DC
On Sat, Jul 4, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Marv Gandall<marvgandall at videotron.ca> wrote:
> Obama Urges Groups to Stop Attacks
> Advocates Should Turn Attention to Promoting Legislation, President Says
> By Ceci Connolly
> Washington Post Staff Writer
> Saturday, July 4, 2009
>
> President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about
> health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop
> their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting
> passage of comprehensive legislation.
>
> In a pre-holiday call with half a dozen top House and Senate Democrats,
> Obama expressed his concern over advertisements and online campaigns
> targeting moderate Democrats, whom they criticize for not being fully
> devoted to "true" health-care reform.
>
> "We shouldn't be focusing resources on each other," Obama opined in the
> call, according to three sources who participated in or listened to the
> conversation. "We ought to be focused on winning this debate."
>
> Specifically, Obama said he is hoping left-leaning organizations that worked
> on his behalf in the presidential campaign will now rally support for
> "advancing legislation" that fulfills his goal of expanding coverage,
> controlling rising costs and modernizing the health system.
>
> In the call, leaders of both chambers expressed optimism that they will hold
> floor votes on legislation to overhaul the $2.2 trillion health system
> before Congress breaks in early August.
>
> For his part, the president vowed to use his strong approval rating with
> voters to continue making the case for sweeping reform, according to one
> congressional staffer with knowledge of the conversation. Obama also hinted
> that efforts are under way to discourage allies from future attacks on
> Democrats, according to the source, who did not have permission to speak on
> the record about the discussion.
>
> The White House had no comment on the president's call.
>
> In recent weeks, liberal bloggers and grass-roots groups such as MoveOn.org,
> Democracy for America, Service Employees International Union and Progressive
> Change Campaign Committee have targeted Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.),
> Mary Landrieu (La.), Arlen Specter (Pa.), Ron Wyden (Ore.) and Dianne
> Feinstein (Calif.).
>
> A fundraising video produced by Democracy for America suggests Landrieu is a
> "sellout" because she has received $1.6 million in campaign contributions
> from the health-care industry and has yet to endorse the concept of a
> government-run health insurance plan to compete against the private
> companies. The public-option concept, which Obama supports, has become a
> litmus test for many pro-reform activists who accuse the insurance industry
> of failing to deliver affordable, accessible care.
>
> "Tell Senator Landrieu to support the people of Louisiana, not insurance
> companies," the spot concludes.
>
> Founded by former Vermont governor Howard Dean, Democracy for America argues
> that inclusion of a Medicare-style public option in health-care legislation
> is "non-negotiable."
>
> MoveOn, a Web-based political action committee that works to elect
> "progressive" leaders, intended to run commercials over the Fourth of July
> holiday criticizing Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) for her silence on the public
> option. But after she endorsed legislation crafted by Democratic colleagues
> on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that
> includes that provision, the group dropped its plans.
>
> "This measure is the heart of health-care reform and is supported by
> MoveOn's 5 million members, as well as the majority of the American people,"
> said MoveOn's executive director, Justin Ruben. "With the support of
> legislators like Senator Hagan, we can come closer to our goal of making
> quality health insurance accessible and affordable for everyone."
>
> Health Care for American Now, a labor-based coalition of 1,000 groups, has
> organized a petition pressuring Feinstein to support legislation that
> includes a public option.
>
> "We need a senator who is championing, not nay saying, the need for reform,"
> the petition says. "We're hoping Sen. Feinstein becomes a 'champion' for the
> people of California and stands up for President Obama's health reform."
>
> Richard Kirsch, who runs the coalition, said most of the group's ads are
> educational or focused generally on the need for broad-based change.
>
> "We've been promoting reform and yes, asking members of the public to
> contact their senators," he said yesterday. "It's all in support of reform."
>
> Feinstein said in an interview last week that she does support health reform
> but has concerns about the cost of legislation and the impact on her home
> state. She discounted the attacks as unhelpful and counterproductive.
>
> Obama was joined on the call with lawmakers by White House health czar
> Nancy-Ann DeParle, though he led most of the conversation. DeParle and White
> House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina have been in intense negotiations
> with hospital representatives in the hope of extracting guaranteed spending
> reductions from the industry.
>
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