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Obama Advises Democrats to Focus on "Core Elements" of Health Care Bill

By Philip Klein on 1.20.10 @ 2:43PM

President Obama, in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, said that the Senate shouldn't delay Scott Brown's seating as part of an effort to "jam" the health care bill through without him. But he also floated the idea of a scaled-back effort that would focus on the "core elements" that both parties could agree on.

Asked for his take on the health care process going forward, Obama said:

"I would advise that we try to move quickly to coalesce around those elements of the package that people agree on," he said.

The president said there are "core elements" to the health care legislation that both Republican and Democrats agree on and they must come together to work for comprehensive reform.

"We know that we need insurance reform, that the health insurance companies are taking advantage of people. We know that we have to have some form of cost containment because if we don't, then our budgets are going to blow up," he said. "And we know that small businesses are going to need help so that they can provide health insurance for their families. Those are the core, some of the core elements of this bill."

This doesn't exactly sound like a combative new Obama who is going to lead the charge to pass a health care bill by using the nuclear option of the reconciliation process. The problem Obama faces, however, is that it may be too late for him to pass even a watered-down reform package. Last year, when he was at the peak of his power and many believed a health care bill to be inevitable, he may have been able to box Republicans into a corner by taking a modest approach. Instead, he overinterpreted his mandate, and decided to swing for the fences with a costly proposal that would have the federal government's hands on every aspect of the health care system. Now, we're into late January in an election year. Going back to negotiations with Republicans now (which Harry Reid recently declared was a "waste of time"), at a time when Democrats have a weaker hand to play, would only drag on the process for several more months. And I don't see how anybody would have the appetite for that.

View all comments (15) | Leave a comment

Tim Williams| 1.20.10 @ 3:28PM

Sounds like Obama is advocating a brand new approach that, rhetorically at least, is what he always said he was going to do: find that broad middle ground on which "we all can agree."

He still has a problem recognizing where that ground is.

"We know that ... the health insurance companies are taking advantage of people."

I don't know that. And starting with the premise that "we all know" the evil insurance companies must be crushed doesn't sound terribly conciliatory to me.

Franklin| 1.20.10 @ 8:56PM

"starting with the premise that "we all know" the evil insurance companies must be crushed "

Obama is going after the wrong bad guys.

I used to work for an insurance company (4 years) and then for 2 providers, doctor and hospital (17 years combined) and I can tell you that the WORST costly offender is the Government requirements in the billing process.

I was billing manager for 400 bed hospital and we had 12 full time billers plus two managers. Then we had 5 people to interpret the insurance payments to make sure they were correct.

I am not saying we should go back to using chickens and potatoes to pay our medical bills, but kicking the government out of medical billing would help tremendously.

tj| 1.20.10 @ 3:29PM

Still VOTE EM ALL OUT! Corruptocrats

Pete| 1.20.10 @ 3:47PM

"rhetorically at least" is the key phrase. It is all rhetoric, or more accurately, lies. That sack of feces hasn't changed his radical goals one bit, he'll just adjust what he says on TV.

John| 1.20.10 @ 4:01PM

What are the core elements of the health care bill? Does that mean we can forget all the "details"? such as abortion funding, extreme weakening of medicare for the elderly, mandatory "end-of-life" discussions, mandatory procurement of health insurance for those who do not want it, violation of health care workers' consciences and religious beliefs? I was also told that the Senate Health Bill would empower the government to access our bank accounts to pay for premiums?!!! Is this true. Who on earth would want this piece of legislation?

Flee| 1.20.10 @ 4:04PM

Obama still doesn't get it. We don't all agree with his concept of givens. Insurance companies are not evil they perform a necessary service and stand to make profits. They are not at the beckon call of the government. When will he learn that forcing citizens to purchase insurance of any kind is not a popular idea? When will he see that this election was a direct rebuttal to his main policy goal? When will he make the call to Pelosi to tell her to chill out a bit and reign in her inflammatory stance? My guess is he will never learn or get that his "mandate" was no such thing and that the majority of the country does not want government to tell us what to do with our lives. The majority would prefer to make their own decisions and let the chips fall where they may.

JP| 1.20.10 @ 4:14PM

This is pure spin. For one thing, President Obama, Senator Reid, and Nancy Pelosi destroyed any sense of bi-partisanship or goodwill that may have lingered after the President's inaugeration. The President's now famous "I won" speech to GOP leaders last year is now coming back to roost. On a more practical level, there is no way one can just "pick and choose" those elements of the current bills that both parties can "agree on". Reid and Pelosi made so many backroom deals, bribes, promises, and out right payouts to so many constituients that at this late in the game cannot easily be undone. Lobbyists representing the major insurance firms, hospitals, unions, the AARP, AMA, etc... have invested millions in getting preferential treatment, subsidies and tax abatements that to now say, "All bets are off, we begin again", is akin to asking Peyton Manning to throw a game. This is not the way the Beltway runs. The President and Rahm Emmanual made a concerted effort to play the inside game and get all the special interests onboard. I can just imagine what is going on inside the boardrooms at United Health and Blue Cross today. They are heavily invested in Obama Care. They are not in any mood or position to "begin again".

No, this bill is dead. Period. And I seriously doubt that any Blue Dog Senators, or vulnerable House members wish to begin re-negotiations with the despised GOP during the heart of an election season. They now know full well what the mood of the electorate is. The Congressional Dems would rather declare defeat and attempt to put this entire mess behind them in the hopes the voter's mood might calm down. The President's political capital is now spent to such a degree that I seriously doubt if Mitch McConnel or John Boehner wish to do him or his party any favors.

But the President cannot admit or accept defeat. His base would go ballistic, and whatever influence he had with Wall St, the insurance industry, etc... would go down the tubes. In the Beltway, money is influence. And the DNC may find out just how quickly campagin funding could begin to dry up.

Siegfried X| 1.20.10 @ 4:20PM

"No, this bill is dead. Period."

Agreed. The one way the Democrats could have this health care bill would be for the House to pass the Senate bill. (And there is a serious argument that wouldn't even work because it would be an unconstitutional revenue bill which didn't start in the House.)

It is very rare for major legislation to PASS late into a congress, let alone be NEGOTIATED from square one. And on an issue this radioactive.

Harry Reid killed his chances of getting Olivia Snowe as the 60th vote by accusing her of negotiating in bad faith.

Obama care is dead, dead, dead. Which is amazing considering that a week ago passage seemed certain.

Richard Baker| 1.20.10 @ 4:44PM

The "Core" is rotten. Throw it out and fix what really needs fixing without destroying the best healthcare system on the planet. Incremental changes and not your "ideas."

Oldefarte| 1.20.10 @ 4:53PM

Either he's using his LEGALESE to attempt confusion [or he's so stupid that he doesn't have a clue]. Either way, hopefully a light will go off for him in 2012!!!!

Margie| 1.20.10 @ 5:01PM

Obama is a laughable loser. He should be focusing on his own core. The one that causes him to lose constantly. But then again, why would we want him to do that?

SpeakEasy| 1.20.10 @ 5:40PM

As I said way before the Scott Brown possibility arose, the Republicans should have a health INSURANCE reform bill ready to go- Just imagine if they held a press conference right now with a simple bill to reform insurance practices. It's called stealing someone's thunder and it would give the republican party a plank for the 2010 platform. But you have to be able to think ahead for this. Too bad.

gus| 1.20.10 @ 6:10PM

"We all know" that Opie is clueless how Insurance Companies operate or whom they answer to. Obama is a Mama's boy and a Marxist.
Obama CANNOT speak without lying. Lying is the only way he can convince people.