The Note: Waterloos & Welcomes: Is Opposition Just What Obama Needs?
Email By RICK KLEIN Whatever we think we’ve learned these past six months, we’ve got to be prepared to forget these next three weeks. And the Obama White House wants those memories to be good ones. As committees hash out health care, as Democrats fight Democrats and Republicans find a way to fight themselves, it’s just possible that President Obama has just what he’s always wanted: real opposition. Yes, it’s late, and yes, opponents growing organized seldom marks a welcome development. But a political operation that’s long been compared to itself now has something to position against (something that isn’t fully made out of straw, at least). Political energy is much easier to channel when it’s got someplace to go. At this point, the White House wants and needs the big stakes (and the “Waterloo” quotes), as it seeks to engage the public during a lazy summer. It’s time to get more aggressive. (This time, we presume, he means it.) Bring it: “President Barack Obama and his aides for the first time are directly targeting the GOP and specific Republicans, characterizing them as spoilers hoping to delay and sink the legislation for their own political gain,” Roll Call’s Keith Koffler and David M. Drucker report. “Top Obama aides have privately calculated that highlighting what they say is the nakedly political motivation behind the Republican Party’s assault on Obama’s health care plans will cause public sentiment to ricochet against the GOP.” “Leaving little doubt that his popularity and political capital are on the line, Obama has scheduled a stream of public appearances this week to push his top domestic priority — including television interviews, a town hall meeting and a prime-time news conference set for Wednesday night,” the Los Angeles Times’ Christi Parsons and Noam N. Levey report. “The White House was pushing forward with a strategy developed on the campaign trail last year and honed in the early legislative battles over the federal stimulus package and global warming: Obama will take his case directly to the American people.” A threat, if things don’t look like they’ll be done by October: “If I think that is not possible, then we are going to look at all of our options, including reconciliation. Not because that is my preferred option but because what I think would be unacceptable for the American people is inaction,” the president told progressive bloggers, per The Huffington Post’s Sam Stein. “We’ve talked this problem to death, year after year,” the president said Monday, per ABC’s Jake Tapper. “This isn’t about me. This isn’t about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking American families.” “If there’s no deadlines, nothing gets done in this town,” the president said PBS’ Jim Lehrer. If it’s a weekday, that must mean presidential remarks on health care reform: This time they’ll come at 1:05 pm ET, followed by a White House meeting with Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee — the private piece of a week of public and private pushes. “If there was ever a come to Jesus moment on health care for wobbly Democrats, this may be it,” Politico’s Martin Kady II writes. He can’t just call out Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and call it a day: “The problem: It’s not just Republicans asking to slow the process down,” Newsweek’s Holly Bailey writes. “Plenty of key Democrats have suggested the process is moving too quickly, including Sen. Ben Nelson, who met with Obama last week at the White House, and Blue Dogs in the House who are concerned about the plan’s cost. So what will that do to the president’s message? Is Obama willing to publicly call out members of his own party in order to get the bill through Congress quickly?” Why this is a race against the clock: “The public’s confidence in President Obama’s ability to handle the economy is eroding amid concern about higher federal spending and expanding government power, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds — a development that could complicate his efforts to push a health care plan through Congress in the next few weeks,” USA Today’s Susan Page writes. “In the survey, taken Friday through Sunday, Americans by 49%-47% disapprove of his handling of the economy, and by 44%-50% disapprove of his handling of health care.” His approval rating is down to 55 percent: “That puts Obama 10th among the 12 post-World War II presidents at this point in their tenures. When he took office, he ranked 7th,” Page writes. “Trust in President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies to identify the right solutions to problems facing the country has dropped off significantly since March, according to a new Public Strategies Inc./POLITICO poll,” per Politico’s Andy Barr. “Just as Obama intensifies his efforts to fulfill a campaign promise and reach an agreement with Congress on health care reform, the number of Americans who say they trust the president has fallen from 66 percent to 54 percent. At the same time, the percentage of those who say they do not trust the president has jumped from 31 to 42.” “This is the time of testing,” Bill Galston, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton, tells Bloomberg’s Nicholas Johnston and Kate Andersen Brower. Why the White House is still working Democrats — with the House just two weeks away from summer recess: “Unless you’re a veteran from a rock-solid liberal district, it’s a bit scary these days to be a Democrat in Congress. There’s political risk in delivering the sweeping changes President Obama promised on health and energy policy, but there’s also political risk in failing to deliver them,” Jill Lawrence writes for Politics Daily. Also Tuesday — business engages: “U.S. Chamber of Commerce to announce a multi-million dollar advertising, media, and grassroots campaign to promote health care reform that protects employer-sponsored health care today during a press conference call at 2:00 p.m. The campaign will include newspaper and online ads in the beltway beginning today.” Holding the Mayo . . . The Mayo Clinic’s reaction to the House Democrats’ bill, per ABC’s Jake Tapper: “Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite.” Ready for the assault: “Emboldened by divided Democrats and polls that show rising public anxiety about President Obama’s handling of health care and the economy, Republicans on Monday launched an aggressive effort to link the two, comparing the health-care bills moving through Congress to what they labeled as a failed economic stimulus bill,” Perry Bacon Jr. and Michael A. Fletcher report in The Washington Post. “And the news Monday that the Obama administration would delay release of a congressionally mandated report on the nation’s economic conditions only stoked the rhetoric, spawning GOP speculation that the White House is trying to avoid bad news amid the health-care debate.” “It’s time to put this experiment on the shelf,” said RNC Chairman Michael Steele, per ABC’s Elizabeth Gorman. Dana Milbank hears Alex Castellanos’ work in