How Jim DeMint did Obama a favor
The senator said healthcare would be Obama's 'Waterloo' – if Obama lost, it would break him. Now, Obama is using the comment as an example of crass Beltway obstructionism.
By Linda Feldmann | Staff writer/ July 21, 2009 edition
Mary Ann Chastain/AP
US Sen. Jim DeMint (R) shown here on July 1 in Aiken, S.C.
Washington
“If we’re able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.”
When Jim DeMint uttered those words late last week, he did the president a favor.
In one memorable line, the Republican senator from South Carolina turned the healthcare debate into a personal battle against President Obama. Suddenly, Mr. Obama has a foil. “The Party of No” – the Democrats’ name for Republicans trying to block reform – now has a face, and it’s Senator DeMint.
Both Monday and Tuesday, Obama has riffed on DeMint’s comments, turning the debate into an argument about “opponents of reform.”
On Monday, Obama said, “This isn’t about me. This isn’t about politics. This is about a healthcare system that is breaking America’s families, breaking America’s businesses, and breaking America’s economy.”
On Tuesday, he kept going: “I know that there are those in this town who openly declare their intention to block reform. It’s a familiar Washington script that we’ve seen many times before. These opponents of reform would rather score political points than offer relief to Americans who’ve seen premiums double and costs grow three times faster than wages.”
Obama still has some ground to make up with public opinion. A Gallup poll released Tuesday shows that more Americans now disapprove (50 percent) than approve (44 percent) of how Obama is handling healthcare policy.
Analysts say Obama lost ground in the debate while he has been dealing with other issues. He just spent nearly a week overseas, visiting Russia, then attending the G-8 summit in Italy, then going to Ghana.
“One of the mistakes they’ve made, it seems to me, is they went a long time where he was not out front on that issue,” says Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. “The Republicans were actually able to frame the agenda in a way that [says], they’re going to let government step in between you and your doctors.”
“If he had framed the agenda as, ‘We’re going to move away from a situation where the insurance companies are stepping in between you and your doctors,’ we’d probably be in a different place,” Mr. Ornstein adds.
DeMint can be especially useful in keeping Obama’s left flank with him on health reform, as the president contemplates the inevitable compromises. The campaign wing of Obama’s operation, called Organizing for America – and based at the Democratic National Committee – has also leaped on the DeMint comment. On Tuesday, OFA director Mitch Stewart sent an e-mail to supporters, citing DeMint’s “Waterloo” comment and asking them to sign a “declaration of support” for Obama.
The DNC itself released a Web ad, also riffing on DeMint’s remarks – throwing in conservative talker Rush Limbaugh and South Carolina’s other Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, for good measure. “Tell Republicans: Stop rooting for failure and start fighting for the American people,” the ad concludes.
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Comments
3. Visitor | 07.22.09
this is absolutely unbelievable. i can’t understand why people like Senator DeMint, Sean Hannity, Brian Kilmeade, and Rush Limbaugh would purposely distort the truth at the risk of Americans having a healthcare plan that would take care of us all. the republicans continue to make a mockery of themselves.
4. Vox Loci | 07.22.09
But it IS all about Mr. Obama pushing Congress to enact health insurance “reform” legislation on an irrationally fast-tracked timeline. Why? So that those of who don’t have coverage can get it sooner? Nope. It’s all about Obama testing his power - throwing down the gauntlet if you will - with members of Congress from both parties. DeMent is quite right. If Obama can’t be made to see reason on allowing thoughtful (time-consuming) review of the proposed legislation, this will be his - personal - Waterloo. Ultimately, smart Democrats aren’t going to go down with him. That Obama doesn’t appear to have grasped this yet suggests that he truly is terribly naive (best case scenario) or that he is just - petulant (worst case scenario).
5. dalmond | 07.22.09
If this program is so good, then why don’t the two branches of government take the lead and include themselves in it? Remember, “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
6. Rocky Lane | 07.22.09
The founder of the Monitor wrote: “The time for thinkers has come.” One asks almost despairingly, Where are the thinkers today? In an interview on the Today Show DeMint made it clear he was not going after Obama personaly, but expressing the view that Obama seems more interested in pushing his own agenda without regard for his campaign promises (i.e., transparency, etc) or in any way lending leadership to what Republicans admit is a serious problem and would like to see addressed with intelligence and perspective. How many more bills are going to be rushed through Congress which no one even takes the time to read? This bill won’t even take effect for a couple of years: why does it need to be voted into being by August? DeMint and Republicans are asking Democrats to please bring bipartisan discussion to this (and many other issues) and if they appear to be obstructionists it’s because they refuse to vote without reading bills or to allow bills to be pushed through Congress that need some real and intelligent debate. Please, let’s have some “thinkers” come to the front of the class.
7. Mimikron | 07.22.09
To all of us who worked for the election of President Obama, who is honest and direct, who is leading the populace to a better understanding of what the U.S. stands for, who will pave the way to bring us back to sound financial footing, Amen. Health care, jobs, education, regulation - we’re 100%behind our honestly elected President Obama.
8. Carol | 07.23.09
Rachel Maddow on MSNBC did a brilliant piece on the so called “rush” for health care reform. This rush started with President Truman, more than 60 years ago through the Clinton adminsistration till this moment. The Republicans are obstructionist in this moment and will do anything to bring Obama down. There is no interest in the american people. Tremendous interest in regaining the white house and preserving the wealth of the top 1%. And great skill in disinformation, preserving their own power. What else is new?
9. Barbara | 07.23.09
OK, its time to stop with the partys’ this and the partys’ that. Stop being a Republican /Democrat and be an AMERICAN, concerned with America not just whats best for “The Party”.
10. Jimbo | 07.28.09
Why are we defending Mr. Obama? If he is so correct in his ways, thn why do you lib.s continue to defend him as if he’s your child acting up in Kindergarden. Please if you so elieve in his brilliance and superioirity, have a sit and wait until the reslts start over pouring your convictions. For the rest of us, if you want to make a stand for America make sure this bill does not get through until every word is known, we can not pay for this. How can you believe that his is doable? Medicaid, medicare, social security….. how much more proof do we need. Indeed, we need to reform, but this is not the answer. Show us a bill with rea numbers that can be studied…or even found, and we will vote. Leave the earmarks with the lobbiest - if this bill includes 1 earmark, shut it down and do it again. And yes, everyone is in - Congress, Mr. President, you work for the people, you want me to vote for you - you say this is your plan as well - I’ll vote for it.
11. john hust | 07.30.09
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 18000 Americans will die this year simply because they have no health insurance. That`s one every 29 minutes. We`ve been debated this seriously since Truman. The Republicans sure have their priorities. Spend trillions of dollars in Iraq but deny 47 million Americans proper health care.
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1. laura4liberty | 07.22.09
This article unfortunately seems to add to an effort to personalize the health care reform issue and add to the silly partisan bickering that clouds the clear thinking that could lead to real reform.
Will creating national health insurers in the vein of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac help the American people? When the government gets involved in a market they take it over and it gets so distorted that it collapses. Haven’t we learned anything from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae?