Biden: Obama health plan to be bold, contentious

Source: AP

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday the Obama administration is fiercely determined to get a health care overhaul, although he conceded it likely won't happen without "an awful lot of screaming and hollering."

Appearing at a Brookings Institution gathering to talk up the employment dividends of the $787 billion economic stimulus plan, Biden said it will be difficult to find a consensus on remaking the system. But he also predicted that "we're going to get something substantial" and said he believes "we're going to get there."

Biden spoke as President Barack Obama continued a pre-Labor Day rest at Camp David. Obama is shifting his push for health care changes into high gear next week with a State of the Union-style address to a joint meeting of Congress. The vice president suggested Obama will tell Congress and the American people precisely what he thinks must be included in the package that the White House is pressing lawmakers to approve this fall.

=snip=

Biden did not say whether the screaming would come from liberals who feel Obama is accepting too many compromises, or from conservatives and moderates who feel his plan costs too much and threatens the health of private insurance companies.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090903/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_health_care_overhaul

and Congress had better stop dithering and pass the sucker or Obama will be stuck with a GOP Congress the way Clinton was and for the same reason.

they hounded him till his last day of office, and a couple of months after.

I think Obama is smarter, and more importantly, more idealistic than that.

the most major A$$holes the country offers up.

n/t

I guess I will dare to do so and risk yet another disappointment.

It gets the progressive base really fired up and active at exactly the time they need to be loudest.

Meanwhile, the idiot Repub wingnuts blew their wad in mid-august and are running out of steam now.

The Obama admin is going to get the Public Option passed..and all this is leading up to it.

I fully expect him to sell out on the public option. I hope I'm wrong.

Sure you do.

...because anyone who doesn't believe that Obama's history of selling-out is a brilliant secret plan to (as you say) "get the progressive base really fired up and active" doesn't really want health care reform.

Careful, your agenda is showing.

NT!

Better to think that than he walked ungratefully over the necks of the left while sucking up to the right.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I guess you've seen the bill he signed? When did that happen? Oh, it didn't, but that doesn't stop the hysterics.

:kick:

Maybe then we'll know what we like/dislike about the President's goals.

and are going to line up the blue dogs against the wall and read them the riot act. I hope he also uses all his powers of persuasion and affirms the support of americans for major reform. He needs to seize the moment to push the political momentum back to substantial change and not watered down compromise that accomplishes nothing. This speech should be high political drama!

Be still my heart. I've been waiting for someone bold since Howard Dean. Still waiting...Mr. President..oh surprise us all you rascal.

more chances than they deserve. They need to be reminded that they LOST the election, big time. The Dems are in power now and they need to start act like winners. "Bold" is definitely called for now. FDR didn't get Social Security through by being meek.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x249812

"FDR responds with good humor at Republican attempts to lay blame for the Great Depression at his doorstep. The president however takes exception to those who would assail his scotch terrier Fala "

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x272456

This campaign speech in 1936 destroyed his opponent who only carried two states. A columnist at the time joked that if FDR's opponent had given one more speech, FDR would have carried Canada as well.

Vice President Biden comments on President Obama's upcoming speech on health care reform: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwtHcy44SyU

Could they have stated that ANY more poorly?

Insinuating he needs a rest from his weeklong vacation?

He's probably doing more during this 'pre-Labor Day rest' than Dimson did in a year.

Obama make this be the time we don't have to pay for the wealthy to feel good.

or you can kiss 2010 and 2012 goodbye.

The cons will scream anyway. So it's a matter of screaming from wingers or screaming from everyone.