President Obama plans health care statement Sunday night

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

Sensing victory, President Barack Obama is planning to make a statement to the nation Sunday night after the House takes its final vote on health care legislation.

The White House announced late Sunday afternoon that Obama would speak from the East Room in the evening, with the timing to be determined.

The announcement was another signal that Obama was confident that Democrats have the votes to pass the legislation at the center of his domestic agenda.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100321/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_obama_statement

[Drunken Irishman]

1. GOBAMA!

Holy shit! I haven't used that in like a year and a half!

[Coyote_Bandit]

2. I'm probably more interested

in hearing how his March Madness brackets are doing - especially since Kansas got beat.

I've learned not to believe him......

[Drunken Irishman]

3. You do that.

[Coyote_Bandit]

4. I will

A sitting Dem President with majorities in both the House and Senate could have and should have delivered somthing much better than this clusterfuck legislation. They didn't. Didn't really try. Instead they consistently revised their expectations and demands downward to the point where the biggest benefactors will be the insurance companies. Nothing the least bit fucking progressive about that.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Good.

[Cha]

19. Yeah,

double good.:P

[rhett o rick]

28. How can you in good conscience celebrate this legislation. We have the presidency

the HOR and the Senate, yet 4 years until people with pre-conditions can get insurance if they dont die first and if the republicans and Blue Dogs dont eliminate it entirely before then. And you know they have the resources to do just that.

[Cha]

31. Enough.

[ramapo]

35. Try 90 days

90 days until the pool opens for those denied insurance. I am not thrilled with the wait until everybody is on the same footing but this is better than nothing.

[liquid diamond]

37. It doesn't matter if we

have the presidency, HOR, and the senate. Not every democrat is a progressive! See Stupak, Lincoln, and Nelson. Oh, then there is Lieberman who isn't even a dem.

[Stellar]

40. Triple good!

agreed!

[AzNick]

7. Maybe he has some serious hurdles to clear?

Starting with a very slanted media machine that repeats every stupid lie from the right and puts the focus on fringe movements like the so-called tea party and their idiotic signs?

[pampango]

8. If he had a majority of progressive in both houses, I'd agree. When there are 178 repubs and

54 Blue Dogs in the House, that's a majority of conservatives right there. Nothing any better than this would have gotten through. He could have tried for single payer on principle and accepted defeated graciously and used it as a teaching moment for the future of health care, but he apparently actually wanted to pass legislation.

[Coyote_Bandit]

11. And Lyndon Johnson

could have made the same excuse and settled for far less with respect to civil rights legislation. Apparently Johnson had more political capital than Obama does. Or better political and leadership skills.

Passing bad legislation is not better than going down in defeat. Of course, it's a little difficult to measure what is good and bad in this legislation. Seems a good bit of that promised transparency in fashioning healthcare reform was lacking.

Regardless of whether this bill passes Obama has failed to deliver meaningful healthcare reform IMHO. But he sure as hell has delivered for the insurance companies. But I'm sure we will continue to pretend this legislation is something it isn't.

[Drunken Irishman]

16. Johnson received over 80% of the Republican support in congress to pass the Civil Rights Bill.

Far more than he actually received from Democrats. Apples & orange,s my friend.

[Coyote_Bandit]

22. Ummmm......

Johnson was able to get bipartisian support to pass the Civil Rights Bill and the Dems who opposed it were clearly not progressive.

Obama can't get bipartisian support for healthcare reform and will be lucky to manage to get support from enough Dems to pass the damn thing. If he can't deliver the votes of his own party then he is not a strong or effective party leader.

Again, Johnson had the political capital Obama doesn't. And the political and leadership skills.

The Obama administration is little more than a lost opportunity.

[Drunken Irishman]

23. I agree with your first assessment, your second one is bunk.

Johnson did have more political capital. He had soaring approval ratings and was not even a year removed from ascending the office after Kennedy was killed.

As for leadership skills? When you've got 80% Republican support for something, even at the start without much maneuvering, it isn't entirely difficult get something passed.

Do you think of Johnson was dealing with the modern Republican Party he would be able to convince 80% of them to support healthcare?

If you do, then I have a bridge to sell you...

[Coyote_Bandit]

27. I don't think so

I'm not buying much of what you're shoveling.

A President with majorities in the House and Senate should have little difficulty in passing a legislative agenda. If he can't then it is because he lacks the leadership and political skills to succeed in his own fucking political party. And if he can't succeed and lead there then he isn't likely to be particularly effective. After all, he will face oppostition from within his party as well as outside his party. If Obama exercised significant leadership and political skills within his own party then the position and actions of the Pukes would be largely irrelevant. He doesn't.