Steele’s words: “Led by Steele, the Republicans are making no secret of their aims: kill health reform this year, leaving the millions of uninsured to wait for another day and another proposal. And one way to do that is to make it appear that the Democrats are heedlessly hurrying,” Milbank writes in his “Washington Sketch” column. Sausage check: “Democratic Congressional leaders, bowing to unease among lawmakers and governors in their own party, on Monday suggested scaling back a plan to tax top earners to pay for the sweeping legislation and signaled a retreat from their ambitious timetable,” David M. Herszenhorn and Robert Pear write in The New York Times. “Democrats are considering scaling back proposed taxes on the rich, reconsidering taxing employer health benefits, and possibly trimming the total cost of the package to make subsidies for the uninsured less generous than advocates have sought,” The Wall Street Journal’s Greg Hitt and Laura Meckler report. “Meanwhile, Mr. Obama is stepping up pressure on lawmakers. He has made a personal, public pitch for the legislation on seven of the last eight days.” Are taxing health benefits off the table? “Not for me,” said House Budget Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., per ABC’s Z. Byron Wolf. Can the president wrest health care back from his own party? “Every cliché Ann Coulter throws at the Democrats is gloriously fulfilled by the Democratic health care bills. The bills do almost nothing to control health care inflation. They are modeled on the Massachusetts health reform law that is currently coming apart at the seams precisely because it doesn’t control costs,” David Brooks writes in his New York Times column. “Nancy Pelosi has lower approval ratings than Dick Cheney and far lower approval ratings than Sarah Palin. And yet Democrats have allowed her policy values to carry the day — this in an era in which independents dominate the electoral landscape.” Then again — why even be concerned? “Obama hasn’t even showed his hand yet,” writes Ezra Klein, in his Washington Post blog. “He hasn’t stepped into the process aggressively or given a big speech. He hasn’t activated his grassroots network or begun making threats on Capitol Hill. He hasn’t pushed.” “I’m not about to go out on a limb with some sort of prediction that health care is going to pass this year,” Nate Silver writes at FiveThirtyEight.com. “It could very easily fail. But it’s not going to fail without the White House fighting like mad for it, and with most or all of its options being exhausted. . . . there are still a lot of news cycles ahead before ObamaCare can be put to rest.” Dana Perino’s advice: “It strikes me that he should consider asking the State Department to make him a new button — one that would allow him to hit pause. Then he could regroup and encourage a bipartisan healthcare reform bill that could perhaps go somewhere besides the potential for it to go down in flames,” Perino writes for FoxNews.com. “My advice is to stop pounding…we’re all getting headaches. Pull back and either square the circle or circle the square before trying again.” Pulling back — in other areas: “While President Obama has been pushing Congress to meet his deadline of August recess to pass health care reform legislation two of his task forces in charge of reviewing the administration’s policies in the war on terror — the Special Task Force on Interrogation and Transfer Policies and the Detention Policy Task Force — will not meet the Tuesday, July 21, deadline issued by the President last January, and have asked for and been granted two month and six month extensions, respectively,” ABC’s Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report. “Obama administration officials said Monday they would not meet self-imposed deadlines for deciding what to do with scores of detainees too dangerous to release from the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,” the Los Angeles Times’ Greg Miller and David G. Savage report. “The delays, involving those who cannot be tried, raise questions about whether the White House can close the prison by January, as President Obama pledged when he took office.” Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke outlines the Fed’s “exit strategy,” in a Wall Street Journal op-ed: “Overall, the Federal Reserve has many effective tools to tighten monetary policy when the economic outlook requires us to do so. As my colleagues and I have stated, however, economic conditions are not likely to warrant tighter monetary policy for an extended period. We will calibrate the timing and pace of any future tightening, together with the mix of tools to best foster our dual objectives of maximum employment and price stability.” What he’s up against: “As Mr. Bernanke heads to Capitol Hill today for two days of testimony on the economy, the central bank is fending off attacks on many fronts from critics who want to rein in its power and autonomy,” Jon Hilsenrath and Sudeep Reddy report in The Wall Street Journal. What might it cost to fix the nation’s financial system? “The total potential federal government support could reach up to $23.7 trillion,” says Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, in a new report obtained Monday by ABC’s Matthew Jaffe, on the government’s efforts to fix the financial system. This is going to get ugly: Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was locked out of his own house — and ended up in handcuffs on his own porch: “The scene – two black men on the porch of a stately home on a tree-lined Cambridge street in the middle of the day – triggered events that were at turns dramatic and bizarre, a confrontation between one of the nation’s foremost African-American scholars and a police sergeant responding to a call that someone was breaking into the house,” The Boston Globe’s Tracy Jan reports. “It ended when Gates, 58, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct in allegedly shouting at the officer; he was eventually taken away in handcuffs. But the encounter is anything but over. Some of Gates’s outraged colleagues said the run-in proves that even in a liberal enclave like Harvard Square, even with someone of Gates’s accomplishments, a black man is a suspect before he is a resident.” Looks like California will have a budget after all: “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders reached a tentative budget compromise Monday to plug a $26.3 billion deficit by making hefty cuts in education, health and welfare services, and taking billions of dollars from county governments,” Matthew Yi reports for the San Francisco Chronicle. Another entrant in the GOP gubernatorial race in Michigan: “Businessman Rick Snyder is expected on Tuesday to jump into the race to become Michigan’s next governor and join a crowded field of Republicans looking to take the state’s top elected post next year,” per the AP. “Snyder, an Ann Arbor venture capitalist and former president of computer maker Gateway Inc., has media events scheduled for Dearborn, Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids.”
