Comments on: White House Officials Dare GOP to Use Health Care Reform Against Democrats in 2010 Elections

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:21:28 +0000

Meanwhile, not only with clumsily combining the student loan takeover with health care "reform," the Dems are already showing they are going to continue rushing to pass bad legislation, federal overreach, too far left, and I wonder what we may anticipate (fear) from the Obama administration, as well.

I wonder what the re-election-minded Dems will think of Chris Dodd's "avant-garde" financial reform bill, and what influence the Obama administration may have had and what that, again, also means for us. [gulp]

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/03/14/sen-d...

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/03/14/sen-c...

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:52:50 +0000

A big risk. This could hurt Obama as well as (likely) the Dems this November.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527487...

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:51:15 +0000

“if they would just accept the fact that this is a dead bill, and focus on jobs and the economy”

I suspect it's not just a problem of being labeled “ineffective” even by “near-Left” Dems that is feared right now, but also about health care as an issue, on which they've staked enormous “face” or “political capital.”

Obama's taking a big risk delaying his trip to try to get something with “health care” stamped on it as well as help get the Dems in Congress to break through the GOP “wall.” Both, I suspect, are important to him. If they get through (should, via reconciliation) Obama will probably climb in the polls, even if the bill itself is bad (Congress, I suspect, will likely get the most disapproval, especially if they follow it with more bad legislation, and if Obama doesn't rush to urge passage of much or any of it).

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:17:11 +0000

If so, that's more amateurishness, clumsiness, out-of-touch behavior, or downright stupidity from ObamaCo.

By: Schadenfreude_lives

Schadenfreude_lives — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:25:58 +0000

This is bluff and blunder, and the GOP will happily oblige the White House on this, all the way to huge victories come November.

Now, if they would just accept the fact that this is a dead bill, and focus on jobs and the economy, all this will likely be forgotten by election time by voters, and it will be a more normal mid-term for a first-term President – some losses in both houses, but no major overhaul.

By: Silhouette

Silhouette — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:09:39 +0000

This subject underscores why it would behoove the Dems to make this health Bill as sweet as possible for the public [hint: Public Option] and to enact it as soon as possible. Because as November nears, all that will be needed is to remind the public who will be newly in love with not choosing between making their mortgages or paying private premiums, that if the GOP takes over Congress, they will whip that Option away from them fast enough to make their heads spin.

That oughta do 'er.

By: superdestroyer

superdestroyer — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:46:41 +0000

Since the implementation is put off until 2013, passing the bill creates a huge amount of uncertainty with no resolution until years later. While Davie Axelrod thinks he is being cute, the reality is that such an idiotic plan will be bad for the economy due to the uncertainty and inability to plan for the future.

Besides, whatever is passed now will be changed multiple of times before it is implements (See Abortion, cost savings, illegal immigrats).

By: SteveCan

SteveCan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:39:12 +0000

While Baghdad Bob Gibbs might be “happy” to have the 2010 elections be about the (alleged) achievement of health care reform, I suspect that there are a ton of “elected” officials that are wishing it'd just go away.

By: TheMagicalSkyFather

TheMagicalSkyFather — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:03:59 +0000

I agree but I really don't think he is gonna take much heat on the economy either. It is still to early to see but from the stories I read this summer is when the stimulus is supposed to go into high gear as far as jobs go since the planning phases on many projects are wrapping up. If that is the case and he is also hovering around 50% with the economy where it currently sits he and in turn possibly even they may not be doing all that bad. To be honest with where the economy is he should be at around 40% approval or less so who knows what it could be if it does rebound.

The only political danger I see from dems in regards to health care at this point is not passing it, whatever it is in the end. For those supporting it they support those that do as well and for those that do not they will likely vote R next time anyway just because the dems tried. What seats the dems loose in the current climate seems to be coming more down to republicans just wanting to vote republican again which will balance things but I am starting to think it will not be near as extreme as many had hoped, I am one that hoped a little. Obama would look awesome compared to a R controlled chamber unless headed by a really savy person.

By: Axel Kaspar Edgren

Axel Kaspar Edgren — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:11:38 +0000

The US public caring about Kafkaesque procedures for longer than a weekend?

There are not enough l's and o's for the required LOLs.

By: DaGoat

DaGoat — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:35:14 +0000

I think the main risk Obama and the Democrats face is they will be perceived as neglecting the economy at the expense of this bill, which will show minimal positive effects for years.

By: ProfElwood

ProfElwood — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:27:15 +0000

The perception probably won't change at all, because it's been talked about for over year. The reality won't change much, because the bill won't change much when it passes. The real effects will be felt as it slowly kicks in. By then, the key elections will be over.