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The Spectacle Blog
The White House has seized on a comment Jim DeMint made on a conference call last week, which I reported at the time: “If we are able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.” I think that sort of talk is unhelpful for Republicans, because killing Democratic health care legislation isn't about damaging Obama politically, it's about preventing the government takeover of one-sixth of our economy, stopping job-killing tax increases on individuals and small businesses, unsustainable deficits, and the deterioration of the quality of health care in the U.S. It's about blocking Democrats efforts now so that hopefully one day there will be an opening to pass true health care reform. When Obama is floundering on his own, there's no reason for DeMint to throw him a life raft. Whenever Obama gets into political trouble, he responds by misdirection. During the campaign, he'd point fingers at Bush and McCain, and now it's Republicans who stand in the way of change.
“This is all about politics,” Obama said of the DeMint comment. “That describes exactly an attitude that we’ve got to overcome, because what folks have in their minds is that, somehow, this is about me."
Of course, this is silly, because Democrats have overwhelming majorities in both chambers of Congress. If they want to pass something, they can do it without a single Republican vote. To block health care legislation, at least 40 House Democrats would have to cross over to oppose it (even assuming uniform GOP opposition), or at least one Senate Democrat would have to support a Republican filibuster. Obama's health care push is hitting a rough patch because moderates in his own party are skittish about the price tag and tax increases. The Congressional Budget Office determined that none of the Democratic bills do anything to rein in costs -- the primary rationale for his health care drive. And the Mayo Clinic, which Obama has routinely praised as a model for the health care system, has blasted the House legislation. Yet Obama wants to rush legislation through so he has a victory going into an election year.
In fact, as CNN reported, "The Senate Democratic leadership and the White House are putting heavy pressure on the Finance Committee to adopt its health care plan before the president speaks to the nation (on Wednesday)." So in other words, Obama is trying to pressure the Finance Committee not to write the best legislation its members can, not to reach a bipartisan compromise, but to pass whatever bill they can before he goes in front of the television cameras to give a prime-time news conference.
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More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/07/21/really-whos-politicizing-healt
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Kate| 7.21.09 @ 11:06AM
Demint's comment was fine and he put Obama in his place yesterday with his speech on the Senate floor. I'm so sick of Repubs who don't want our politicians to fight back.
Kenneth Murphy| 7.21.09 @ 11:47AM
I just hope they can do this health care reform with imposing on American's choices and liberties. On page 16 of the 1002 page monstrosity there is a provision that would make individual private medical insurance illegal. Hopefully that provision and others like it won't see the light of day. But if Obama has his way and this thing is pushed though legislation as fast as he wants it, we are all in serious trouble.
Patriot| 7.21.09 @ 11:58AM
Klein's a squish--of course this is about damaging Obama politically. Obama's a Marxist and I want to destroy him politically. I detest what he's trying to do to our country.
Tish| 7.21.09 @ 2:35PM
Obama's rush is less about having a victory going into an election than in getting another sixth of the economy under his control. If he gets near 50%, he can use the myriad flocks of regulators to gather enough for permanent and total control.
jacksmith| 7.21.09 @ 8:47PM
AMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
It’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats the Tri-Caucus and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust government-run public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and request that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
If President Obama has to declare a NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY to rescue the American people from our healthcare crisis, he will need all the sustained support you can give him. STICK WITH HIM! He’s doing a brilliant job.
THIS IS THE BIG ONE!
THE BATTLE OF GOOD Vs EVIL!
Join the fight.
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ian-welsh/americans-lives-vs-insura_b_241703.html)
Patriot| 7.22.09 @ 3:13AM
Yeah, the great Obummer is doing a bang-up job--like his 11+% unemployment numbers that were supposed to stay under 8%.
Thanks, liberal fascist moron--but no thanks. Go back to your ACORN cave.
Patriot| 7.22.09 @ 3:16AM
Damned commies--try it! Obama hasn't consolidated enough power yet; you'll never pull it off. I double dog dare you, b@stards.