The Kicker: “Yes. Next question.” — RNC Chairman Michael Steele, asked if President Obama’s health care plan represented “socialism.”
“The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings and inefficiencies to our health care system.” — President Obama, earning himself a “[sic]” in the official White House transcript.
Today on the “Top Line” political Webcast, live at noon ET: Linda Douglass, communications director for the White House Office of Health Reform; and Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. Follow The Note on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thenote For up-to-the-minute political updates check out The Note’s blog . . . all day every day:
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Santorum: Money Will Not Defeat Obama, Ideas Will 
Rick Santorum's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
Obama’s downfall is the fact that his programs make no sense. Stimulus didn’t work, cap and tax is just silly, now health care is being showed to be the fraud that it is. His downfall is all of these wacko ideas that are failures.
Posted by: brian | July 21, 2009, 8:19 am 8:19 am
Obama = 6 months
Republicants = 8 years
I’m taking a strong stand with America & Obama
Posted by: healthcarenow | July 21, 2009, 8:27 am 8:27 am
How come President Obama blames the Repulican’s for his failure to pass the health legislation. There are not enough of them in office now to stop anything. The Democrat’s even have a super majority in the Senate. They could pass a law right now, giving a ham sandwich the authority to get free health coverage.
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 8:34 am 8:34 am
YOU KNOW I WAS WILLING TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT A CHANCE BUT GOING AFTER THE REPUBLICANS FOR HEALTH CARE IS THE MOST STUPID MORONIC THING I HAVE EVER SEEN HE REALLY MUST THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE REALLY STUPID THINK AGAIN MR.PRESIDENT THINK AGAIN NOW EVERYONE IS GOING TO SEE WHAT YOU REALLY ARE NOTHING BUT HOT AIR.WHEN YOU TALK I DONT HEAR ANYTHING COMING OUT EXCEPT THEY WONT AGREE WITH ME BOO HOO WHAT A WHINER GOD ID LOVE TO BE A FLY ON THE WALL IN THE WHITE HOUSE I CAN SEE IT NOW THEY WONT PLAY WITH ME IF THEY DONT IM GOING TO CRY.
Posted by: natale from mass. | July 21, 2009, 8:36 am 8:36 am
Looks like President Obama’s “Coolness” factor is wearing out very quickly. When is he going to learn, this is not Chicago and ACORN and his bloggers buddies can not BS any more… Wake up America, before it’s to late.
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 8:37 am 8:37 am
President Obama is going after Republican’s now? I did not think there were anymore in Washington. (They all got thrown out in the last election). Quick Nanci or Harry, Go find one, so we can blame our failures on him. (The Republican)
Posted by: smearjay | July 21, 2009, 8:39 am 8:39 am
hooo hooo
Posted by: ps | July 21, 2009, 8:42 am 8:42 am
I am sure President Obama and all members of both houses, cannot wait to get this Socialist health coverage passed. (I especially bet Ted Kennedy cannot wait. Cause this is going to be a lot better coverage than he is currently getting under his private coverage…)I am correct am I not. They (President and Congress) are going to be covered under this plan? Who wants to bet against me, that they will continue to have their own seperate coverage, sort of like their own retirement plan.
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 8:44 am 8:44 am
It is hard to believe that some people still support him. At least the independents and moderate dems are starting to see him for who he really is.
Posted by: billy bob | July 21, 2009, 8:45 am 8:45 am
Democrats now have a super majority in Congress and a leftist Democrat lives in the White House. They are in total control. It’s all them, good, bad or ugly. They get all the credit and all of the blame. There is no way to logically blame anyone else for anything that happens in our federal government.
I said logically. Democrats and their news media will find a way to do it and most Americans are evidently dumb enough to buy it.
Posted by: Oonogil | July 21, 2009, 8:47 am 8:47 am
Quick, Someone, go and throw a brick through President Bush’s window. We need to get his face and name in the news quick, so we can distract the MSM and the public, while Obama and Democrat’s ram this health bill through the house and senate (under the darkness of night…..)
Posted by: smearjay@yahoo.com | July 21, 2009, 8:47 am 8:47 am
I will be glad when President Bush leaves office. This country is going to pot. Does anyone know when Obama will take over?
Posted by: loverboy@yahoo.com | July 21, 2009, 8:49 am 8:49 am
Mike Jones
It’s already too late. Nothing to do now but wait for the hammer and sickle.
Posted by: Oonogil | July 21, 2009, 8:50 am 8:50 am
Another 1,000 pages of socialist BS!
Posted by: michigander_sandusky | July 21, 2009, 8:51 am 8:51 am
Obama never mentions the causes of high health care costs. He avoids the subject because he doesn’t want you to know it is government program fraud and lack of tort reform. He refuses to address either. MEDICARE and MEDICAID are bankrupt and cost 7 tiles more than projected. The government is the problem. This is about creating another entitlement program to control votes. Obama is about power, nothing else.
