaking out when they get a notice their policies are being dropped — a horrible, frustrating life experience.... What the administration never appreciated was that people get new plans all the time — but they hardly noticed because it seemed more like an automatic renewal, albeit often with higher costs. A cancellation letter gets your attention. [Chicago Sun-Times]