Posted on 09/08/2009 12:53:45 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Democrats return to Washington this week for a last-ditch effort to salvage health care reform, looking to President Obama's joint-session speech Wednesday to avert a political and legislative train wreck.
It is an astonishing reversal of fortunes for a party that started the year with triumphant control of Congress and the presidency, confident in its ambitions to retool the nation's economy, not only with health care but also climate change and a New Deal-style economic stimulus.
Democrats instead return bloodied by a terrible August of plummeting public support, raucous town-hall meetings, a re-energized GOP and an impasse in their own ranks over whether to provide a "public option" as an alternative to private health insurance.
Health care may swallow efforts to address climate change, while the weak economy and shocking deficits fuel public fears about the government's capacity to launch costly new social programs.
Obama, who for months has left details of health reform to Congress, will become "the decider" Wednesday evening, laying out specifically what he wants in health reform and setting the contours of the battlefield.
Nothing will loom larger than his endorsement or abandonment of a public option.
Liberal Democrats are terrified that he will jettison their Holy Grail, while conservatives fear that a vote for a public option - characterized by opponents as leading to government-run health care - could doom them in tough re-election fights.
"This is not a sliver of health care reform, this is essential," said Rep. Barbara Lee, an Oakland Democrat, one of 60-plus House liberals who vow to vote against any plan without a public option. Lee said she hopes Obama will clearly state his support.
"This is really a moral imperative," she said. "This is a huge issue."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
corn meet pop
Why would they pin any hope on the speech Obama would make .....He always says about the same thing in a bunch of threats or platitudes.
I asked a lib the other day if Communism is worth free health care and he
said only Yes because he had no argument accept he's a spoiled brat
who thinks he deserves free stuff. And he ownes in a home worth over 1-mil.
The brain dead RATs don't give a crap about America.
74%?
I read today this percentage didn’t think Obama was being truthful.
I think he is a mere puppet and has no clue about any of this crap except he is told that he has to get it through by the powers above him.
It would be a great time for his teleprompter to fail...
45 minutes of oh, ah, da..........da, da..and other rambling nonsense..
Wots on Fox network? How about the NFL channel?
Beats me why they think they need help when they have the votes without republicans. I hope Bozo pushes for the public option because that will kill it for sure. Don’t let any republicans cry out for a “compromise”, we are betrayed by our own party as often as we are screwed by the dimwits.
I believe the Dems who are going to vote for this Health Care atrocity in spite of hell are just looking for this speech as something to hide behind.
LOL. The Democrats can pass ObamaCare if they want to. They don't need a single Rep vote.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if the Republicans will get to counter this speech with one of their own? Anyone know who’s giving it? Anyone care to speculate whether or not the MSM will give an ounce of coverage to this counter?
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