Posted by: brian | July 21, 2009, 8:54 am 8:54 am
I am going to move to Honduras. At least down there, they respect their Constitution… Does anyone want to go with me? No, I think I will wait. I am enjoying the watching the Libs squirm. (And peal off their Obama 08 stickers off their cars)
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 8:54 am 8:54 am
President: Obama. Democrat
Congress: Pelosi. Democrat (Majority)
Senate: Reid. Democrat. (Super Majority)
Who does Obama, Pelosi and Reid (and every other liberal blame when they fail at leading this country?
Answer: Republicans,,, Priceless……
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 8:58 am 8:58 am
Has anyone else noticed besides me. That the same people who worked Obama’s grassroot campaign, you know, knocked on doors, made phone calls, handed out leaflets, the ones that completely supported President Obama etc…..Are the very same ones that are standing in lines at Soup Kitchens, undemployment offices and sleeping in homeless shelters (Or in the woods)….
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 9:02 am 9:02 am
It was inevitable there would be struggles and attacks. Too many people are making billions on things (like the health care system) just as they are.
It is a given there will be ups and down in poll numbers, but the basic issue is the same. Over the last eight years of the GOP, who got rich and who got unemployed? Do you expect the GOP has changed their allegiance to the rich CEOs and exploitative corporations? I doubt it.
Posted by: JAB | July 21, 2009, 9:02 am 9:02 am
The manchurian candidate is in the white house we are all in trouble.
Posted by: Jane | July 21, 2009, 9:04 am 9:04 am
JAB. There are more rich Democrat’s in the House and Senate, than there are rich Republicans…
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 9:04 am 9:04 am
With any luck “opposition” will stop the march of his socialist/communist agendas. This poor sick Republic is completely and irrevocably divided and fragmented and is moving toward its own destruction.
Posted by: rplat | July 21, 2009, 9:04 am 9:04 am
Since when does a professional journalist, without cover of an editorial, get to make the ridiculous and unsupported claim that opposition to a presidential initiative will actually help it?? Rick Klein’s story is a perfect example of the loss of journalistic professionalism. What’s worse, this drivel is the headline story on the ABC News website!
Posted by: walter | July 21, 2009, 9:09 am 9:09 am
Obama is doing a great job. Give him a few more years to fix everything… (Does anyone on this forum know how to can vegetables or dig a bomb shelter?)
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 9:13 am 9:13 am
He won’t release the budget update that is due. He won’t explain why the umemployment numbers have well exceeded his target. He won’t explain why the legislation specifically exempts him, and members of Congress. He won’t settle this silly question of his birth origins. He won’t, he won’t, he won’t… Yet, he wants, he wants, he wants only his policies in place with no debate, no discussions, and to do as fast as the speed of light. That way, no one, and I mean no one has time to see the fine print. By the time we realize it, we will be so deep in the poor house. How sad for this nation that we have such a cretin in office.
Posted by: Gina | July 21, 2009, 9:15 am 9:15 am
JAB
Multi-million dollar bonuses at taxpayer expense and you still believe that Democrats don’t work for those rich CEOs?
Posted by: Oonogil | July 21, 2009, 9:15 am 9:15 am
Democrat’s “So wanted to be in charge of this country”.. Obama’s own words “Hey, I won, deal with it”… He’s right, we are dealing with it….And gonna be dealing with it for a few more years… Hope you have canned food on your shelf, enough cash to cover your mortage, and enough firewood in your wood shed to heat your house… It’s gonna be a long, cold winter…..
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 9:21 am 9:21 am
Opposition all right! Does anyone know anything about what Obama is doing? Perfect example is his Health Care. Does anyone know what this entails? How do you push this down the throats of the public without saying anything? Anything I hear about it scares me to death. It will be the absolute destruction of health care. I will feel better about it when he and Congress get the same health care system as the public he is pushing this upon. That will never happen. Why isn’t the public screaming? Last thing I heard he is going to mandate this on the states and let the states pay for it. Hello! The states are all in the red also. He just does not have a clue! Socialism does not work! Why should I work if he doesn’t and we both get the same compensation and benefits. So then who has any incentive to do anything?
Posted by: Retired | July 21, 2009, 9:23 am 9:23 am
Finally a president with guts to stand up to everyone. Our healthcare is in shambles. There is so much greed and fraud. The best in the world? Yes IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT! And how many people get seriously ill and are denied treatment by their ins. companies? You hear about it every day. Or if you have a prior condition they will not insure you. Every president has promised healthcare reform and Pres. Obama is the first to actually do something about it.
Posted by: Barb | July 21, 2009, 9:23 am 9:23 am
He he he Gomer, your pal is a one term ding dong
Posted by: fructoseyou | July 21, 2009, 9:24 am 9:24 am
Obama and his Socialistic legislation are toast… How come I believe this you might ask? Look at where you are reading this.. ABC News… The fact that the MSM is even reporting this on this website, is proof enough he’s toast….
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 9:29 am 9:29 am
I think we need someone to come in and check the high cost of Drs (175 for an office visit) and pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies, (1400 for two prescriptions) That would take care of some of the problems. Mike Jones said it in a nutshell. Not only should they have to have the same medical care we have, but the same Social Security and….term limit. I don’t think our founding fathers thought that the people in office would turn out to be such thieves and blackguards.
Posted by: artinthewild | July 21, 2009, 9:32 am 9:32 am
What barry needs is to be impeached. He HATES America and blames her for all the problems of the world.
He is a tax and spend liberal socialist who should be back in chicago community organizing with rev racist, instead of leading the most powerful nation in the world to its demise.
