Obama obsesses over health care reform as though it is a life and death issue for him. Politically speaking, it is a life and death issue for Obama. He is one focused pit bull on this subject. Don’t believe for a moment that Obama will take a up or down vote as the final say on health care reform if it comes back no. At least notnot during his Presidency.
Obama is calling for an up or down vote on his health care package. He had this to say yesterday at his “announcement conference.”
“no matter which approach you favor, I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health-care reform,” abstaining from using the word reconciliation but calling for an “up or down vote.”
Translated, he is saying, “I will not be satisfied with any vote other than “up” or “yes” to health care because my Presidency is riding on it.” He is right except for one thing. His Presidency is doomed to a first term regardless of how Congress votes because he will not listen to the American people.
The Republicans are screaming start over because the American people are screaming at the Republicans to stop spending. Why is it that the Democrats can’t hear what the voters are saying?
Those members of Congress who are not listening to the majority of voters in their districts who are against out of control spending are living on borrowed time politically. Most but not all can go ahead and start taking pictures down and packing their books ahead of the November elections.
The members of Congress who have been listening and fighting the trillion dollar plus spending deficits have a real shot at maintaining their seats.
Karl Rove had this to say in November of last year about voter outrage and the implications that it would have on the Democrats. An excerpt from that post…
What seems to concern the president is not the problem runaway spending poses for taxpayers and the economy. Rather, what bothers him is the political problem it poses for Democrats.
Last year, Mr. Obama made fiscal restraint a constant theme of his presidential campaign. “Washington will have to tighten its belt and put off spending,” he said back then, while pledging to “go through the federal budget, line by line, ending programs that we don’t need.” Voters found this fiscal conservatism reassuring.
However, since taking office Mr. Obama pushed through a $787 billion stimulus, a $33 billion expansion of the child health program known as S-chip, a $410 billion omnibus appropriations spending bill, and an $80 billion car company bailout. He also pushed a $821 billion cap-and-trade bill through the House and is now urging Congress to pass a nearly $1 trillion health-care bill.
Don’t look for Obama to accept anything other than yes on his health care initiative.
He will not listen to anyone who opposes him, including his own party.
Related posts:
- Final Health Care Bill May Require Proof of Insurance on Tax Returns
- Does President Obama have OCD? “Obama can do”
- Obama, Democrats, Reconciliation=Huge Defeat in November
- Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt) Can’t Answer How Congress has Authority for Insurance Mandate on Individuals
- Obama signed Pay Go bill, so what?