With respect to the Civil Rights legislation, LBJ benefitted from strong public support for the legislation. Opposition was largely regional (southern) and bipartisian. As was support for the measure. Healthcare reform has had strong public opposition and less strong public support. Opposition has been bipartisian and not limited to a specific geographic region.

[liquid diamond]

38. Poor leadership skills? What bullshit.

Obama can't force a senator or rep to do his biding. They are in a separate body of government. I guess you just need somebody to blame.

[Dream Girl]

21. You forgot the CAPS!!!!!!!!

[rhett o rick]

29. But he didnt even put up a fight. Maybe the Blue Damn Dogs can skuttle a decent bill,

But at least force them to. At least he should act like he favors us not the predatory insurance industry.

[SocialistLez]

17. +1

[liquid diamond]

36. Boo fucking hoo. You didn't get your public option or single payer.

Cry me a river. We are BARELY able to get this legislation passed, but you people think our conservative dems would support a public option or single payer? One thing I have to drive home with you miserable people is that Obama CAN'T make congress do what he wants! It's that separation of powers thing! This bill isn't perfect, but it's better than resorting to your republican plan of shit canning it and starting all over again while the status quo continues. No thanks. I'll take progress now.

[Stellar]

41. I'm with you on that 'liquid diamond'...

Why is it that people think that the President can make Democrats do ANYTHING he want's them to? They are in deed a separate body from him. They want everything their way or the highway. At least we can build on this. Some would rather see this bill die because they didn't get the PO or Single payer. And just how long did it take for us to get here, 30 years or so, PLEASE!!! In an ideal world maybe. But not today.

[liquid diamond]

46. Thanks for the support and welcome to DU.

Some of these posters live in fantasy land. And when their fantasies aren't legislated, they call the president a sell-out, the black Bush, corporatist, and whatever nasty names they've called him here. I don't agree with everything Obama has done, but one thing I really appreciate about him is that he is a REALIST. This is the best we can do for now.

[Coyote_Bandit]

43. Bad legislation

is not an improvement over no legislation.

[2Design]

6. better not interupt sunday night TV - this can wait until morning or nightly news n/t

[Iggo]

9. This is why DVR's were invented.

If you're still a slave to the TV schedule, you're missing out.

[CLANG]

10. I want him to interrupt the teabaggers favorite programs!

[Iggo]

12. Good point.

Didn't they get mad once when one of his speeches prempted some xmas special, and they claimed it was part of his soshulisnazimoozlim plot against xtianiy? I want that again. Yeah...good times.

[CLANG]

14. Oh yeah, they were smokin'! Hopefully there will be a few strokes and MCI's this time!

[awoke_in_2003]

18. Bloody socialists....

taking the Rudolf out of christmas :)

[2Design]

13. ok go on faux news channel just not abc

[CLANG]

15. They may put the preso-dent on fox too!

[Cha]

20. Thanks for the news, cal..

This will be interesting to a lot of folkies.

[hisownpetard]

24. Go, Bam-Bam! Nany Pelosi has proven to be tougher and more determined

than I've given her credit for.

[Skittles]

25. mission accomplished

[LiberalEsto]

26. Should have done this months ago

I think if he had talked to the nation about why health care reform is necessary, it might have shortened the process.

[rhett o rick]

30. Is he going to say he is sorry? nm

[Divine Discontent]

32. K&R #5 - off to the greatest for more eyes.

[icee]

33. Think I'll watch reruns of Grays Anatomy.

[Faygo Kid]

34. Enjoy. The rest of us will watch history being made.

[Stellar]

42. Amen!!!

[Royal Oak Rog]

44. Unless they Replay

that Spartan finish, I'm watchin' Barack!

[Xenotime]

39. I'm so going to watch that...

I might have to light up something special

[AllyCat]

45. And now women under the bus. Thanks for the hope and change Obama

http://portal.tds.net/news/read.php?ps=1018&rip_id=%3CD9EJ8QVG0%40news.ap.org%3E&_LT=HOME_LARSDCCLM_UNEWS

The measure cleared a critical early test vote, 224-206, a few hours after Obama and Democratic leaders struck a compromise with anti-abortion lawmakers whose votes had left the outcome in doubt. The president issued an executive order pledging that no federal funds would be used for elective abortion.