A victory, albeit a minor one:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today that the Senate would not attempt to pass sweeping health care reform until after returning from the August recess.
“It’s better to get a product that’s based on quality and thoughtfulness than on trying to just get something through,” Reid told reporters.
Reid said the Senate would try to complete a package in the fall.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said Wednesday that he expected that a bill would not be passed before the upper chamber breaks for recess on August 7.
“All this is no surprise to anyone,” Reid said.
Reid also said that the Senate Finance Committee’s long-awaited markup would be completed before the August 7 date.
Reid said Republicans, who have shown intense resistance to President Obama’s push for health care reform, had asked for more time to work out a package.
“We will do what we can to make sure their concerns are not buried,” Reid said.
via Reid: Health care won’t happen before recess – Politico.com.
So, it looks like the President’s little dog and pony show last night was all for naught. Instead of forcing the hand of Congress; Obama succeeded in making himself look like quite the jackass, in front of the American people. Instead of Obama pushing his Healthcare plan; Obama just played the game of trying to reassure the American people. Which, in this writers opinion failed; because he simply dealt in generalities, instead of specifics.
Seems to me that President Obama believes that the entire Democratic Party is just going to roll over and allow this Healthcare bill to pass unchallenged. It just does not work that way. The entire Democratic Party, is just not sold on the idea of President Obama’s far left socialism. The Blue-Dogs as they are called, still believe in free market values. They are just not going to swallow Obama’s agenda; just because he is black. This was the fatal flaw in the Obama strategy, thinking that he was going to get his way; and if anyone tried to block it, he would play the race card. It worked during the campaign, but it will not work in Washington D.C.; because the Blog Dogs just are not that stupid.
If the Blue Dogs are going to be convinced to pass something like this, they will have to be told how, in very specific terms, this Healthcare program is going to be paid for. So far, Obama has not given that. Only simple generalities; that will not fly with the Blue Dog Democrats at all.
I will continue to cover this interesting little story. Because I want to see what strategy that the Obama Administration employs. I can tell you, that if the Obama Administration tries to employ the “race card”, there could be some backlash from that as well. Because some in the Democratic Party just do not buy into that whole, “Play the card, if you’re losing the argument” strategy. It could cost Obama in poll numbers and possibly in 2012, should he decide to run again.
Update: You can read the round up of opinions on Memeornadum