Posted by: Dave | July 21, 2009, 9:32 am 9:32 am
Now he wants a sur tax? What the he– does this man think we are all made of? Green print for money? I need my money to live and pay for my own health care. You yes we can do it blank minded people need to say no and stop the almost communist dictator and his congress.
Posted by: Jim Rod | July 21, 2009, 9:33 am 9:33 am
This isn’t about Republicans, as much as Obama and the staffers on this site want it to be. The Republicans are powerless to stop the Democrats now. It is other Democrats that are the problem.
Posted by: Ricky | July 21, 2009, 9:33 am 9:33 am
Good comment JAB. Corporations have for too long held us hostage while they raked in millions. The sad part is that repubs are OK with that. Repubs stand for wars, destruction and don’t care for the people of this country. They would rather see people suffer (katrina victims to name one) rather than help them. They are greedy and evil by nature. Instead of trying to be part of the solution, they put up blocks, add no value and stamp their collective feet on virtually every issue. Now the democrats have the power to pass reforms that will actually help the people of this country for a change and the repubs HATE that! Healthcare will pass, whether the neocons like it or not!
Posted by: Healthcare now! | July 21, 2009, 9:35 am 9:35 am
Obama = change without solution. His Health care conecpt is a disgrace. It will take away free enterprise health care and bring about Payola healthcare.
It wont reduce costs. It wont fix anything and create a ton of new FAT government salaries. Cost? It wont change and go up according to the CBO.
Cap and Trade will destroy jobs and not solve the carbon issue. Its just another TAX. The stimulus? Oh that was another joke wasnt it? How good are you feeling with unemployment on the rise and the economy STILL BROKEN. What has Obama done besides FLAP his GUMS.
And Congress the creators of the laws, lets just say 2010 they need to join the unemployed.
Posted by: ChicagoBob | July 21, 2009, 9:37 am 9:37 am
He’s trying to scare everyone just like he did during his campaign. This will just cost EVERYONE more money – more than we can afford. He is taking us toward socialism.
Posted by: irishrose | July 21, 2009, 9:37 am 9:37 am
Mike Jones
I have a NOBAMA bumper sticker on mine and am enjoying every minute of it… and now that you mention it, I have seen less and less of those awful obama 08 stickers!
Posted by: Dave | July 21, 2009, 9:37 am 9:37 am
Like my esteemed colleague Mr. Jones, I, too, organize my preference on political matters with what makes my opponents suffer most. As the founding fathers intended, good governance isn’t about respect for the laws and constitutional limits, nor is it about the promotion of the general welfare; it is, instead, about making your opponents, as a social class, uncomfortable.
Why?
Well, I’m not really sure about that, but I am sure there is a reason.
Posted by: T | July 21, 2009, 9:39 am 9:39 am
Now the Mayo clinic, which Obama has used to back up his health care claims, is saying that Obamas plan is not good for the public. But you wont hear that from the Obama cheerleaders will you ? Let Obama put his family and himself on this plan..and then sell it to the American public… If its not good enough for him then why should it be good enough for us ????
Posted by: jimbo | July 21, 2009, 9:44 am 9:44 am
Dave Said: “I have a NOBAMA bumper sticker on mine and am enjoying every minute of it… and now that you mention it, I have seen less and less of those awful obama 08 stickers!”
=================================
We haven’t seen too many of those “Anti-Republican” stickers either…. oh yeah, that’s because we voted the idiots out (LOL)…. Dave, read my lips… “60%-40%”…. LOL
Posted by: G.W. Bush | July 21, 2009, 9:47 am 9:47 am
This is one of Klein’s less biased Notes. He actually gives Obama a fighting chance, unlike most of the news outlets I have read, who seem intent on declaring health care reform dead. I think its apparent, money talks in this society, and the insurance industry and health product manufacturers have bought Congresss and the media and are busy hoodwinking dumb, lower income Americans into thinking having healthcare coverage will spell the end of their “freedom.” It’s all so sad and pathetic. What a disgusting country we live in.
Posted by: Amy B Maine | July 21, 2009, 9:49 am 9:49 am
Posted by: JAB | Jul 21, 2009 9:02:44 AM—-so you think if they institute obamacare there will be jobs and healthcare for all and everything will be fine and dandy? LOL …why dont you try to educate yourself on the bill and the tax implications it will have. I mean have you seenthe missing deadlines, crackpot ideas, Huge govt waste with all his czars. This is completely opposite of what he promised in his campaign. If they want to reform healthcare why dont they start with the legal reform. That will bring cost down and in turn bring premiums down.
Posted by: JMW1824 | July 21, 2009, 9:50 am 9:50 am
jab wake up its getting old get over it
Posted by: natale from mass. | July 21, 2009, 9:51 am 9:51 am
The absolute best thing for Republicans to do is keep their mouths shut.
Instead, they have so demonized Obama and his health care plan as to lose public support and give the president an easy target to blame and attack.
Posted by: matt | July 21, 2009, 9:51 am 9:51 am
These posters come out early. They circle this bog like vultures waiting for 1st light so they can swoop down and give another rip and dig at our president. Hey knuckleheads, try being thoughtful and constructive for a change. It won’t’ make your head explode.
Jimmy Mac
Posted by: jmczzz | July 21, 2009, 9:54 am 9:54 am
JAB
Multi-million dollar bonuses at taxpayer expense and you still believe that Democrats don’t work for those rich CEOs?
