TPMDC
GOP Blasts Obama's Upcoming Health Care Speech: "Lecturing" Congress Not The Answer
Eric Kleefeld | September 2, 2009, 4:53PM
Share
Send to a friend!
The Republicans are already firing back at the news that President Obama will give a speech on health care to a joint session of Congress next week. NRCC communications director Ken Spain sent out this statement to reporters:
"The White House and Congressional Democrats lost the month of August, and with it public opinion. Lecturing members of the United States Congress is not the answer to the Democrats' growing political problems, dumping their plans for a healthcare takeover is. We know the President can give a great speech, the question is whether or not he can hold his own party together."
Other Stories Featured at TPMDC
Join the Conversation!
Leave a comment
Follow us!
PollTracker
Most Popular
- How Clemmons Went From Prisoner To Alleged Cop Killer -- And Why It Matters For Mike Huckabee
- High-End Grifters
- Another Huckabee Pardon
- Bachmann: Just Over A Year Ago, The Private Economy Was 100% Private
- Why Are Dem Voters Now Less Motivated Than Republicans?
- CBO: Health Care Reform Will Lower Out-Of-Pocket Burden For Most Consumers
- Rep. Hinchey: Bush Purposely Let Bin Laden Escape To Justify Iraq War
- Radio Host Bill Press: Glenn Beck Is A 'Ticking Time Bomb' Who Will 'Explode In The Face Of Roger Ailes'
- Family Guy Mocks Chris Matthews' Inflated Ego
- Latest High-Flying Accused Ponzi Schemer Has Ties To Indiana Guv
- Obama Issues New Orders On Afghanistan
- Why Are Dem Voters Now Less Motivated Than Republicans?
- Dems Add Entitlement Reform To Packed Agenda Ahead of 2010 Elections
- Huckabee Cites System's 'Failures' In Response To Washington Police Killings
- How Clemmons Went From Prisoner To Alleged Cop Killer -- And Why It Matters For Mike Huckabee
- Gibbs: Social Office Not Problem With Dinner Crashers
- Rep. Hinchey: Bush Purposely Let Bin Laden Escape To Justify Iraq War
- Bachmann: Just Over A Year Ago, The Private Economy Was 100% Private
- Radio Host Bill Press: Glenn Beck Is A 'Ticking Time Bomb' Who Will 'Explode In The Face Of Roger Ailes'
- The Dubai panic "nonsense": What is GD river's angle?
- Why Have We Subjugated Ourselves?
- Obstructionism Trumps Transparency
- Progressives (and Obama) are Doing Better Than We Think -- and We Won't Know What We've Got 'Til It's Gone
- Jeff Goldberg Faults Obama For Suggesting Settlement Expansion Leads To Violence
- A Dime In My Pocket
- Great Moments in CNN Journalism
- Return to Sender: Feigning Indifference & Losing My Religion
- The Pivot
- Basic Investment Advice
- Authoritarianism and Polarization in American Politics
TPM Top News
© 2009 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
CT Voter
September 2, 2009 5:01 PM
Shorter GOP: we're screwed.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Ann Arbor
September 2, 2009 5:07 PM
Yes, people certainly associate Obama with "lecturing" and a my-way-or-the-highway approach.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
chimpale
September 2, 2009 5:10 PM
What's the matter, GOPers? Afraid somebody might be able to speak the truth without your thugs shouting them down? Don't worry, I'm sure Fox News won't be showing it. So, at least your base won't get to hear anything but the usual crap you feed them.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Jim H
September 2, 2009 5:21 PM in reply to chimpale
Maybe Fox WILL air it. They can still shout him down on their own network.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ttarleton
September 2, 2009 5:17 PM
I love the smell of GOP desperation in the morning (or evening).
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
BobFred2
September 2, 2009 5:19 PM
Democrats lost August? If you mean the so-called liberal media and Republicans and their pollsters the the insurance industry doing everthing in their power to produce the perception that healthcare reform was dead, then Democrats lost August.
And Republicans in Iowa said they were going to prove it in a special election for a State House seat in south central Iowa which is a swing part of the state. And Republicans brought in national groups to make sure. Couldn't do it.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090902/NEWS09/909020372/1001/NEWS
The perception is not the reality. The whole machine is trying to railroad Obama like they tried to railroad Clinton when they couldn't do it at the ballot box. There is a reason that Obama pays no attention to cable news. We shouldn't either.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ttarleton
September 2, 2009 5:22 PM
Agenda for 2nd & 3rd week of Sept:
- Give barnburner speech(es)
- Boost public support
- Terminate Circus Baucus
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
September 2, 2009 5:31 PM
This is the most encouraging thing I've read in weeks.
They're thinking 94. I'm thinking last August when they were convinced they'd gotten the upper hand with those lame-ass attack ads comparing him to Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton only to find they'd pushed his favorables down by about 3% without improving McPow's.
It's like the RNC used one of the press releases from this time last year as a template for this statement. The whistling past the graveyard sweaty fear is palpable.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
mans_best_friend
September 2, 2009 5:36 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
The rope-a-dope strategy is entering the final rounds.
Every poll shows that when people actually understand what this is about they're overwhelmingly in favor. And if there's one thing Obama is definitely good at it's explaining complex policy ideas to the public.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
mcc
September 2, 2009 6:47 PM in reply to mans_best_friend
I'm continually surprised when I see people observing that Obama gave the Republicans every chance to be bipartisan and they just spit in his face, and then reacting as if Obama is the one that made the mistake there.
If Obama actually pulls this off (which it's not yet been demonstrated he will) we get the best of all worlds, no bipartisanship and none of the blame from the public for failing to be bipartisan.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
trblmkr
September 2, 2009 8:43 PM
Maybe the GOP senators and congresspeople can emulate their troglodyte constituents and tote guns and scream 'keep govt hands off my medicare', etc.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Stephen Daugherty
September 2, 2009 10:08 PM
I'm Shocked! I thought the Republicans would welcome the opportunity.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
midnight rambler
September 3, 2009 4:52 AM in reply to Stephen Daugherty
Actually, what I'm (slightly) shocked about is the lack of message consistency - just today some other Republican was blasting Obama for not putting up his own plan and making Congress do all the work instead. Could be trying to attack from both sides, but usually they're more single-minded than that.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
BureauCat
September 3, 2009 10:37 AM
This is great!
(1) More publicity for the fact that Obama is going to speak.
(2) By making a big issue of Democratic disunity, it clearly tells the Blue Dogs that this is the moment when they really do need to support the leader of the party.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?