For the first time, Obama actually told Congress what to do.
Today, President Barack Obama delivered a speech from the White House outlining his plan to move forward on health care reform. Advocating the use of budget reconciliation in order to get disputed portions of the reform package through the Senate on a simple-majority vote, Obama pointedly said, "I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health-care reform. We have debated this issue thoroughly. And now it deserves the same kind of up or down vote that was used for welfare reform…."
Obama called the past year’s jockeying over health-care reform "a long and wrenching debate." He noted the difficulty of addressing the issue, including the risk to members of Congress in election season. "That’s not an excuse for those of us who were sent here to lead," he said.
Art Levine of Working In These Times warns that some centrist Democrats are already getting cold feet on reconciliation. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., chair of the Senate Budget Committee, went on TV to declare reconciliation impossible. These guys just don’t get it. It’s reconciliation or defeat. There is no other way. Without reconciliation, the bill dies. Without a bill, the Democrats get massacred in the mid-term elections… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Alternet>
Now, I could tell you in detail what he said, but he speaks better than I write, so here is the speech in its entirety.
Part 1:
Part 2:
What do you think?
17 Responses to “Has Obama Grown a Spine?”
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I honestly think it was a speech that should have come seven or eight months ago before Baucus and his gang of 6 started to overtake the debate. I think we are going to be further enslaved by the corporate governance that now runs the nation.
It is high time President Obama began to assert himself. While gentlemanly and noble, his desire for bipartisanship and civility has been thrown aside by political opponents in the ultra-conservative Republican Party who hate him, are totally uncooperative, and want him out of office, even more than they want solutions for the huge problems our country is struggling with. The policy-barren, spiteful, and obstyructionist GOP should be ignored altogether and steamrolled on every occasion, just as they did to the Democrats from January, 2002-January, 2007.
Mark, I fully agree. However, I think this needs to pass. I think we we can fix this over time, the first step being a reconciliation vote on the public option this year.
Jack, If I agreed more you’d be quoting me.
Swanky new digs, sir. The question shall be, will the spine over time be found to be made of iron alloy, or Legos.
Obama seems very determined, I only hope, if reconciliation happens, he can find 51 Senators who are equally determined. My biggest fear is that he won’t.
During the election last Fall 75% of Americans were for health reform that included a public option. Polls say that 65% still want reform, but only 56% want this bill. That decrease reflects the disappointment, that there is no longer a public option in the bill, and the deals (pay offs) made to try and get votes for the bill.
I prefer single payer, which I never thought had a chance.
Most importantly, unless we take the costs of health insurance off the backs of employers, we will not meet one of the priorities (as I see it) for reforming the system. That is to make American companies competitive with companies around the World, who do not have to include medical insurance costs in pricing their products.
Given there is no other alternative (Republicans decided to attack and defeat Obama instead of offering an alternative bill) it’s this bill, or nothing. A poor choice for America, and poor leadership by the minority party. This vote is now more about the President getting a political success, than about health care reform.
The President needs to get on the phone and convince (like LBJ) Democrats to vote for this bill and pass it.
Sure, we can tweek the bill later, but what a waste this whole argument has been, and I blame the Republicans for the lies they have told, the hate they have fostered, the disunity among the public they have caused, and the lack of sincerity for the issue they showed by not offering constructive ideas.
Given the Republicans behavior, it’s acceptable to me, that the President use reconciliation to pass as much legislation as he can, and he should be much more forceful in doing it.
That’s great news if Obama has grown a spine. One down, 59 (Senate Democrats) to go.
“One down, 59 (Senate Democrats) to go.”
Well, 58, Tom. LIEberman isn’t a Democrat, and spinelessness isn’t his problem. His problem isn’t fixable. He’s an unmitigated asshole.
Thanks Randal. Good question. Time will tell, but I’m glad to see anything now.
Holte, If this fails a reconciliation vote, opposing Democrats will have exterminated themselves politically.
Tom, that is fantastic analysis, with which I fully agree.
Tom H and Stimpson, it’s actually 57. Bernie Sanders is an Independent Socialist. He is also the most reliable vote in the Senate for progressive causes.
Look, I know he wants to look like the peasce maker, but these bastards don’t want peace, they want the status quo. He should have seen this coming. It wasted a lot of time and patience of the American people. He’s going to have to work double time just to make good. This has been aggrevating for me as I voted for him in the primary AND the general election.
I and many others have predicted all along that many Dems would get cold feet when it came down to crunch time. There was also the “gang of fourteen” when the republicans tried the “nuclear option.” Which I know wasn’t the same as this. But it will be framed that way. Obama will have to play hardball with reticent Dems and if they don’t come through, “cut their nuts off” as Rahm and many other Illinois politicians are known to say. If it cost Dems the Senate this November, what did we have anyway? Spineless jellyfish in our midst. I’d rather make friends than enemies but national health insurance is far more important than hurt feelings. Sometimes party discipline is called for. This is one of them.
Obama has always had a spine. It’s wholly owned and operated by the finance and insurance industry.
Nobody gets it. He’s not naive, he’s not a wimp, he’s not a nice guy. Obama’s a MFing politician who cares about money and his legacy. Period.
I just with they would dispense with all the drama, and get it over with, one way or the other.
Oh, and I like the new digs 🙂
I’m with TWM – this should have been said 8 months ago and cut the Repubs lies off at the knees. Enough with this bullshit – get it done already. And for the Dems who don’t go along, well you funding for your next election just got cut off. WTF is wrong with these people? Almost 400K people have died while you guys were dicking around with this bill. Is that not serious enough for you? Get you fucking heads out of your asses, vote and be done with this. I am so fucking tired of even talking about it!
They still won’t tell us what’s in the legislation.
If this bill doesn’t include a strong public option, I will call both of my Senators and tell them to vote against it. The whole point of healthcare reform is to liberate people from the larcenous and murderous HMOs and health insurers. Fining people who can’t afford to shovel money at those evil corporations is not “reform” by any stretch of the imagination.
C, you’re right. Based on his campaign, I expected a much more assertive approach from him. I also voted for him in both. Still, I do not regret that vote, because I think Clinton would have been even more corporatist.
Truth, right on. The time for kid gloves is long past.
Oso, you may be right, but I’m not there… yet.
Bee, I agree and thanks.
Lisa, I share your frustration.
Libhomo, I think I understand what’s going to be in the bill as Obama proposed the Senate bill be modified. Not even the House bill had a strong public option. Despite all it’s faults, I think this bill has too many good qualities to let it fail. However, the moment Obama signs it into law is the time to start pressing for health care reform: single payer.