Posted by: Oonogil | July 21, 2009, 9:54 am 9:54 am
When you say Dems have an ‘overwhelming’ majority in the senate, you are fooled. For a bill to pass, there must be a 2/3 vote to pass it. There are 51 dem. seats and 49 Repub. seats. THAT is why he needs their vote as well. THAT is why nothing got done while Bush was in office and there was a majority of dems in the senate…. they couldn’t get anything passed! The senator’s overwhelmingly vote party. Just an FYI for those who listen to too much AM radio.
Posted by: gdguynbalt | July 21, 2009, 9:55 am 9:55 am
Democrats hold the majority and have for nearly 3 years so if they were all on the same page they cold get it done. Opposition and competition for the best plan is needed and while it is easy to blame someone else for the failures…it isn’t a good excuse, perhaps it’s the plan that really really does have serious shortfalls. Dorothy found out she no longer in Kansas and hopefully Obama will awaken and find he is no longer a community organizer staging sit ins at banks and thankfully we have some in Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, who realize that we still have a voice and that we are not a tin horn dictatorship….yet.
Posted by: david | July 21, 2009, 9:59 am 9:59 am
Obama will dropping the “R” word any day now, and I don’t mean Republican, or Recession.. I mean Racism.. You just wait…
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 10:03 am 10:03 am
Hey gdguynbalt, there was a referendum passed last March(?) by congress giving them the power to pass healthcare reform by just 51 votes. Nice try though!
Posted by: neocon hate | July 21, 2009, 10:14 am 10:14 am
The health Reform bill taxes everyone, including the individual who decides not to accept the private employer health care and the gov’t health care. Sounds fair to me, tax the individual who can’t afford health care from the private sector and the gov’t. Obama, obviously who really haven’t talked to the “real” people that use the Canadian Health Care system. Sorry but I am not waiting 2 years to get a GP doctor. I can’t have simple blood work done until I see a GP who writes the prescription to have the blood work done. By then I am dead or like the one lady in Canada, she lost both of her legs because the she had to wait 8 months to see the doctor. Yep just what I want Gov’t health care. Even the Mayo Clinic is saying this is a BAD plan. Doctors are already saying that they will quit their profession and retire. Hospitals are already saying that the Obama Amin. is strong arming them by saying “if you don’t get on board with this reform bill you will regret it later…meaning we will cut off gov’t funding to your hospital and you will go under”.
Posted by: rukidding55 | July 21, 2009, 10:17 am 10:17 am
“The proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite.” The Presidents rhetoric doesn’t match his actions. During the campaign he promised “change” and to be bi-partisan in uniting this country. Instead he has been as partisan as any President in the history of America as he has spent more money and added more debt that all the previous Presidents combined. We can’t afford the spending we are doing now never mind a $2 trillion health plan. Medicare and Medicaid are so far over original projections it should scare every American how expensive a government plan would be especially when the Massachusetts model is a failure. ObamaCare is not lowering costs but that doesn’t bother liberals becuse its going to destroy the private insurance industry. Read the house bill and you will know that it is going to force everyone onto the government plan within 5 years…its unavoidable. You won’t be able to keep the plan your union or employer provides.
Posted by: Tax and Spending must end | July 21, 2009, 10:18 am 10:18 am
JAB…why don’t you see who is tied to AIG, Goldman Sachs and the White House?
Last count it was up to 40 individuals that have either work for these companies and now working for Obama as a Carz, or a lobbist or now with a bank that was too big to fail that just repaid their bail out money and made X amount of profit in the last quarter? This bank/financial institution just gave their employees bonuses = to $100,000.00 Glad this financial inst. got billions of dollars of the bail out money.
Posted by: rukidding55 | July 21, 2009, 10:21 am 10:21 am
HISTORY provides Facts. You know, those “Pesky Little Details” that won’t Go Away. Struggling with a Financial Issue? HISTORY TEACHES; “FOLLOW THE MONEY!!!” Who are the STAKEHOLDERS? Where were their CONTRIBUTIONS DIRECTED, from 2000 to 2006? (Years of CONTINUOUS ESCALATION OF HEALTHCARE COSTS.)
Drug Co’s: Dem. $28MM GOP $65MM
Healthcare Pro’s: Dem. $84MM GOP $133MM
Insurance Co’s: Dem. $49MM GOP $98MM
Com’l Banks: Dem. $36MM GOP $65MM
Total Dem. $199MM GOP $361MM
35.5% 64.5%
When you have ACTUALLY 81.6% of your AVAILABLE MONIES being Contributed to One Group, RATHER THAN ANOTHER – YOU OBVIOUSLY EXPECT SOMETHING IN RETURN!!!
Unless Increasing Costs, More Rationed services and Increasing the Uninsured roles, are GOOD for America? There’s got to be an understandable message here, somewhere. (Check OpenSecrets for yourself.)
Posted by: bobj72 | July 21, 2009, 10:25 am 10:25 am
First it was blame “Bush” for everything and I mean everything. Obama is a good man but he doesn’t listen to the American people (his bosses). Polls reflect that Americans are NOT ON BOARD for his health care changes. He must listen to them or he’s a done man. People are terrified of the amount of money he has spent so far. The only people happy right now concerning his changes are the far left. I don’t like the Republicans either so I see nothing but a dismal future for America as long as the government keeps growing and the corruption and pork keeps growing at the expense of us little folks. Continually taking money for the rich is not what the founding fathers visualized.
