It looks like President Obama is going to come out fighting on health care.
From WaPo:
Senior White House aides promise "an aggressive public and private schedule" for Obama as he presses his case for reform, including a prime-time news conference on Wednesday, a trip to Cleveland, and heavy use of Internet video to broadcast his message beyond the reach of the traditional media.
"Our strategy has been to allow this process to advance to the point where it made sense for the president to take the baton. Now's that time," said senior adviser David Axelrod. "I don't know whether he will Twitter or tweet. But he's going to be very, very visible."
I wonder if it means that he isn't going to call for the recess to be shortened. In any case, he is going all in in a serious way. I suspect that this is what he's really been saving the political capital for.
Also, it looks like the surtax might be dropped in favor of taxing insurance companies, which would explain AHIP's sudden involvement in the process:
Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," White House budget director Peter Orszag would not rule out support for the benefits tax, but he continued to promote Obama's preference for limiting deductions for wealthy taxpayers.
Some Democrats close to the negotiations say they think it is only a matter of time before Obama backs off. One proposal that has emerged would tax insurance companies, as opposed to beneficiaries, and is considered a potential compromise approach that he may be able to embrace.
All I've got to say is that guys, we've got our Michael Jordan. Let's be his Pippen, his Paxson and his Horace Grant. This is really why we elected him, among only a few other things. Let's get behind our man.
UPDATE 2: I have a new idea: I've put Obama's great "Don't bet against us" into my sigline. How's about we all do it as a sign of solidarity during this crucial week? It can be our health care rally cap...
UPDATE: Commenter Pirate Smile points to a report that says Obama is going to use DeMint's "Waterloo" quote against him. This is wise, since it was a bit hubristic, I would guess:
I like this: WH to use DeMint's "Waterloo" Quote (2+ / 0-)
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The Bagof Health and Politics, I said GOOD DAY sir
White House Plans to Use DeMint's "Waterloo" Quote to Rally the Troops
July 19, 2009 9:43 PM
On Friday, on a "Conservatives for Patients Rights" conference call with conservative activists dealing with health care reform, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said, as Ben Smith at Politico reported, "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him."
You should expect to hear that quote this week from the White House as they use it to rally their troops, a White House official tells ABC News.
Officials will say the people being "broken" are the American people going bankrupt paying for health insurance premiums that increase 10 percent every year, the source says, and that those who want to use this issue to break the president are doing nothing but working for insurance companies and insurance executives.
.....
This week President Obama will continue to push for the House and Senate to pass health care reform bills before the August recess. Administration officials say his newest goal: getting the Senate Finance Committee to report out a bill by Friday. That's right, THIS Friday.
-jpt
by Pirate Smile on Sun Jul 19, 2009 at 09:48:39 PM PDT
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From Jake Tapper