Obama tries to cheer the Dems (and give them a spine)
You won’t hear nearly as much about this retreat as you did about Obama’s visit to the House Republicans last week, but Obama has just finished giving the Dems a little pep talk.
President Obama urged Democrats not to be defeatist about the loss of their supermajority in the Senate, declaring: “If anyone is searching for a lesson from Massachusetts, I promise you, the answer is not to do nothing.”
He urged them to pass health care, and here’s a practical political reason for doing so: They’re going to get blamed for it anyway! Republicans have already started to make the ads to run against Dems over health care in November; both houses of Congress passed a health care bill with mostly Democratic votes. Dems will be whacked over the head will health care, so they might as well be whacked for something they actually accomplished.
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65 comments Add your comment
J.R.
February 3rd, 2010
2:25 pm
And here I thought he had finally gotten the message that America does not want the health care bill passed. I guess he wasn’t listening after all.
pat
February 3rd, 2010
2:48 pm
So he is trying to be bipartisan by making baseless claims about republicans?
They couldn’t obstruct a darn thing. The democrats had a supermajority in both houses….If they could not get anything done, it’s their own fault. They could have passed any bill they wanted and they still couldn’t get it done.
Peadawg
February 3rd, 2010
2:49 pm
Create jobs. Fix Medicaid. Raise age on Medicare. Try those things first, THEN try the health care bill. Geeze.
This is what I think
February 3rd, 2010
3:00 pm
I would hardly call Congress’ health care bill an accomplishment! The do or die approach has been way overblown. I worked with a very large employer health plan for 15 years . . . all throughout those years the costs rose. Yes, I couldn’t agree more that something needed to be done but Obama’s push with an over 2,000 page bill . . . a supposedly fix it for everybody (which by the way started out as a push to give the uninsured coverage) evolved into everything imaginable — a sort of liberal wish list for everything they have wanted for the last 30 years instead of taking it step by step and having a true sit down with the Republicans and trying to iron out differences and do what is best for the country it has been a complete one-sided bill. Somehow the Demos think if this bill is passed it will be a big feather in their hats. And for Obama to say it isn’t about politics but what is best for the country is an outright untruth. He is only thinking about “votes,” “votes,” “votes”. He does not want the repubs to have any credit in a health care bill that is why he is not including them.
Drifter
February 3rd, 2010
3:04 pm
I’m not an Obama fan, but he got over 50 percent of the vote and he ran on a platform of universal healthcare. If he doesn’t get a healthcare bill passed, it will be a failure to do what he promised and the blame will be squarely on the shoulders of a Democratic Congress.
Peadawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:04 pm
” The democrats had a supermajority in both houses….If they could not get anything done, it’s their own fault. ”
It’s time to stop blaming the Bush & the Republicans for everything. They could have got this thing passed w/out their votes and couldn’t. Heck, Obama could have done A LOT of things but didn’t. All he’s done is spend spend spend spend spend spend spend.
quod erat demonstrandum
February 3rd, 2010
3:23 pm
Give a cephalopod a spine? Good grief, it can’t be done.
They are what they are.
ATLshirt.com
February 3rd, 2010
3:28 pm
Obama did not get the Message… he is still pushing this socialized healthcare theme..
Force this Bill down the People’s Throat, and Watch them Revolt”
marconi
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
Ah the true joys of a real presidential pimp-slap.
Finally, Mr. Obama of 2010 has been “re-possessed” by the spirit of 2008.
BRING IT!!
Kevin
February 3rd, 2010
4:00 pm
I find it very frustrating that Obama talks about passing healthcare but we know not which bill, House or Senate, is the final bill assuming that such agreement has actually been reached. I think some Democrats can save their political lives if they back-off and work with Republicans on some low hanging fruit regarding health care like tort limits, pre-existing conditions and seeing from a funding standpoint how public health clinics can reach out to more uninusred and under-insured patients.
BeBeKID
February 3rd, 2010
4:03 pm
Americans are very impatient becoming agitated when waiting in line for more than five minutes at the local Wall Mart. Better yet, look how many leave their places of worship in a line of cars on Sunday morning flipping the bird at any one who cuts then off in traffic coming out of the church parking lot after hearing a penetrating emotional sermon about loving your neighbor as yourself. Republican or Democrat in office, this economy is not changing any time too soon. It’s not a matter of policy. President Obama cannot change the economy fast enough for many considering he has only been in office one year. Obama inherited a mess. Jobs are not going to fall from the sky like manna from heaven. There will be no instantaneous change in this economy. Obama will meet resistance from a congress made up of many wealthy people that refuse to impose greater taxation on themselves fearing some kind of silly notion of a socialist government where their wealth will be redistributed. His policies will be criticized by Republicans and “Blue Fog” Democrats that offer no alternative solutions but continue to spew venom pushed by the right wing media. None of this mess is Obama’s fault; but, the devil of greed and excess and his minions, the banks, financial institutions and credit card companies are bailed out by their buddies in Washington so many who work for them can keep their vacation home from foreclosure, country club memberships and little Billy Jr can continue his Ivy League Education keep his upscale off campus apartment and continue to drive his 350Z. John “Q” public average citizen will receive a letter from their credit card company reducing the available credit and jacking up the interest rate to 30% regardless of an on time payment history. Many of you Obama haters have been “hoodwinked” and “bamboozled” You have so much hate and resentment for Obama, you would not know the truth if you tripped over it. You will reap what you sow! Believe that!
ctucker
February 3rd, 2010
4:03 pm
Kevin, the bill most likely to pass is the Senate version, a very centrist bill. And you’re naive if you think Dems would benefit from backing away from health care reform now. They own it, pass or fail.
ctucker
February 3rd, 2010
4:06 pm
How many votes from Democrats or Republicans would Obama get if he tried to raise the age for Medicare?
sam
February 3rd, 2010
4:08 pm
pass the mf’er and get it over with already….by the way, no dissertations please, i’m borderline ADD and you’re not that interesting
jhg
February 3rd, 2010
4:12 pm
don’t be obtuse BEBEKID-obama was in the senate for 2 years with a majority before he became president. he bears a lot of responsibility along with that liberal GW Bush
Vinny
February 3rd, 2010
4:22 pm
“They’re going to blamed for it anyway!”
And you call yourself a “journalist’? Do they actually pay you to write incoherent sentences, Cynthia?
joan
February 3rd, 2010
4:26 pm
41,000 Canadians come to the United States every year for healthcare to avoid their own collapsed system. Where will be people go for good healthcare if this healthcare mess passes. It feels like this healthcare bill is just a big spitball, all stuck together like so much garbage.
big steve
February 3rd, 2010
4:31 pm
Yo Tucker — how does it feel bailing water out of a sinking ship ??? After Obama gets bounced in 2012, we sure hope you take your “talents?” elsewhere….
Kevin
February 3rd, 2010
4:31 pm
Lay off, Vinny. This is a blog and, unless you have a different version of website than I do, I don’t see a grammar and spell check on this site. I’m OCD about grammar, and I make mistakes on here all the time.
Now, to the Cynthia’s article– The Senate bill won’t pass. Bits and pieces might, but that’s all. And, Cynthia, please don’t blame this on teabaggers and death panels. It’s actually pretty insulting when you do that (and you often do); it’s an affront to people who are paying attention, are analyzing the details and simply do not agree with what has been proposed.
ck hall
February 3rd, 2010
4:46 pm
I guess Obama hasn’t gotten the message of a NO health care bill? If not, he will in November!
ctucker
February 3rd, 2010
5:05 pm
Kevin, I certainly mean no disrespect to the people who know the details and simply do not agree. But countless polls have shown that the vast majority of Americans don’t now what’s in the bill but like its component parts once they are told what’s in it.
ctucker
February 3rd, 2010
5:06 pm
And, big steve, I hope you can take your comments to a blog you prefer to this one.
ctucker
February 3rd, 2010
5:07 pm
Joan, Poll after poll has shown that Canadians very much like their health care system. Same is true in Great Britain and every other country with universal health care.
ctucker
February 3rd, 2010
5:07 pm
Vinny, you’re right. Should have re-read it before I published.
RGB
February 3rd, 2010
5:14 pm
“…I promise you, the answer is not to do nothing.”
In short, this means Obama and the Democrat Congress should continue:
1. Massive spending until no one will buy our debt and we collapse.
2. Making us weaker, Mirandizing terrorists, apologizing for the U.S.
3. Bowing to kings, emperors–even mayors.
4. Destroying the free enterprise system
5. Berating people who work in the private sector.
6. Growing the unemployment numbers.
7. Growing government until EVERYONE is dependent on it.
8. Blaming previous administrations (since Obama acolytes readily swallow that excuse)
9. Appointing people who’ve never worked in the private sector so as to build a permanent government class or privileged individuals who make decisions for the “little people”
10. Engaging in class warfare; explain that for your family to improve its situation others (evil rich, corporations, business, Republicans, white majority, etc.) must decline. It’s a fixed pie.
Then, he’s got us.
ctucker
February 3rd, 2010
5:15 pm
Kevin, You might want to read this piece: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/mp_20100201_2350.php
RGB
February 3rd, 2010
5:17 pm
Canadians love their health care system? Explain this one:
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams will undergo heart surgery later this week in the United States.
Deputy premier Kathy Dunderdale confirmed the treatment at a news conference Tuesday, but would not reveal the location of the operation or how it would be paid for.
“He has gone to a renowned expert in the procedure that he needs to have done,” said Ms. Dunderdale, who will become acting premier while Mr. Williams is away for three to 12 weeks.
“In consultation with his own doctors, he’s decided to go that route.”
Mr. Williams’ decision to leave Canada for the surgery has raised eyebrows over his apparent shunning of Canada’s health-care system.
“It was never an option offered to him to have this procedure done in this province,” said Ms. Dunderdale, refusing to answer whether the procedure could be done elsewhere in Canada.
resno2
February 3rd, 2010
5:23 pm
I find it very frustrating that obama keeps talking… and talking… and talking…. and talking…. If he wan’t to accomplish something and continue his campaign for 2012 he needs to talk WITH the American people instead of down to…. SHUT UP AND LEAD!!!!!
Road Scholar
February 3rd, 2010
5:35 pm
Peadawg: OK I’ll stop blaming Bush, but it is history, you know, how we got to here! But can you explain why the Repubs did nothing to pass their health care manifesto during the past 30 years?
Joan: So why was the Canadian health care system rated higher than the US?
Healthcare cannot include prior conditions unless you have mandatory coverage; you wont get that…strike it.
Any sweetheart deal that favors a state…strike it. All must benefit equally.
Owl
February 3rd, 2010
5:37 pm
Cynthia- ever lived in Canada? Is their population 300 or 30 million? Your comparison is not very intelligent. Find another 300 million plus populated country that has this socialism successfully in place and I’ll stop laughing. And not Red China or the Soviets please.
Road Scholar
February 3rd, 2010
5:39 pm
I don’t know if this is PC but, while he is at it, have the people of NYC grow some….you know…They have always prided themselves of their bravado, but now the whining has become to loud. All their chest pumping has led to this? Heck if they need somewhere, hold it at Fort Mac; bring it on!
Phil
February 3rd, 2010
5:47 pm
Bottom Line: Americans do not trust big government solutions or what the Pols THINK it costs.
Bush lost his way with big govenment spending; Perscription Drugs, No Child Left Behind, Dept Homeland Defense, and Iraq (Afganastan has to be a pass, doesn’t it?).
Obamacare is just to big and to expensive with unkown assumptions and political experiments.
Oh, and we are a broke, poor, in debt, and trying to survive a terrible reccession.
Rafe Hollister
February 3rd, 2010
5:48 pm
Sin-thee, Americans REALLY do not want this healthcare bill, Americans know who is in charge of the Gov. When the bill is forced down our throats, we know who to blame and vote against. If the bill is mothballed, Americans have a short memory and will be onto something else in Nov. SO, will be a BIG mistake for Dems to proceed. Just watch.
I scoop ;~] Uleak :~o
February 3rd, 2010
6:09 pm
I can name that multi-alias guy in two comments. The same commenter is posting to himself under different aliases. You know that, right? Cynthia?