Posted by: M. Sheldon | July 21, 2009, 10:26 am 10:26 am
Why don’t we have tort reform to help keep the cost of malpractice insurance down for the doctors?
Posted by: rukidding 55 | July 21, 2009, 10:27 am 10:27 am
Obama doesn’t need opposition – he needs to listen to his bosses. He’s a good man but I think, like all people in government, he listens to his own power and connections and not the real bosses – the American people. Polls reflect the American people are not happy with this incredible amount of spending and taxing of the rich. Since when do we segregate a portion of our nation and impose greater taxes on them simply because they worked hard to get where they are. Who’s next? This is absolutely not what the founding fathers visualized and it’s going to get worse if we all have to pay for health benefits. Right now, my daughter on social benefits is doing better than my working husband. We pay $1,500 a month for health insurance and she pays zippo….. I don’t see any improvement for us in any of these changes. In fact, my husband is a small business owner so you can imagine how we would feel if we were forced to pay for our employees benefits when we’re dying trying to pay our own. That would be the end of our company. Also, I hate the government getting more control over my life – it terrifies me to think they would be able to control the quality and quantity of my care. The government needs to shrink along with all the pork and corruption both parties have demonstrated over and over again.
Posted by: M. Sheldon | July 21, 2009, 10:33 am 10:33 am
Important changes shouldn’t have deadlines. The bailout of the financial sector, made in a panic, is now estimated to have an overall cost of 23 trillion dollars. The troop withdrawal has turned into a troop buildup. The army is increasing its numbers from 557,000 men to 569,000 to accommodate the needs of our wars. This new buildup follows aprevious buildup of both the army and marines. No tort reform as promised during the campaign so the Democrats are determined to push through expensive healthcare reform that attacks the effects rather than the causes of costly and inaccessible healthcare. Please everyone open your eyes and see what’s actually happening. Stop kneeling to worship the words of our president. The truth of what’s happening to our nation, your income and the well being of future generations and present day families is in the numbers.
Posted by: mmonroeliveson | July 21, 2009, 10:33 am 10:33 am
Obama has already created 2 billion new jobs, and got us a great deal of frozen ham. What can go wrong with this plan? He is, after all, a brilliant guy.
Posted by: flopez | July 21, 2009, 10:33 am 10:33 am
This is absolute insanity . . . my I Bonds are paying 0.00% interest and Obama wants to destroy those that create wealth in this country. Give this dolt another 3 years and “Idiocracy” will be the preferred state in this poor sick Republic.
Posted by: rplat | July 21, 2009, 10:37 am 10:37 am
Taxes personal or business should be by percent. If you recieve personal income of 300K and someone else only makes 30K you’re both charged 20%, that’s 15K for the 300K and 1500 for the 30K job. Huge difference, but not when when you look at net worth. It’s fair. It hurts just as much for the both of them.
Posted by: gdguynbalt | July 21, 2009, 10:39 am 10:39 am
Obama has already created 2 billion new jobs, and got us a great deal of frozen ham. What can go wrong with this plan? He is, after all, a brilliant guy.
Posted by: flopez | Jul 21, 2009 10:33:27 AM
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
Hey, dont critisize the ham purchases,,, After all, Obama is smart enough to figure out he better start stockpiling food for the eventual collapse of this country and the impending food riots that will soon follow.. He’s no dummy….
Posted by: Mike Jones | July 21, 2009, 10:43 am 10:43 am
Mike Jones: Not in my neighborhood, they were teachers, nurses, and stay at home moms…you’re spewing misinformation…bunch of BS
Posted by: phallon | July 21, 2009, 10:48 am 10:48 am
ABC needs to run another Sarah Palin article so the libs can have something to fuss about.
Posted by: Boxcar | July 21, 2009, 10:56 am 10:56 am
If he can not get this legislation through a Congress that is controlled by a majority from his own party – he will be a one term president.
Posted by: Alex | July 21, 2009, 11:01 am 11:01 am
Here we go again – the GOP is resorting to scare tactics again and the American people seem to be falling for it again. They want the people to think they are going to lose what healthcare they have and that is not so. They want the people to think the middle class is going to be overtaxed and that is not so. They want the people to think that healthcare costs will increase and that is not so. All these lies we need to listen to again. The only thing they have on their side is the fear factor and they use it well on a public that was fed fear for 8 long miserable years with GWB and his band of thugs.
Posted by: Ron | July 21, 2009, 11:08 am 11:08 am
ABC needs to post another Sarah Palin story to feed to the left today
Posted by: Boxcar | July 21, 2009, 11:32 am 11:32 am
It’s plain, without the GOP ridicule, Obama has proven that he is an “empty suit with no substance”. 70% of Americans are rejecting Obama’s health care reform, as well as his own Democratic Party now. Even Pelosi is rejecting Obama’s health care reform. Its clear to see that Obama is “imploding”.
Posted by: dk | July 21, 2009, 11:52 am 11:52 am
There is nothing in this so-called health-care legislative boondoggle that is original or is the “fruit” of Obama’s “labor.” It is tooth and nail the lifetime socialistic big-governmental takeover mismanagement pushed, shoved, and heralded by Chappaquiddick Teddy. He knows his days are toast, and he wants to die knowing he finally saw America under the burden of an extremely taxed junk HMO with probably his despicable name attached to it. While the government flies this multi-millionaire from med shop to med shop at no cost to him, he gets the best care for his dead brain and wants the rest of us to wait ages for help and wants the common people his age to be told they’re too old to treat. Question: why do Canadians come across the border to pay out of pocket for our present health care when they have the socialistic one?
