Posted on 08/18/2009 11:07:23 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama, trying to regain control of the health-care debate, will likely shift his pitch in September, White House and Democratic officials said, as he faces pressure from supporters to talk more about the moral imperative to provide health insurance to all Americans.
The rethinking comes amid a struggle by the White House to clarify its view on a public insurance plan, which liberals see as a critical part of a health overhaul. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday that a public plan isn't the "essential element" of a health bill, prompting sharp words from liberal groups.
The muddle continued Tuesday, with White House spokesman Robert Gibbs facing repeated questioning at his news briefing on whether the position has changed and how the president will respond to the liberal concerns.
Mr. Gibbs said the president's "preferred method" is the public plan "but he's certainly open to looking at and discussing other ideas." Ms. Sebelius insisted, "We continue to support the public option."
She said her earlier comments on a CNN program got too much coverage. "Sunday must have been a very slow news day because here's the bottom line: Absolutely nothing has changed," Ms. Sebelius told an audience in Washington.
While trying to placate liberals, White House officials also want to beat back broader public unease fed by critics' charges that the Democratic plan would cost too much and lead to excessive government control over family health-care decisions.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
“Done worry already. We’re not gonna pull da plug on Grandma! Trust me!”
Here comes the “I feel your pain” Campaign!
The Dems know that they’ll lose their super-majority in the next election, and right now, maybe even control of one of the legislative bodies. Therefore, they know that they have to pass any radical legislation before the election cycle kicks in, roughly January of next year.
Therefore, when Jack Murtha said that Congress can’t get a bill to the President before the end of the year, what he was saying is that ObamaCare was dead for the first term of the Obama Presidency.
24-7 Pity Party on all networks
Did we forget to drive a wooden stake through their heart last week on this issue?
Seems to me that the only thing they fear on this issue is sunlight....
Sell the first one for a penny then jack up the price like the Columbia Record Club?
>> While trying to placate liberals, White House officials also want to beat back broader public unease fed by critics’ charges that the Democratic plan would cost too much and lead to excessive government control over family health-care decisions.
It’s not possible to do both. Yet, in the hall-of-mirrors that is this administration I’m sure they will try.
We all know 0bama can’t pitch.
“It’s not possible to do both. Yet, in the hall-of-mirrors that is this administration I’m sure they will try.”
The stupid thing about this entire debate is that Obama has the perfect “lab” to perfect his plan! It’s called “Medicaid”, and if you throw in VA and Native American care, it would be the largest gov’t plan in the world I think.
Why not fix Medicaid, combine all Fed programs into it (including Congressmen, staffers, employees, etc), and show us how good it is? I mean, who among the GOP would argue with fixing Medicaid?
Nite all!
“This is such a technical issue, it’s easy to get bogged down in the weeds,” said Dan Nejfelt, a spokesman for Faith in Public Life, one of the groups scheduled for the Wednesday call. “It’s important to have a voice saying, ‘This is about right and wrong. This is about honoring faith.’”
hey liberals: only G-d can save your Obamacare now!
>> who among the GOP would argue with fixing Medicaid?
I doubt anyone would argue with fixing Medicaid.
On the other hand, I think the conservative “fix” for Medicaid and the marxist “fix” for Medicaid are two vastly different animals. :-)
Why dont they try lying more?
Medicaid doesn’t operate on the same premise as VA benefits.
They had every reason to know they were asking for confusion from the get-go, with a 5-plan shell game going on in Congress. Confusion doesn’t look a lot different from double talk or lies. This was either super stupid or super ingenious. I personally vote for super stupid.
How about they quit trying to sell their defective product and actually sell something that is actually good for America!. Actually, can’t think of anything that they are selling that would apply, but at least it would become a first for Congress. You know, those idiots that we elect to vote for what we wish for but just can’t do it ourselves.
Geez...
You can take a turd out of its old box and stick it in a new box and wrap it up with shinier paper and a more frilly bow . . . but it’s still the same old piece of crap.
In udder news, da Obama boyz decided to practice including da political opposition in da big guy’s plans — even if it means shoving Obama’s plans down their damn throats. Dey’d like dat...huh, huh, huh.
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