Labor Chief: Senators “Acted Like Terrorists” on Health Care

ABC News’ David Chalian Reports:  One of President Obama’s strong supporters from the Labor community sees no other choice for Democrats than to pursue a long shot strategy in a last ditch effort to save the comprehensive health care reform effort that consumed Washington for most of 2009 from defeat. SEIU President Andy Stern also charged that the reason Senate Democrats find themselves in their current predicament on health care is because some senators (read: Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman) “acted like terrorists.” “I think we saw in the Senate you know, death to change.   And I think the Senate has huge responsibilities here. They were given a gift, particularly in the fall, by the American people of 60 votes.  The ability to debate every issue and what did they do?  They squandered it.  And when I call them terrorists, they’re not — they’re good Americans — but they acted like terrorists and there’s a reason why America doesn’t negotiate with terrorists,” Stern told us on ABC News’ “Top Line” today. Stern made his argument for this final health care push by tying it to President Obama’s top priorities for 2010, jobs and reining in deficits. “I mean if we think about what the President’s going to talk about — jobs; health care’s a million new jobs, the biggest job creation plan we’ve ever had. You think about reducing the deficit, we can’t reduce the deficit over the long run unless we do something about health care costs,” said Stern.   “So we’re at the goal line you know. It’s the last quarter, the democrats are in a huddle as the cartoon said today, they can either, they’re down five points they can either kick a field goal, punt, or take a time out. None of them work. The only thing that works is to get the team and push through and get to the other side,” he added. Republicans will paint any attempt by the Democrats to push through their health care reform legislation as ignoring the will of the people. Some Democrats have expressed concern about voter backlash to a final health care push.  House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, suggested that President Obama and congressional Democrats are choosing to “double down on job-killing policies” in the wake of their stunning loss in the Massachusetts Senate race. When we asked Stern to write the line he wanted to hear from President Obama on health care in his State of the Union address tomorrow night, the labor chief suggested he reach back to his campaign rhetoric. “I want to hear him say that as he campaigned and he talked about his mother and the fact that while she was dying of cancer she had to deal with her own health care bills, I never want another American to deal with what I and my mother had to deal with,” Stern said. Watch our full discussion with Stern HERE. We were also joined by GOP strategist Kevin Madden of the Glover Park Group to discuss the buzz leading up to the State of the Union.  Madden says in order to reach Americans the president will have to convince the public that he "gets the message" and even use the rhetorical opportunity to stand up to his own party.  "I think he's going to have to pick a fight with his own party. I expect to see some sort of language that says this is not just about Republicans versus Democrats," said Madden. For more analysis from Madden, click HERE.