Gibbs: Obama Demanded As Much From Lieberman As Progressives

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs insisted on Tuesday that the president has been consistent in demanding that both moderates and progressives within the Democratic Party make policy sacrifices in an effort to pass comprehensive health care legislation.

Speaking to reporters hours after the president met with nearly the entire Democratic caucus, Gibbs said that Obama urged everyone to rally around the remaining components of reform, which, he noted, were historic in their own right.

"The president believes that whether you are on the left of the Democratic spectrum or the right of the Democratic spectrum in the Senate, or concerned about health care in this country, that there is plenty to like in this legislation," said Gibbs.

Asked if Obama is as demanding of Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn), whose opposition to a public option and Medicare buy-in provision led to their removal, as he has been of progressives like Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), both staunch supporters of a public plan, Gibbs affirmatively replied: "Yes."

"The president was clear with members of the democratic caucus, including independents who caucus with the Democrats," he said.

Such a depiction of the legislative process would likely come as a surprise to liberals both in and outside of office, many of whom point to the various, watered-down versions of reform to which they agreed in hopes of winning Lieberman's vote. One of those liberals, former DNC Chair Howard Dean, said on Tuesday that the leadership had acquiesced too much to win moderate votes and called on the party to "kill the bill."

Asked about Dean's remarks, Gibbs declined to argue medicine with the doctor. But he "would argue policy with him."

"In 2004, Howard Dean as a candidate sought to build off an employer-based health care system in order to cover millions of Americans that currently lack coverage," said Gibbs. "There are two differences between what the president is doing in 2009 and what Howard Dean proposed in 2004. The first difference is we have an increase in the number of uninsured. The second biggest difference is... the bill is paid for, the bill reduces the deficit, the bill bends the cost curve, the bill adds insurance reforms."

Comments

[DanEboy]

07:27 PM on 12/19/2009

Is it true John Stewart and Rachel Maddow are actually brothers....yeah I said brothers...not brother and sister....but bro's if you look at them in pictures they do look a like....

[HarryP]

04:41 AM on 12/18/2009

the remaining components of reform, which, he noted, were historic in their own right. - for the for profit insurance industry - to make absolutely sure that their profit margin wouldn't shrink.
There is not much for the people left - evnen half the democrats voted against import of medication,
and maybe Mr. Gibbs should stop calling it health care reform - it is clearly just a insurance reform and that in favor of those.

[anachoret]

03:01 PM on 12/17/2009

Well, it seems that Gibbs has absolutely no problem lying right to the presses face. Maybe he enjoys it.

[TremoluxMan]

12:24 PM on 12/17/2009

Nutless basterds.

[DredLockRasta]

02:07 PM on 12/17/2009

buttless nasterds

[picaman]

10:45 AM on 12/17/2009

Oh what a load of bull. Everyone knows Lieberman held this thing hostage and refused to budge. Just more spin from the executive branch. I thought we had put an end to this.

[camipco]

10:27 AM on 12/17/2009

Yeah, see this is the problem. Obama isn't just a neutral ref we elected to make sure legislation is halfway between left and right. He's supposed to be a progressive, pushing for the public option that he ran on and people voted for.

[greejambri]

11:09 AM on 12/17/2009

obama is no progressive. he campaigned as if he were, but his true inclinations have since come out.

[pakaal]

01:20 PM on 12/17/2009

Anyone who thought Obama was a progressive during the primaries wasn't listening, and didn't look at his record. Democrat, leans slightly toward center, yes. Progressive, no.

[theone718]

10:16 AM on 12/17/2009

Show me the concessions you had Lieberman make SHOW THEM TO ME!

[pakaal]

01:20 PM on 12/17/2009

Amen. I'd love to hear what exactly Lieberman acceded to, let's hear all those concessions.

[MacQ]

10:09 AM on 12/17/2009

Hmm. Demand as much from Lieberman as other democrats. Liberman was chucked out by democrats and is an independent. He doesn't owe democrats much if anything. He only owes his constituency.

[gingerland62]

03:33 PM on 12/17/2009

66% of Connecticut wants a public option. Is he serving them?

[MacQ]

10:08 AM on 12/17/2009

"Demand" that others sacrifice. That's the new way of bipartisanship.

[MacQ]

10:06 AM on 12/17/2009

Offer big payouts like Landrieu's 300 million. Issue threats, like I'll close the air force base in your state. Wonder if dead fish have been sent from Rahm's office. Lieberman's wife has been attacked. Go behind closed doors. Tell the other party their ideas are not welcome. Do it all in secret and in a hurry.
That's the new way of doing business in DC.
If the bill was any good, it would stand up to scrutiny and debate.

[jasev01]

09:48 AM on 12/17/2009

Was this at the same meeting liberman didn't attend?

[TeamSarah4CHOICE]

07:49 AM on 12/17/2009

TO: Gibbs

BullCHIT .... BULLCHIT ....

[MrBurlesk]

10:05 PM on 12/16/2009

Strip ALL of Congress of their Health Care benefits NOW!!!

[TeamSarah4CHOICE]

07:48 AM on 12/17/2009

YES!

[wonderdog1942]

06:51 PM on 12/16/2009

What, exactly, does Gibbs mean by the word "demand." When 58 or 59 senators are forced to yield to the obstinacy of one, how can anybody possibly believe that the President "demanded" anything from the one?

[Doofus]

05:29 PM on 12/16/2009

Putting on this final huge Demo kerfuffle about Universal Healthcare
is either a pretty good way to further marginalize idiotic Repos and
get SOME kind of semi-UC, however modest, OR it isn't.

Goes to show how important Political Theater is in the Good Ol' USA.

If that's what it IS, let's not lose sight of the goal.