Obama To Admit Congress Has 'Run Into A Bit Of A Buzz Saw' On Health Care

[swag]

Source: TPM

President Obama will be talking about jobs at a community college in Lorain County, Ohio this afternoon, but will address the "frenzy" over the fate of health care reform that's happened since Democrats lost their 60th seat Tuesday in Massachusetts.

"I have to admit, we've run into a bit of a buzz saw along the way," Obama will say today, according to remarks prepared for delivery and distributed by the White House.

He also said he would not walk away, but pivoted to say he wants Congress to pass a jobs bill. The town hall, scheduled for 2 p.m., will include a question-and-answer session so it's possible Obama will offer more detail on a way forward.

But members of Congress are concerned that the president has taken a hands-off approach since Tuesday's special election where Republican Scott Brown beat Democrat Martha Coakley. The fate of the measure is uncertain and key Democrats are calling for a breather.



Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/obama-to-admit-congress-has-run-into-a-bit-of-a-buzz-saw-on-health-care.php

[Demeter]

1. Obama Built the Buzz Saw, Turned on the Power, Lay Down on the Conveyor

and he has the NERVE to complain?

[icee]

10. I just hope to God he doesn't end up making Bush look like

Churchill in comparison.

[Demeter]

11. That's Impossible

But he could be seeing the light, finally. Then he's in line for a Kennedy Presidency, and we all know how that ended.

[icee]

16. I don't think so, Demeter. I think we are in for some real real

hard times. Justifiable or not, it will be blamed on Obama because instead of the interim year after Bush he basically continued Bush's policies. He should have nationalize the banks and forced them to make more loans. And how many people did he help in the foreclosure program. Last time I looked the figure was so low I thought it was a misprint. Now, the Kennedy thing you mention...yes, I think that may happen... I think Obama is a nice guy but he is in way way over his head. In retrospect, I don't know who we could have picked in 08. We need someone with some business experience who politcal ideology was halfway between centrist and left, such that could have agree on some things. I have never had more fear than I have today.

[Demeter]

17. Hard Times, No Doubt

But the job is to see that those who suffer are those who deserve it: multinational corporations and zombie banks.

[Bette Noir]

19. Obama was a terrific campaigner, and campaigned on the Left.

Unfortunately, once he got into office, it seems that his main goal has been to make racists and Republicans like him. That's useless, but his right-leaning, business-friendly policies have alienated the folks who voted him in to start with.

"In way over his head" seems to hit it exactly.

[icee]

25. Yeah...Well, they'll disect this one year debacle for years. I just

wonder who we can run in the next Presidential primary who would have a chance? I think there is a strong chance that Obama may do a Johnson and decide not to run in 2012.

[izquierdista]

2. They never had 60

They had 59 plus a Lieberdropping.

[DrDan]

6. Dec 2009 . . . . . 60-39

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/24/health.care/index.html

Guess you forgot.

[izquierdista]

9. You forgot

59 + one Lieberdropping http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00396

[Bette Noir]

20. You can't say we had 60

when the votes of Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, and Joe Liebermann had to be paid for. We had 57 at best.

[DrDan]

23. regardless of the price paid - we had 60 votes in December

[Mithreal]

13. They never needed more than 50+1

It was always an excuse and cover.

And that is 50 Senators + the VP!

Even if unintentionally, please stop perpetuating the lie that more than 51 votes were needed for public option, medicare buy-in or medicare for all.

How many elected Dems have to explain this idea?

[dgibby]

3. But members of Congress are concerned that the president has taken a hands-off approach since Tuesda

Their point would be what? He's taken a hands-off approach ever since he was elected.

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. Well he got what he wanted, that being, elected. That may have been his only goal.

:shrug:

[Bette Noir]

21. What other job do you know of that gives you insurance and a pension

for life, after four years on the job?

[chazona]

7. Hands-off, mouth on

Its time he listened instead of talking.  He made some comment
the other day that the American people weren't understanding
him because he wasn't talking enough. Yeah, like we want to be
talked to more.  Everyone in government needs to start
listening to their employers, the people.  Now we have a
president that believes rhetoric solves problems. Its time to
say "Shut up and do something!"

[bluestateguy]

4. I hope somebody at that town meeting pushes him hard and doesn't let him weasel out of health care

nt

[wroberts189]

8. Why do I keep hearing about the "hands-off approach" ?

What is that about?

Presidents do not get involved? Do not get their hands dirty?

Let things just run their own course?


WTF????????

[Mithreal]

18. He is supposed to be leader of the party and "hands-off" he is not.

We keep seeing stories how the President is involving himself in state politics. Some here argue the whole damned if you do, damned if you don't theme but still think they can get away with denial when caught. If that doesn't work, the other predictable response is to marginalize liberals and progressives and try and shame them for somehow not supporting the President. I just see it as a fallback excuse. If he gets into trouble, he can just claim, "Wasn't me."

Most people see through it.

Agreed.

Spin is fast and furious, wouldn't expect any different with all the practice and experience the spinners have.

[Mithreal]

Seeing the light?

They have to warn the public about a FUBAR announcement?

[Harry Monroe]

12. Gee Barack, ya think?

That's an understatement. Maybe if you've doing your job leading them instead of letting them make a complete clusterfuck out of the bill, we'd have something worth passing by now!! Get your head out of your ass before it's too late!!

[Mithreal]

15. The President is using the fool some of the people all of the time

fool all of the people some of the time approach.

I see this as nothing more than getting out in front to do damage control.

Sincerely hope I am wrong.

[Jumping John]

14. He'll be smiling when he says it.

[Overseas]

22. What a sad choice of words. The GOP has obstructed from Day One.

This is not a new scary buzz saw. The GOP has been cruel and bullying for years now. They were never going to be bipartisan. They just wanted to smash the "Democrat" party and yet our president has pretended the Democratic party could work with them.

Democrats were encouraged to toss out all the best aspects of their reform proposals one after the other until the precious ONE PERCENT bipartisan vote could be obtained.

Groveling groveling groveling. It was really demoralizing. Seeing Democrats sacrifice our national health security to play fruitless bipartisan games which we all knew they would lose from the beginning.

44,000 still die early. That's the scary buzz saw that preceded all the ridiculous compromising of the past year. That was the buzz saw that called for Medicare Part E. Opening up Medicare to all who wanted to buy in on a sliding scale.

[GOTV]

24. Yes. And he's still using the 'B' word.

[Mithreal]

27. Well said.

[ima_sinnic]

26. "he wants Congress to pass a jobs bill"--ooookay, forget about HC, let's fuck up jobs now!

"a hands-off approach" has worked very well for them.
does he ever actually come out and propose anything bold, and then stand firmly behind it?
or should we start the jobs bill by "negotiating" with Lieberman & Snowe to find out exactly how little the republicans will accept, then work our way down from there?

how many days before the repukes demand that minimum wage be lowered?