Let’s start with last week, immediately after Obama signed healthcare reform into law. Senior adviser David Axelrod said passage became
possible in the dark days that followed Sen. Scott Brown’s (R-Mass.)
victory, which cost the Democrats a 60th vote in the Senate to break
filibusters, that the GOP dropped the ball. “Some of the steam went
out of the opposition after that,” said Axelrod. “I think that people
felt like they had made a statement. Perhaps they felt like they
had killed healthcare reform … they thought the fight was over. And
that [the president] couldn’t now succeed. I do believe that. And
it’s almost as if they had made the statement that they thought they
had stopped the thing. And so it created a breathing space for us to
regroup.”
possible in the dark days that followed Sen. Scott Brown’s (R-Mass.)
victory, which cost the Democrats a 60th vote in the Senate to break
filibusters, that the GOP dropped the ball. “Some of the steam went
out of the opposition after that,” said Axelrod. “I think that people
felt like they had made a statement. Perhaps they felt like they
had killed healthcare reform … they thought the fight was over. And
that [the president] couldn’t now succeed. I do believe that. And
it’s almost as if they had made the statement that they thought they
had stopped the thing. And so it created a breathing space for us to
regroup.”
In reality, the loss allowed the fierce urgency of defeat to
prompt Democratic leaders in the House to agree to pass the toxic
Senate bill they had insisted all along they would never touch. The
healthcare reform bill, which could never even be conferenced between
House and Senate, as all bills are supposed to be, made it through the
Congress on a partisan vote because Democrats saw exactly what was
coming in Brown’s victory and knew it was now or never. Any way how, or
never. Brown’s campaign, as I have written here, also credits terror
policies the most with his victory. So to misread that election, and to
conclude that opponents had given up, isn’t going to help Team Obama as
it tries to fend off devastating losses in this fall’s midterm
elections.
prompt Democratic leaders in the House to agree to pass the toxic
Senate bill they had insisted all along they would never touch. The
healthcare reform bill, which could never even be conferenced between
House and Senate, as all bills are supposed to be, made it through the
Congress on a partisan vote because Democrats saw exactly what was
coming in Brown’s victory and knew it was now or never. Any way how, or
never. Brown’s campaign, as I have written here, also credits terror
policies the most with his victory. So to misread that election, and to
conclude that opponents had given up, isn’t going to help Team Obama as
it tries to fend off devastating losses in this fall’s midterm
elections.
Next up Obama flew up to Iowa to hold a pep rally for reform, during
which he egged on Republicans who were promising repeal of the law.
“They’re actually going to run on a platform of repeal in November.
Well, I say go for it.” Predictably, said this Democrat, this was the
quote that ran on cable over and over again, of President Obama acting
like President George W. Bush. Not only is the swagger wrong, but why
make healthcare reform about himself when there are millions
of insured and uninsured Americans with compelling stories about
illness, lack of coverage, fear of losing it or the inability
to keep pace with exponential premuim hikes for Obama to talk about?
which he egged on Republicans who were promising repeal of the law.
“They’re actually going to run on a platform of repeal in November.
Well, I say go for it.” Predictably, said this Democrat, this was the
quote that ran on cable over and over again, of President Obama acting
like President George W. Bush. Not only is the swagger wrong, but why
make healthcare reform about himself when there are millions
of insured and uninsured Americans with compelling stories about
illness, lack of coverage, fear of losing it or the inability
to keep pace with exponential premuim hikes for Obama to talk about?
On the first round of Sunday shows after passage, the White
House, as my wise Democrat points out, sent out Valerie Jarrett and
Axelrod to defend the law. The signal it sent was that this was all
about politics. Why didn’t they send out the secretary of Health and
Human Services or the secretary of Commerce? Even better, why not the
Treasury secretary to talk about the positive economic impact of reform?
House, as my wise Democrat points out, sent out Valerie Jarrett and
Axelrod to defend the law. The signal it sent was that this was all
about politics. Why didn’t they send out the secretary of Health and
Human Services or the secretary of Commerce? Even better, why not the
Treasury secretary to talk about the positive economic impact of reform?
These are all excellent points, courtesy of a loyal Democrat.
Sure, there is plenty of time to repackage reform, but so far, no
good. The clock is ticking on November.
Sure, there is plenty of time to repackage reform, but so far, no
good. The clock is ticking on November.
HAS THE ADMINISTRATION BROUGHT CHINA TO THE SANCTIONS TABLE?
Ask A.B. is on spring break next week and returns on Tuesday, April 13th.
Please join my weekly video Q&A by sending your question and
comments to askab@digital-staging.thehill.com. Thank you.
Ask A.B. is on spring break next week and returns on Tuesday, April 13th.
Please join my weekly video Q&A by sending your question and
comments to askab@digital-staging.thehill.com. Thank you.