(Look, I’ll give this serious pundit a break). Uh, sir? Hello, sir, yes you! The one who has been fooling us blog-simples for weeks now. I mean, we’re all just naive morons who have been living in chatrooms for nearly twenty years now, yet we’re all completely fooled. We’ve never seen your kind before and we are in AWE! (camera to jaw dropping sequence of a variety of otherwise-sophisticated folks): Your syntax doesn’t give you away at all. Okay?
We want to give you a Grammy. Please accept it. But you must ID yourself or who should we award the award 2?
sam
February 3rd, 2010
6:33 pm
So what do you guys that are against this proposed health care bill want?
For insurance companies to continue denying coverage to people because they have preexisting conditions?… so they can continue to drop people when they get really sick, and price who ever they don’t want out of the market.
Should we keep on paying twice as much for healthcare than any other country in the world but rank pretty much at the bottom in overall heath, life expectancy, and infant mortality?
Rafe, I don’t think you speak for Americans, if you say we are against this health care bill…it might not be perfect but it’s a good start and I think it puts us on the right path.
Jess
February 3rd, 2010
6:40 pm
I watched the talk. I especially enjoyed it when he told the caucus how he reformed government spending last year saving taxpayers billions of dollars. If doubling spending and signing bills with over 9000 earmarks is reform, perhaps we need to slow down this reform bandwagon.
Jess
February 3rd, 2010
6:44 pm
Cynthia,
When you state the vast majority of Americans like the bill once they know whats in it, exactly what bill are you refering to. Since No bill really exists at this time, your entire statement about the subject is just fluff.
Steve
February 3rd, 2010
6:57 pm
Most Americans want Healthcare reform just like they would like (or wouldn’t mind) any institution they interact to evolve, change, reform, progress- choose your word. I want Starbucks to improve, so yes I want something dramatically more important to improve. I don’t want a Canadian system, a European system, an Asian system- I want non biased, intelligent individuals to get together without the influence of bribes and kickbacks to come up with a 3-??? year plan to quickly define the major problems and regulate toward change. Individuals who continue to blame Bush (or defend him) or think that Obama has the answers and your best interest are “in the same crowd”. I would assume you could save 1/2% by just stopping the reimbursement of viagra (simply extend the patent to Pfizer but force the cost down by not reimbursing) and other perhaps non essentials. If non profit healthcare must care for all, by all means force adults to carry insurance, etc etc.
samuel
February 3rd, 2010
7:16 pm
The reason Democrats may be in trouble this November is because, in a mid-term election year, not as many people vote as in a Presidential election year. In 1994, there was a massive turnout of angry white men who voted the Republicans into power in Congress, and the same may happen this year. But in 1996, a much broader mix of people voted in the Presidential election, and Bill Clinton was easily re-elected. I predict that if the economy improves by late 2011 or early 2012, Obama will be re-elected, and by then Health Care reform, if it’s passed, will be a non-issue.
Gordon
February 3rd, 2010
7:32 pm
Do Canadians like their health care? Here is a quote from a Canadian:
“Yes, canadians pay for their healthcare with very high taxes. I was born and lived in canada much of my life. I can honestly say that now that I live in the states, I have much better healthcare. There is no such thing as “free healthcare” you always pay it one way or another. Here is what happens in Canada. Not only do Canadians have Government run healthcare, but we also have private clinics and hospitals. The successful people in Canada still choose to go to the private doctors and clinics and pay. Or they even choose to come to the US and get even better healthcare. Now…this is important. The doctors in private hospitals and clinics are paid far better than the doctors in the Government run clinics. So what happens is that the best doctors work privately. The Goverment run clinics and hospitals get the flunkie doctors. So what you have is even more separation between the rich and the poor when it comes to the quality of healthcare.
Any person who tells you that Canadian healthcare is better than the USAs healthcare quite simply hasnt had both like me. “
resno2
February 3rd, 2010
7:34 pm
Samuel if your prediction holds true, I then predict that we will be so indebted to the Chinese that we will no longer be able to afford our Military defenses and Mr. obama will need to bow to his Muslim brethren for help.
ken
February 3rd, 2010
7:43 pm
Obama stated today that he should have been more transparent on the health care bill, no $%#&.
The Dems know that if they pass this bill they are all done in November and rightly so.
2,000 pages and no one is sure what is in it yet!
Obama, Emanual, Holder and Pelosi are the worst leaders that I have ever seen in my 66 years on this Earth.
Pelosi spent over $30,000 of taxpayers money last year on flowers she calims a lot of it was for politicans funerals. Well guess what, when my friends die I take the money out of my wallet, I don’t have the luxury of reaching into someone elses wallet for it.
She is rich and yet to cheap to pay for flowers for her supposed friends, what an elitist, I almost puke everytime I see her on TV.
Presbo da Clown
February 3rd, 2010
7:51 pm
rah rah ree, kicks sum inz da knee…ra ra ras…well goes get me sums likker…
Gordon
February 3rd, 2010
7:56 pm
Sam at 6:33,
Why not pass a law that says an insurance company can’t drop (or raise premiums more than 10%) on people based on their claim history? And exactly how can you have insurance when you allow people with pre-existing conditions in? Can we do the same with auto insurance? Why should I be denied auto insurance just because my car has a pre-existing condition of being wrecked? And so you realize we can’t afford the government insurance we already have?
To answer your question, I want common-sense reform that curbs the excesses of the insurance companies without getting the government involved beyond the role of regulating. Something that increases competition among insurance companies. I’m shopping for auto insurance now, and getting some good quotes because there is a lot of different options.
This is what I think
February 3rd, 2010
8:24 pm
Do you know why insurance companies deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions! Because these people walk around without ANY insurance because they CHOSE not to have it … WHY you ask? Because they don’t want to pay the premiums. And then one day they wake up and they have some terrible health problem and they want to pick up coverage (they’ve just spent forever not having insurance) . . and that is why the insurance companies have pre-existing condition limitations. Tell me why people who faithfully pay their premiums regardless of their health should have to pick up these people’s costs which is factored into their premiums. These people who don’t have coverage would drop in and out of insurance (depending on their needs) just to not have to pay premiums when they are healthy and only pay when they are in need. We don’t allow people to pick up auto coverage when they have an accident (expecting the insurance company to cover the accident) so why all the hype about pre-existing. I get it . . .why don’t you people who want all pre-existing conditions to be covered not get it. Any how the feds have mandated “creditable coverage” which allows people transferring from one insurance coverage to waive pre-existing limitation period.
Finn McCool
February 3rd, 2010
8:40 pm
This is what i think,
When you are choosing between food for your kids or insurance, food is always the best choice. You don’t need healthcare if you’ve starved to death.
What’s the minimum wage? You ever try to live on that, much less pay the high premiums for health care insurance? Please. You need to meet some people outside your country club circle.
QueDawg
February 3rd, 2010
10:25 pm
This is what I think———– YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG! I make well over 6 figures, self employed, former professional athlete, exercise regularly and I was declined health insurance by two companies due to having irregularities with blood pressure! (which is as I was told by my doctor to thank my father because it was hereditary) They both told me to monitor it and reapply in 6 months. What should I do? I bet you work for a company that is taking it on the chin just to keep your family insured. What am I to do about mine?
JD
February 3rd, 2010
10:39 pm
Ramming thru a fatally flawed bill that does not address the real problems with health insurance will seal the fate for the democrats for several elections to come and will certainly seal the fate for Obama in 2012. I agree Obama inherited a mess but at some point he has to take responsibility at least partially for what is going on now and what is a little frightening is if he doesn’t start governing from the middle as opposed to governing from the far left fringe we are going to be stuck with a far right fringe president in 2012. Just think Obama’s ineptitude could usher in a Palin. So far for me Obama has broken the holy grail of his promises, the one that actually made me an Obama fan….transparency. Where was CSPAN when the unions were getting the breaks on the tax on health plans or when Nelson got the sweetheart deal up in Nebraska?
TnGelding
February 3rd, 2010
11:39 pm
It depends on what they finally pass, if anything. I thnk it can be improved to the point quite a few independent Republicans will vote for it. I’d like to see less talk and more hours with his sleeves rolled up in the Oval Office like Bill Clinton.
chuck allison
February 3rd, 2010
11:43 pm
Do you have a shrine in your home where you burn incense to Obama?