Posted on 03/12/2010 10:13:52 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The fierce and escalating battle over health care reform Friday forced President Barack Obama to delay his departure on a trip to Indonesia and Australia by three days until Sunday, March 21.
Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs made the announcement on his Twitter feed, a day after saying the trip would not be delayed, reflecting the fast-shifting debate on an issue that has put the president's political credibility on the line.
Gibbs also said that Obama's wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha would no longer join him on a poignant journey to the president's haunts in Indonesia where he lived as a boy for four years with his beloved late mother.
"The president will delay leaving for Indonesia and Australia -- will now leave Sunday -- the first lady and the girls will not be on the trip," Gibbs wrote.
The White House had been pressing the House of Representatives to hold a key vote on Obama's flagship health care reforms before his original departure date on March 18, but it became clear that that deadline was unrealistic.
The journey had been timed to coincide with the school holidays to allow the president to take his family, and the fact he must leave his daughters at home may take the gloss off the trip for Obama and disappoint his hosts.
The delay will also likely fan fresh doubts about the capacity of Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives to put together a majority of votes for the embattled effort to overhaul America's mostly private health care system.
Gibbs had said on Thursday there were no current plans to delay the trip, which he portrayed as an important moment in the foreign policy of Obama, who has called himself America's "first Pacific President."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
more like a clusterfu .. uhhh..
another Obama debacle
Groundhog Day DC version
Ahh. Did something prevent the Poser-In-Chief and his freeloading family from taking another vacation? What’s it been, like a month, since their last one? I’m really sorry.
Obama’s wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha would no longer join him on a poignant journey to the president’s haunts in Indonesia where he lived as a boy for four years with his beloved late mother.
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Yes I could hear MO from here in TN...
She is livid...
What stupid reporting! How did the “imbroglio” “force” him to delay his trip? He’s the president, he sets his schedule, and the dealings in Congress would not “force” him to delay an overseas trip.
If they passed a bill while he’s out of town, he could sign it into law from anywhere in the world.
O out of the country
HellCare
O out of the country
HellCare
Decisions, decisions. Which is better?
Oh No! A family vacation spoiled! Another example of the contempt those evil, racist Republicans have for The One.
Oh, the hugh manitee!!
He is appearing obsessed by this. It's like a boy arguing over who is in charge of the club who just won't shut up.
Just think!
Three more years of more OBAMA DRAMA!
Obama’s wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha would no longer join him on a poignant journey
Malia and Sasha probably told him to stuff the Hijab
so just what the heck is Barry going to do? Beg for votes? Oh, please go campaign for a few more Dems. Anytime you have done that there has been a miserable failure following.
Doesn’t matter, they have to pass the SENATE version first, then it will be HAND carried to the WH for obambi to sign into law. Keep those phones ringing, even if your rep is a republican call them and tell them in no uncertain terms HELL NO to any health care bill.
IF you believe that I’ve a prime piece of ocean front property in the GOBI desert to sell at a reasonable price.
Defeat Obamacare call list: List now contains the new MAYBES culled from FR posts.
PLEASE CALL! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE State District
Code Red” - House Target List on Health Care
The National Republican Congressional Committee has published a target list on health care. In addition to continuing to contact the five Tennessee Democrat Congressmen, you can go http://www.votervoice.net/link/clickthrough/ext/94697.aspx to contact some of these targets. Much of the talk following Obama’s announcement has focused on how to defeat this second bill through reconciliation, but that is misleading because the first step to defeating Obamacare is not by concentrating on defeating the “fixer” bill but by defeating the Senate bill in the House when it goes to the floor for an up-or-down vote on Thursday, March 18th.
Rep. Lincoln Davis 202-225-6831 Columbia office: 931-490-8699
Rep. Jim Cooper 202-225-4311 Nashville office: 615-736-5295
Rep. Bart Gordon 202-225-4231 Murfreesboro office: 615-896-1986
John Tanner (202) 225-4714, Union City, (731) 885-7070, Jackson Phone: (731) 423-4848, Millington (901) 873-5690 TN (MAYBE)
Rep. Steve Cohen 202-225-3265 Memphis office: 901-544-4131
Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District
Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District
Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District
Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District
John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District
Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District
Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District
Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District
Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District
Mark Schauer (202) 225-6276 (517) 780-9075 MI 7th District
Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District
Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District
Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District
Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District
John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District
Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District
James Matheson Toll-Free Number 1 (877) 677-9743 (202) 225-3011Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District
Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District
Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District
Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District
Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District
Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District
Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District
Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District
Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District
Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District
John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District
Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI (MAYBE)
Brian Baird (202) 225-3536, Vancouver, (360) 695-6292. Olympia, (360) 352-9768, (MAYBE)
senator mark begich (202) 224-3004 toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 just became a MAYBE
Jason Altmire 202-225-2565, Aliquippa, 724-378-0928,
Natrona Heights, 724-226-1304 (MAYBE)
On the Bubble (Major developments from the “yes” and “no” columns in the House)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2467046/posts
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