WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama summoned more than a dozen Democrats from the House of Representatives to the White House, pleading with them to put aside their qualms and vote for his massive health care overhaul.
In back-to-back meetings Thursday, Obama urged uneasy rank-and-file moderates and progressives to focus on the positives rather than their deep disappointment with parts of the bill. The lawmakers said Obama assured them the legislation was merely the first step, and he promised to work with them in the future to improve its provisions.
It’s the opportunity of a generation, he told them — and a chance to revive the party’s agenda after his rough first year in office.
“The president very pointedly talked about how important this is historically,” said Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva, “how he needs our help.” Obama told them that “‘this is an opportunity, it’ll give us momentum”‘ on other issues, the congressman said.
Congressional leaders said they were hoping for votes on the legislation in as soon as two or three weeks.
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Related:
Krauthammer: Why the Health Care Bill is a Failure
UPDATE 2-US Democrats would kill healthcare over abortion
Howard Dean: Health bill hangs Dem incumbents and Obama out to dry in elections
One honest Democrat admits the truth about what this is really all about:
“The president very pointedly talked about how important this is historically,” said Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva, ‘how he needs our help.’ Obama told them that ‘this is an opportunity, it’ll give us momentum’ on other issues, the congressman said.”
That’s exactly right, it is “historic” and it will help on “other issues”. Because if you take over 1/6th of the US economy, you get skim for other issues. Our Liberals did that for almost a century of power. Once the US Democrats get their gloms on those trillions of $$$ that will indeed give them “an opportunity.. momentum on other issues” And that is exactly what is terrifying Americans. It’s an “historic” takeover of the US economy.
Instead the approach should be as noted in the link above, the Great Dr K says: “even strong Obama supporter Warren Buffett goes public with his judgment that .. this… is a failure because the country desperately needs to bend the cost curve down and the bill doesn’t do it. Buffett’s advice would be to start over and get it right with a bill that says ‘we’re just going to focus on costs and we’re not going to dream up 2,000 pages of other things.’ ”
You have to wonder how Buffet , who does months of due diligence before making an investment, did none on casting his vote for Obama.
As authored by someone else recently, I think Obama has killed his presidency with “health care”. I’ve never seen a more sloppy approach to such an important issue. He went about it all wrong and now he will pay the price.
Harper has shown him the way but I would be very surprised he will choose to listen because of course “he is boss” and we all know that joke.
Too true, except for the part about “closed up”. In this case the boss has the runs.