Axelrod on Capitol Demonstrators: 'Wrong' on Health Care

Sept. 14, 2009— -- President Obama's Wednesday night speech to the joint session of Congress -- and Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst during the speech -- galvanized Democrats' resolve to achieve health care reform this year, and helped recapture momentum for the president after a summer of beleaguered debate, administration officials said Sunday.

Against a backdrop of tens of thousands of Americans marching on Washington to oppose health care reform, the White House dismissed the president's critics, reinforced his message while offering few specifics, and continued to back away from insistence on the public option.

White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod had strong words for Americans who demonstrated at the Capitol in opposition of the president's health care reform plans.

"My message to them is, they're wrong," Axelrod said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

"I don't believe that some of the angriest, most strident voices we saw during the summer were representative of the thousands of town hall meetings that went on around the country that came off peacefully, that were constructive, people voicing their points of view," Axelrod said.

Nevertheless, Axelrod and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs addressed a major concern Americans are anxious about -- the cost of health care reform. The president declared Wednesday during his speech, "I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits -- either now or in the future. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"He is absolutely committed that he will... he will not sign a bill unless he can say to the American people honestly that this bill will not add to our deficit," Axelrod said.

However, the White House offered few specifics.