Obama Heads to the Front to Do Battle on Health-Care Reform

[spanone]

Six months into his presidency, Barack Obama may have no greater test of his ability to translate personal popularity into a successful legislative agenda than the upcoming two weeks.

With skepticism about the president's health-care reform effort mounting on Capitol Hill -- even within his own party -- the White House has launched a new phase of its strategy designed to dramatically increase public pressure on Congress: all Obama, all the time.

Senior White House aides promise "an aggressive public and private schedule" for Obama as he presses his case for reform, including a prime-time news conference on Wednesday, a trip to Cleveland, and heavy use of Internet video to broadcast his message beyond the reach of the traditional media.

"Our strategy has been to allow this process to advance to the point where it made sense for the president to take the baton. Now's that time," said senior adviser David Axelrod. "I don't know whether he will Twitter or tweet. But he's going to be very, very visible."

Another senior White House aide added: "It's time to raise the stakes on this."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/19/AR2009071901465_pf.html

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. Godspeed Mr. President!

Our hopes and prayers ride on you.

[spanone]

2. amen.....good luck Sir

[berni_mccoy]

3. K&R! GOBAMA!

[FrenchieCat]

4. Ready and willing to do battle.......So I've got your back, Mr. President!

:patriot:

[Hydra]

5. Best news all day!

The pushback against the reform has gotten organized and is gaining momentum. Obama's going to have to push hard to reverse the damage.

[MarjorieG]

10. Congress will have to decide that doing nothing is worse for their re-election.

They are not used to courage, or saying not the lobbyist (whose money they've already taken). A real moral argument there for what should be a no-brainer to health care reform.

[bleever]

6. These guys are more than just smart.

They came to play.

Game time.

:bounce:

[LuckyTheDog]

7. I started a thread about the same thing

I hate to say this, but if Obama really wanted to get a health care bill this summer, he probably should have made fewer overseas trips. Foreign policy is important. But so is working the phones to get your domestic agenda -- the one you were elected to enact -- passed. Let Hillary handle the world community for now.

That said, I am glad to see that Obama is getting into the trenches now. If y'all have not called your members of Congress yet to demand they get off their butts and get something passed -- to it first thing Monday morning.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6104895

[spanone]

8. i think a president has to juggle many things and his timing to attack on healthcare seems perfect

he's let all the stories get out there and now he can and i believe will, counter them one by one.

[wroberts189]

9. easy knr nt

[Wednesdays]

11. K&R

:kick: