White House: Let's Let 'Dust Settle' On Health Care

[jefferson_dem]

Ruh Roh -- :hide:

White House: Let's Let 'Dust Settle' On Health Care
Rachel Slajda | January 21, 2010, 2:11PM

The White House will move health care reform to the back burner, in order to "let the dust settle" after Democrats lost their Senate super-majority.

Asked today if health care was on the back burner, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "The president believes it is the exact right thing to do by giving this some time, by letting the dust settle, if you will, and looking for the best path forward."

He said the administration wanted to give Congress time to figure out their next move. He also noted that President Obama "has a very full plate" with financial reform, the economy, the wars and other matters.

"As the majority leader and speaker continue to look to the best way forward, the president has a very full plate," Gibbs said. "There's plenty of work for the president to do in the meantime."

"The president obviously knew from the beginning of this that finding a solution to a very complex problem would be a challenge," he said.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/white-house-lets-let-dust-settle-on-health-care.php

[uponit7771]

1. wow...jus....wow....FUCK!!!

[Phx_Dem]

2. Congressional Dems just handed the GOP a huge victory because they

can't or won't ease their 'lines in the sand' and work together.

I hate them all.

[Teaser]

4. I hate them all is right.

once they put this down, they will never come back to it. frauds and failures.

[FormerDittoHead]

17. I think they're going to do what Pelosi did after 2006's house victory and ask for more...

In 2007, even though the Congress could have tied Bush up in knots in Iraq, they did EVERYTHING that he wanted (that I can remember) and saying they can't do ANYTHING with a veto proof majority...

I think they've learned from Massachusetts is that this bill is NOT a vote getter, nor does it show Democrats as being very effective.

Seriously, as far as passing a bill goes, could it be any WORSE? At the very, very best, the good things marginally outweigh the bad things, and that's only if you're one of the 1/10th who would benefit from the bill.

That's not saying much.

I think they want to stretch it out for another election cycle and make us pay for it (again).

[Teaser]

3. goddammit

.

[Jennicut]

5. I don't think that is a terrible idea, actually.

Let Nancy Pelosi decide if they want to split up the legislation and send it back to the House.
Anyway, I thought lots of people around here wanted the bill to die so Obama can "start over". Health care reform may die a slow death. RIP health care reform, 2010.

[treestar]

9. Right. the Kill the Billers had better be happy with this!

[Jennicut]

11. And they will SO take it up again in an election year!

Isn't that great?

[Tom Rinaldo]

23. Though I never firmly moved into that camp, for the record I must say:

None of the so called "Kill the Billers" on the left have been happy for a moment about how this has all come down. Virtually every (sincere) one of them has been heart broken to even think about having to oppose a Democratic sponsored health care reform initiative. Almost all were willing to compromise, and compromise again, and again after that, while people like Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson dug in their heels and said my way or the highway.

This is not a happy day for anyone who cares about health care in America, but "reform" is simply a word, using it does not make everything labeled with it acceptable. The Republicans have lots of "reforms" that they want to sell America on. Privatizing Social Security was billed as a reform also.

[Cha]

29. Yeah, they have shit to say about this.

[rockymountaindem]

36. I do

Breaking up the good parts of the legislation and having them passed as separate bills if possible would be a good idea. Considering the millstone that bill was going to be around our necks in November, aside from all of the structural implications it has which I won't get into again now, moving it to the back burner and letting people focus on other matters for the time being is a good call.

Also, considering today's Supreme Court decision, I am even *more* against subsidies to private insurers now than before. No sense letting them buy elections with our taxpayer money. Make them earn those bribes themselves!

[jenmito]

13. She said it will be done "this year."

I am sooo mad right now, but I guess there weren't enough strong Dems. in the House to pass the Senate bill with a "patch" to fix things they really didn't like.

[Jennicut]

15. That is what they should have done. But House liberals are against passing

the Senate bill as are House centrists for different reasons. So they should split it up in pieces....or do nothing, which looks like total failure.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

6. Sounds the smartest move leave it to 2011 then folks may have the incentive to ...

a least give us 2 seats up and take Lieberman out of contention.

[pscot]

7. Unfortunately, the dust is settling

on Barak Obama's presidency. It's time to brush the dust off and start punching.

[asjr]

8. We may never get a health bill. Every time

we hear about it they have dropped something in it to appease Republicans or those hyenas known as Blue Dogs. We would have ended up I suppose with a health bill about 20 words long that said Folks you are on your own. . .

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

10. Is the settling dust that powder we were keeping dry earlier?

[Tailormyst]

12. ...................

But he looks good in a bathing suit !!!!!!!!!!!!!


:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Orsino]

14. ...and on the coffins. n/t

[jenmito]

16. I JUST watched Gibbs answering the "back burner" question. He said it does NOT mean HCR is on

the back burner. Bad reporting. They left out these words in Gibbs' quote when answering if this means the President is putting healthcare on the back burner: "No. No, again, I repeat simply that the president believes it is the exact right thing to do by giving this some time, by letting the dust settle, if you will, and looking for the best path forward."

[Jennicut]

18. I think it means they don't know which way they will go yet.

Jen, I still hope they find some way to pass something related to healthcare. At the very least regarding pre-existing conditions since I have one.

[jenmito]

20. I agree. Gibbs also said we've come too far to not pass anything.

And so do I-hope they find some way to pass something as I have a pre-existing condition, too.

[dgibby]

30. And last night on the Ed Show,

Gibbs insisted that Obama never campaigned on the public option, either. I think I'll take anything Gibbs says with a big old salt lick at this point.

[SunsetDreams]

22. Thank you jenmito!

Facts are an awesome thing to have!

I didn't think this sounded right.

[jenmito]

26. No problem. The article completely misrepresented what Gibbs actually said by leaving out

a few "little" words.

[uponit7771]

27. FUCK THE M$M!!!!!

[RememberWellstone]

19. Translation:

Eventhough we are in power, we will assume the rethug position instead of lead. We are weak, we are pathetic..we are democrats!

[jenmito]

21. I wonder why the writer of the article said the opposite of what Gibbs said...

Gibbs said, in response to if this means healthcare is on the back burner, "No. No, again, I repeat simply that the president believes it is the exact right thing to do by giving this some time, by letting the dust settle, if you will, and looking for the best path forward." Why did she leave out the part I put in bold print? The article's first line is, "The White House will move health care reform to the back burner, in order to "let the dust settle" after Democrats lost their Senate super-majority."

[flpoljunkie]

24. More on this from Schumer via TPM...

Schumer: We'll Make No Reform Before Its Time. And Time Is Running Out

Evan McMorris-Santoro | January 21, 2010, 1:18PM

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Senate leadership is still considering what to do about health care legislation in the wake of the Massachusetts Senate election. But he said that whatever plan is agreed on, Democrats want health care off the table by March.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Senate leadership is still considering what to do about health care legislation in the wake of the Massachusetts Senate election. But he said that whatever plan is agreed on, Democrats want health care off the table by March.

"I don't think we want this to go on for three more months," he said. "You have to make a decision." Schumer said that Democrats are making sure to rush a plan on reform and said that "it will take a few days" for the caucus to come up with plan to pass health care reform without their supermajority.

Reconciliation is one of a few options under discussion, Schumer said. But he said that "concerns about the political climate" make that plan less than appealing to some Democrats. "It's one of the considerations," he said when asked if Democrats worry voters will react badly to a health care bill passed with through reconciliation.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/schumer-well-make-no-reform-before-its-time-and-time-is-running-out.php?ref=fpa

[jenmito]

28. Schumer: We'll Make No Reform Before Its Time. And Time Is Running Out

THAT'S good to hear. Thanks.

[dave29]

25. because they have an agenda

always do. How many articles have you seen reporting the end of the Health Care Bill... over the last 6 months

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

37. What do you suppose TPM's agenda is?

[Spazito]

33. The 'author' of this dribble is a "TPM News writer", in other words...

a blogger giving a deliberately misleading interpretation of what was said with NO affiliation to anything but TPM.

[TheKentuckian]

31. At some point you have to look at the possibility that any piece of paper that says health care

is not reform and isn't progress, not even incrementally.

At best the Senate bill spreads the agony and allows more to be inflicted while protecting the upper middle class and the rich from medical liability. The worst will sound like hyperbole to many so I'll leave it alone for now.

[CreekDog]

32. Well I've been pressing for the White House to get involved

and now I wish they hadn't. :wtf: :banghead:

:grr:

[Flying Dream Blues]

34. They must think we are stupid. And can you blame them? nt

[Vinca]

35. So I guess the new tactic is to allow more people to go bankrupt

and die in the hope the wingnuts will come around and realize they've been had by big insurance and big pharma. It's funny how fast people get the single-payer religion once their own family is affected.