Obama facing tough choice on health care

[t0dd]

WASHINGTON — After months of talk, decision time is nearing for President Barack Obama on health care.

Bipartisan Senate negotiators are weakening some of his top priorities, leaving the president with a difficult choice: He can give ground, and implore disappointed liberals to go along with him. Or he can try to ram through a Democratic bill with his wishes intact, infuriating Republicans.

His eventual decision could be a pivotal moment in his presidency. Remaking health care is Obama's top domestic priority. He wants to expand coverage, contain costs, make insurance more competitive and change the way doctors and hospitals are compensated.

Liberals, noting that Democrats control the House, Senate and White House, see no need for serious compromises. Some moderates and independents, however, say a one-party solution would undermine public confidence in the plan and poison the atmosphere in Congress for the rest of Obama's term.

For now, the president continues to hold his cards close, giving lawmakers more time to seek a compromise that could attract some Republican votes. But many Democrats are impatient, ready for Obama to insist that Republicans either endorse the main elements of his proposal or step aside as a Democrats-only bill is enacted.

"He's going to have to choose pretty soon," Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said Tuesday.

If Obama decides to run roughshod over the Republicans, Graham said, "he'll ruin his administration" by destroying his image as a political healer under a big tent.

But many Democrats want Obama to stand firm on his campaign proposals.

"Because we want three Republicans to come along on this, we betray what the American people want?" said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. "I don't think so."

...

More here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gzA29UeBzhdsVHHKwVlS3LbV8R8gD99NPPK80

There comes a point where bipartisan "compromise" becomes too huge a barrier to real reform. Let's hope he makes the right decision.

[Tim01]

1. I'm guessing he gives ground, again. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. This is for show

we will need to take to the streets, in MASSIVE numbers, period

[bkkyosemite]

5. Yes start telling your congress people we are going to the streets start tellling the blogs that is

what we want to do....we must hurry for the sake of everyone's health.

[rucky]

3. I'd respect a veto, if it came down to it.

Send them the fuck back and keep doing it until they get it right.

[BlooInBloo]

4. If the bill's too weak to do much good, I'm fine with that.

[rrneck]

7. +1 nt

[roamer65]

6. Drive the sucker right through, take no prisoners...

The American people put the Rethugs into a minority for a reason. Democrats need to stand up and do the job we elected them to do...

[undeterred]

8. Fuck the Republicans.

All they care about is themselves... and if Obama does health care right a lot of them won't be re-elected.