Monday, February 8, 2010

Obama to Bring The Republicans into the Health Care Debate, Let in Cameras

He is not starting over, but Obama is now going to try to bring in Republicans into the health care debate. It is a good start, as long as it is not some political ploy to use as justification to cut the Republicans out again. The Republicans are going to need to step it up, reiterating all their ideas on what should happen and what should not. It should at least make for some interesting political TV, but it is not immediately clear how much progress on the issue we can expect.

Video embedded below.


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4 comments:

  1. when obama went to the gop retreat and made them look like assholes it was defintly some of the most compelling political television ive ever seen, this def has potential too haha.

    personally I think this is a political set up, tho from my perspective a smart one. he wants it filmed so either their blatant obstructionism is on record, filmed. he can say ok been there tried that bi-partisian bla bla and then give democrats political cover to pass a bill through the reconciliation sidecare.

    OR the republicans have decided that they need to start looking more moderate in order to clinch wins in 2010 (as evidenced by the scott brown victory, as opposed to the NY special election defeat) and this is how an already very watered down bill that the public feels doesn't go far enough, gets watered down more and gets passed with two or three republican votes.

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  2. Moderation is not the Republicans path to victory. Brown won on the slogan 'I will be the 41st vote against ObamaCare'; in Massachusetts no less. Obama has to realize this HealthCare overhaul is an albatross around the Neck of the Democrats and is looking for a way to hook it to the Republicans. I doubt that the Republicans will go for it without serious change and it is doubtful Obama could keep the Democrats with what the Republicans want added/changed. Looking forward to the show though.

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  3. haha, right when obama wins in a historic election its because acorn stole it, when one of scott brown's slogan's says something about "obamacare" it means he really spoke to voters on the issues...

    ha no. Its true the majority of the public does not like the bill in congress, particularly the one the senate passed. yet the vast majority of opposition to the provisions in the bill are coming from what is considered the left. the majority of the public wants a public option, a majority of the public favors a medicare buy-in at a lower age then 65. even people who voted for Brown, the majority of them say they prefer the universal coverage program in massachusetts (signed by mitt romney, basically the same plan in the senate that you somehow think can be conceivably compromised anymore). according to the polls, typically Democratic voters (understandably in my view) felt they had no reason to vote in order to help pass a bill they aren't pleased with and so didnt. As they already have the system that is being obstructed in congress, this makes more sense to me then what I heard on the marc levin radio show the day of the election.

    This certaintly should be a warning to Obama about the need to actually deliver something to the public and not just banks and health insurance interests in 2010, but its no indication that the public now likes republicans anymore, or there ideas or that a platform of obstructing whatever it is the democrats do is a smart one. The democratic partys favorability rating is low, like 35 percent, if you can belive it, the republicans have a lower one, ive seen 9 to 18 percent. Even for politicians (a pretty disliked group overall) Obama's approval rating is quite high- 50-55 percent.

    I agree i don't think the republicans will go for it. Even in the incredibly weak senate version of the bill, the provisions in it are likely to prove politically popular once law, and obama's popularity will probably spike for a bit once it hits his desk. if that happens you can be sure republicans will be trying to take credit for the bill. but trying to take credit for it will be harder then just to keep on obstructing a nominal attempt at meaningful reform of an inhuame and inefficient system that you have spent the last year telling your political base is tantamount to soviet communism.

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  4. @Ian Spencer Dubrowsky - I never said ACORN stole the election.

    The Republicans do not want any part of this bill in its current form, and Democrats are starting to distance themselves as well. That is because, as you say, the majority do not want it.

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