Posted by: JuanitoVerde | July 21, 2009, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
Keep pushing President Obama, leadership is not a popularity contest. Anyone calling the stimulus a failure is either patently deceptive or an idiot. We need Health Care Reform NOW! Glad to see you working hard to get our nation back on track! Keep pushing!
Signed, Proud voter for President Obama
Posted by: Nichole | July 21, 2009, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
Does the intern job have health insurance?
Posted by: Hurshel Debord | July 21, 2009, 12:16 pm 12:16 pm
Yes Bobj72 @ 10:25 AM, there is a message there. The healthcare providers contribute to the party in office. It’s politics as usual to suck up to those in charge in hopes of preferential treatment. Your dissertation was about the era from 2000 to 2006 when republicans were in majority. I challenge you to give us the figures on the 2007 to date era. (Years of continued escalation of healthcare costs with the Dems in majority) Chances are the majority of campaign contributions is going to the Dems these days. In fact the only difference between now and the Bush days is who is getting rich. Sadly though the same people who were suffering during the Bush years, those who supported Obama with their votes, continue to suffer now and will continue to suffer in the future. There’s not going to be a knight in shining armor who will come to their rescue. Our government is broke and broken. Our taxpayers are overstressed. Our national debt is escalating at an astronomical pace. There will be no relief for the government or the taxpayers or those who are currently doing without unless small businesses are made prosperous once again and a foreign trade surplus is restored. Those are the keys to most of our social problems and all of our financial problems. Private sector jobs determine the well being of everyone from the wealthiest corporations down to the least affluent individuals among us.
Posted by: mmonroeliveson | July 21, 2009, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
Oh the lobbyist for the big moneyed interests in healthcare are out there in full force. The truth is until we get the big profits out of healthcare, we will continue to pay more for less care than any of the top-tiered countries – all of whom treat healthcare as a publit issue, and a right. Perhaps we should look at the top 10 or 15 countries and get some ideas. Since we are 37th in healthcare, we could stand to learn from those who do it better than we do.
Posted by: Trish | July 21, 2009, 12:25 pm 12:25 pm
Just for then record I am sick and tired of seeing the pr cirus called health care reform. No more of your end of the world threats that the we all die before the August recess without health reform. Do not talk to me again until you have an agreeded program between the congress and WH, sometime next winter. I want details on how it will work,when will it start, who will be covered, what will not be covered, what vendors are going to participate, what will it cost,no more of your bull droppings. Give me something I can read just like a private insuror , my employer or medicare provides me. I do not want some 10,000 pages of law to go through. By the way I have had coverage through all 3 methods and now have family members uninsured and believe some reportors in Washington have no clue of what they are reporting on.
Posted by: william | July 21, 2009, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm
ABC, Why don’t you start covering what is in the bill instead of “Is he going to win?” This isn’t about HIM, remember? You could begin with page 16 that states you can keep your private healthcare, but you cannot change healthcares. If you change jobs and want private healthcare, NOPE. Give us facts about what’s in the bill!
Posted by: wheresmymoney | July 21, 2009, 2:30 pm 2:30 pm
Well, I agree with Obama and support him 100%. Our country is in a horrible mess because of our leaders sitting on their a$$ the last 8 years. The rich are in control and it’s time for a Change! You big mouths that are part of the problem can cry all you want. The middle class is what supports the wealthy and I for one will support anyone regardless of party that is trying to turn our country around. The arrogance had hurt not only the USA, but other countries too.
Posted by: Joker56 | July 21, 2009, 2:30 pm 2:30 pm
mmonroeliveson| Jul 21, 2009 12:17:54 PM
You said; “Yes, there is a message there. The healthcare providers contribute to the party in office. It’s politics as usual to suck up to those in charge in hopes of preferential treatment. Your dissertation was about the era from 2000 to 2006 when republicans were in majority. I challenge you to give us the figures on the 2007 to date era. (Years of continued escalation of healthcare costs with the Dems in majority) Chances are the majority of campaign contributions is going to the Dems these days. In fact the only difference between now and the Bush days is who is getting rich.”
________________
But on this one (1) YOU’RE DEAD WRONG! During GOP Controlling years, 2000 to 2006 the GOP received $361MM ($162MM more than Democrats.) During 2008 to 2010 Contribution years, Contributions from the Healthcare STAKEHOLDERS is Exactly the same, $111MM EACH To-Date. They (Healthcare Professionals, Healthcare Insurers, Drug Co.’s & Com’l Banks)KNOW who’s “Carrying Their Water!” Seems THEIR STRATEGY at this point is; “flip them each a pittance, and let our Republican Agents Get This Healthcare Bill Defeated, MAKING IT OBAMA’S WATERLOO!!”
Posted by: bobj72 | July 21, 2009, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
The health care system is flat-out broken. Everyone can see that. It doesn’t deliver quality care for all citizens and it costs a fortune. Medical decisions are made by business execs. It is going to be reformed. Clinton pushed hard the first time and showed Obama how to get this job done. And Obama will get this done on behalf of the American people – you can count on it. Sorry Republicans who want Obama and the country to fail after your disastrous 8 years in power. Ain’t gonna to happen!
Posted by: hopesprings52 | July 21, 2009, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
IMPEACH OBAMA
Posted by: RAMBOW99 | July 21, 2009, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm