Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 22, 2009, 1:12PM

Obama Takes On "Willful Misrepresentations" In Health Care Debate
In this weekend's Youtube address, President Obama attacked and set out to rebut what he called the "willful misrepresentations and outright distortions" in the health care debate:

"This is an issue of vital concern to every American, and I'm glad that so many are engaged," said Obama. "But it also should be an honest debate, not one dominated by willful misrepresentations and outright distortions, spread by the very folks who would benefit the most by keeping things exactly as they are."

GOP Rep. Price: Obama "Plays Fast And Loose With The Facts"
In this weekend's Republican address, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) said that it's President Obama who is the one saying things that aren't true in the health care debate, even as he says he's trying to fight disinformation:

"As opposition to the Democrats' government-run health plan is mounting," said Price, "the President has said he'd like to stamp out some of the disinformation floating around out there. The problem is the President, himself, plays fast and loose with the facts."

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Chuck Grassley

Grassley: I Won't Vote For My Own Bill Without Broad Republican Support

Brian Beutler | August 17, 2009, 3:26PM

In a rather lengthy telephone interview with MSNBC earlier today, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley said he'll vote against his own bipartisan health care bill if it doesn't win the support of more Republicans.

In case you don't have the patience to wade through the whole interview, Chuck Todd asked Grassley, "[a]re you willing to be just one of three or four Republicans while 36 or 37 including the Senate Republican leadership...all being against it?"

Grassley responded, "Absolutely not. And I told the President that a week ago Thursday and I told [committee chairman] Max Baucus that over a period of three or four months."

As a followup, "If you have--if it's something you believe...if you think this is a good deal, and overall because of the politics of the situation you can't get more Republicans on board, you're going to go ahead and vote against it."

"It isn't a good deal if I can't sell my product to more Republicans."

So Max Baucus has insisted on building a bill that can pass his committee with more than one Republican. For that he's allowed Grassley, along with Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Mike Enzi (R-WY), to significantly water down the legislation. But Grassley says, publicly, that if the rest of the GOP is against the final product, he'll turn around and vote against it. Which seems quite likely. It seems to me, that if nominal GOP support is the name of the game, there are other Republicans who will actually vote for the bill they insist on weakening.

Late update: More on Grassley's appearance from Rachel Slajda.

Barack Obama

Enzi Cites Town Hall Disruptions As Evidence Health Care Reform Should Be Weakened

Brian Beutler | August 6, 2009, 11:03AM

Despite growing pressure from President Barack Obama that health care reform negotiations in the Senate FInance Committee bear fruit by September, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) isn't giving an inch--and he's using the angry town hall disruptions as cover.

Enzi--who has played a key role in weakening Democrats' health reform proposal, and whose support for the final product is far from guaranteed--said Democrats are in for "some nasty, nasty town meetings," implying that the public disruptions are a symptom of liberal over reach, not of conservative rabble rousing.

He will soon participate in a meeting with Obama and five other members of the Senate Finance Committee to discuss their progress writing health care reform legislation. Hard to imagine this message will go over well with the White House.

Health Care

Obama To Meet With "Gang Of Six" Finance Committee Members On Health Care Tomorrow

Brian Beutler | August 5, 2009, 5:17PM

After suggesting very strongly that Democrats will not allow frustratingly slow health care negotiations on the Senate Finance Committee to drag long into September, President Obama will meet tomorrow with the six senators on that committee who are drafting a compromise reform bill.

According to Roll Call, the meeting--which will include chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-IA), as well as Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Kent Conrad (D-ND)--is set for 11:15 a.m. It comes at the end of a week-long health care huddle, and a day before the Senate is scheduled to adjourn for August recess.

Barack Obama

Obama: Yeah, There's A September Deadline For Finance Committee

Brian Beutler | August 5, 2009, 2:43PM

In a yet to air interview, President Obama obliquely puts Senate Finance Committee Republicans on notice that, though their efforts at bipartisanship are appreciated, they'd better bear fruit soon.

"I am glad that in the Senate Finance Committee, there have been a couple of Republicans--Chuck Grassley, Mike Enzi, Olympia Snowe--who have been willing to negotiate with Democrats to try to produce a bill. But they haven't yet. And I think at some point, sometime in September, we're just going to have to make an assessment."

That won't please Enzi, who insists he's committed to no deadline whatsoever. But at least he can't say Democrats didn't warn him.

Health Care

Enzi: There's No September 15 Health Care Deadline

Brian Beutler | August 3, 2009, 6:52PM

Last week, after admitting that his failing health care negotiations won't produce reform legislation in the Senate Finance Committee before August recess, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) erected a new deadline--September 15--and now, he says, he'll produce a bill with or without Republicans.

That bill may have to be written "without Republicans."

"I have not and will not agree to an artificial deadline because I am committed to getting healthcare reform right, not finishing a bill by some arbitrary date," said Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) in a statement today. Enzi's one of six key Finance Committee negotiators hashing out a consensus bill. He's also a deeply conservative Republican, under pressure from leaders in his party to slow down or kill discussions--and he appears to be doing a bang-up job.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 3, 2009, 9:01AM

Two Sides Taking Health Care Debate Outside Washington
The Obama Administration and its opponents will be spending the August recess heavily promoting their sides of the health care debate. "Our job is to help folks understand how this will help them," said David Axelrod. On the other end of the spectrum, Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John Barrasso (R-WY) will be going on the road with their "Senate Doctors Show," warning against the Democratic plan.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver remarks at 11:05 a.m. ET, on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. At 12:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with Shaykh Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, Amir of Kuwait, and the two of them will be joined by Vice President Biden for lunch at 12:45 p.m. Et. Obama will meet with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) at 3:30 p.m. ET.

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