Obama Points To Bill Owens To Pitch Health Care Reform

Hoping to pull together the needed Democratic support to get health care reform through the House of Representatives, President Barack Obama urged members to look at the results of New York's special congressional election for inspiration.

The president, according to a senior Democratic aide who attended his discussion, told House Dems that newly-elected Rep. Bill Owens proved that members could run on a platform of comprehensive reform and still be elected to Congress.

"He said to look at Bill Owens," the aide recalled. "There is a House seat that's been in Republican hands for more than one hundred years. But Owens didn't run away from reform. He campaigned on it. And he still got elected."

The remarks were part of a broader political push on the president's behalf to buck up recalcitrant Democrats nervous about backing health care legislation. Obama also told members that they shouldn't expect simply not to be attacked by Republicans if they voted against the reform package.

"He certainly talked about the politics and he said that the Republicans want us to fail and no one should feel if they as a Democrat helped us to fail that they would be [free of their attacks]," said Rep. Henry Waxman, chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

House aides said they believe the president helped persuade a handful of fence-sitting Democrats to support the bill. Though they cautioned that the whip count was fluid, especially as the House considers an amendment to tighten restrictions on the coverage of abortion by insurers.

One strategist off the Hill, who is plugged into the debate, proclaimed at 1:15 p.m. that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did now have the votes for passage. The number of yeas, the source said, was roughly 220 - just two more than is needed for passage.

"The caveat," the source said, "is that Pelosi isn't going to let it get higher than that. She's whipping enough to win the vote but going to release the rest of the caucus to vote no."

Comments

[plaidsportcoat]

may the nay voters be voted out soon

[mheister]

It's also clear from a political perspective why Obama's emphasizing Owens. A moderate Republican gets pushed out by the party after prominent social conservatives back the Conservative Party candidate, who doesn't even live in the district (hence why I call him a carpetbagger), and rather than rolling over and playing dead she endorses the Democrat. And the Democrat wins.

It's good that Obama's expanding the tent for the moderates, but to keep placating them Obama's willing throw the progressive Democrats under the bus.

The question is, will the progressives continue to play ball, or will they flex their muscles and demand better from the party?

[ckfan]

According to Gallup: 40% of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal.

Sorry, but progressives don't have muscles to flex. Especially when you consider most of the progressive votes come from dark blue states, states Obama will win in 2012, i.e., California, east coast. Also, consider progressives only represented 10% of the votes received for Obama in 2008. And again, those progressive votes were clumped in predictable states and weren't the deciding factor in Obama's victory.

If progressives really want to flex their muscles, they should ALL move to Florida. Then, you'd get the president's attention. In the meantime, his personal leanings are progressive his governing will be moderate.

Alright, progressives, go ahead and slam me. Progressives always get upset when they're faced with the reality of their true voting power. You make a lot of noise, but the voting power isn't there.

[mheister]

There's self-identifying labels, then there's how voters break down issue-by-issue.

A lot of those "conservatives" favor the Public Option. A good number even favor single payer. And they LOVE their Medicare.

It used to be said that a conservative is just a liberal who got mugged. It's also true now that a liberal is a conservative who's faced personal economic reality.

Where the progressives lose a lot of people - particularly over the age of 40 - who would otherwise support them IMHO is on a couple of the social issues - gay marriage and abortion, because those issues go the fundamentals of faith. But the bigger problem is progressives still need to rebrand government as a public trust and a source of common good.

People love their Medicare. Some of these Tea Party types are a bit fuzzy on where Medicare comes from. Here's a hint. NOT AETNA. So they don't realize the Medicare they love is a single-payer health insurance program, paid for through Federal taxes.

[cbat]

Wait, according to the fairweather Obama supporters he is not doing anything to push healthcare reform. Keep in mind if Obama was not in office, we would not even having this debate on healthcare reform. What do you think a republican president would be doing right now.

[mheister]

Point taken.

Single payer is still the best way to go.

[ckfan]

Social Security nor Medicare was perfect the first time out. This is not a fast food restaurant where you can order up something quickly and get it handed to you.

Where are the votes for Single payer going to come from? The politician fairy?

[ckfan]

A Republican president would be giving tax cuts to the rich and sending 100,000 troops to any place to kill any and every one.

[BethinIllinois]

The CBO is listing the cost of this as what? $2 to $3 trillion? What happened to the "it won't add one thin dime to the deficit" pledge?

this is a godawful monstrocity...

[cbat]

You tell the people who work for the industry agency.,

[Leigh49]

How much did the wars cost us and continue to cost us? And this is wrong, I only heard around $1 trllion.

[mheister]

The projection on the total cost of Iraq alone - $3 TRILLION.

[ckfan]

Beth - Newsflash: your views are a monstrosity. Not to mention your spelling.

[Gretel1or2]

The MSM will hype up the two gubernatorial races in NJ and VA, but will downplay this one - which is more significant for and beneficial to the democratic agenda in my opinion.

[CNYObamaFan]

Bill Owens, who said all along that he supported HC reform, won in a district that has NEVER been a Democratic district. So much proof that American's want HC reform and are tired of teabaggers' lies and manipulation.

[MollyMcGee]

Does anyone tell the truth anymore or is it just a case of "stretching the truth"....CNY stated that Owens won in a district that was never a Democrat. district...this is true but - ...a Congressman by the name of Michael McNulty (D) held that seat from 1989 to 1993 - filling in for Congressman Stratton (D) that retired for medical reasons...McNulty filled out (2) addl. terms until redistrict­ing.....he was followed by (2) Republican Congressme­n.....gran­ted, the people in this district have always voted Republican in the majority...let's hope they rethink what they just did...this guy has already gone against what he said prior to the election. I find it ironic that people have not put together the complete puzzle....McHugh( R ) - (now Secretary of the Army), was hand picked by Obama for his Cabinet - and if the truth be known, Obama hand picked Owens to run for his( McHugh's) old seat... being a Democrat, that fit right into Obama's plan...wonder what Owens for offered for his accomplishments!

[Leigh49]

So you're saying Obama is thinking like a Republican now, huh?

[cbat]

Go Obama.