President Obama should stop trying to win bipartisan support for national health care reform legislation.Posted on 08/26/2009 10:57:25 PM PDT by SmithL
President Obama should stop trying to win bipartisan support for national health care reform legislation.
Obama seems loath to put pressure on fellow Democrats to embrace a government-run health insurance program as part of his reform plan.
Instead, the president has waffled on this key point, most recently saying that it's "only a sliver" of his health care reform goals.
This mushy approach is designed to win Republican votes in Congress. But Obama should recognize that hard-line Republicans are never going to support his health reform program because, for them, the Obama health proposals are a sideshow. Their real goal is to limit his presidency to one term.
He should put his foot down and say that a government-sponsored health insurance agency is absolutely necessary to compete against private companies and keep their rates low. And he should accept the reality that any congressional victory will be won by Democrats -- not by some imaginary bipartisan coalition.
If Obama wants to win, he could tear a page out of Lyndon B. Johnson's book on sure-fire ways to overcome congressional resistance.
Tom Johnson, former deputy White House press secretary for President Lyndon B. Johnson (no relation), recalls that LBJ was relentless in pursuit of needed votes and that he knew what it would take to win every lawmaker's vote on Capitol Hill.
Johnson -- who went on to become publisher of the Los Angeles Times and president of CNN -- said LBJ would be on the telephone with members of Congress and their key staffers, telling them: "Your president really needs your vote on this bill."
He also would know about every special request from every member -- from White House tours to appointments to federal jobs and commissions.
"The Johnson treatment" also included personal or group visits with the president.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Ouch.
Ping.
Obama does not need any Republican votes.
Helen calls it correct.
Yea, That will do it for sure.
Helen just let him be. Obama is just trying to enjoy his vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. He just wants to relax after an exhausting trip to the grand canyon a few days ago
In all honesty the “Bright Angel” is a tough one. ...Oh Wait..
He was. LBJ had popular support for about three and a half years.. Obama had popular support for about six months.
Just like the old Nazi she is.
it’s not just that obama is a far left liberal. he’s also lazy and can’t manage his way out of a paper bag.
A paper-bag Czar is right around the corner if that gets out.
She should know about LBJ. There are plenty of rumors that he was porking her back in the 60s. She was ugly then too.
Taking political advice from Helen Thomas is only marginally wiser than using her beauty tips.
Show some leg, Helen. You sit in the front row!
“President Obama should stop trying to win bipartisan support for national health care reform legislation.”
At no point did Obama or Pelosi seek “bipartisan support”.
The very first line of her piece is a lie. “He won” and he was going to get his way.
Oh Helen, Helen, Helen. You know perfectly well President Obambi is not nor will ever be bipartisan.
[She should know about LBJ. There are plenty of rumors that he was porking her back in the 60s. She was ugly then too.]
OOOOOH, Zing!
[Obama should recognize that hard-line Republicans are never going to support his health reform program because, for them, the Obama health proposals are a sideshow. Their real goal is to limit his presidency to one term.]
Their real goal is to stop Obama from turning our country into a Euro-socialist nanny state. If Obama is limited to one term, then it has nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats - it has everything to do with everyday voters deciding that Obama isn’t the right person to lead our country and someone else is better suited for the job.
yeah I tried to find a young picture of her that looked ‘ok’ but no luck. ha
She wants to be the first one to be condemned by the death panel.
Good OLD Helen, does she realize that she is a prime candidate for rationed health care? She should also know that because of her total uselessness that she would be one of the first to go under Dr. Emanuel’s reduction plan. Amen.
Courtesy ping for members of the Helen Thomas ping list. Thanks, Jet!
!
Argh. I was afraid you would find this thread...
yow, i just came in from 111F to cool off and i see that giant pic
Contrast this with a one-term junior Senator who barely knows his way to the House cafeteria, too wet behind the ears even to know how to twist arms of people who have been at the game as long as he has been alive. And, if even one of whom takes offense at the LBJ-like "treatment," can bring the whole thing to a halt with a single vote. Helen, dear, it just isn't happening.
0bama has lost this one in the Senate already unless (1) the Massachusetts state government changes its laws or (2) he is willing to chop the bill up in order to get past the reconciliation process and only need 51 votes. Either way the Dems lose big in the eyes of the public and end up bearing full responsibility for the outrageous spending their bills contain.
Helen is suggesting that it would be worth the political fallout later to put these programs in place now and damn the consequences. There isn't anything more likely to make 0bama a one-term wonder than her own proposed course of action. For all his faults LBJ would never have been stupid enough to fall for that one.
yow, i wasn’t wearin’ me blinders
Oh my post 34 was good eye wash...sigh
LBJ was an arm twister, while Obama is a strong-armer.
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