As is sadly typical these days, the British press yet again provides a far more balanced perspective on Dear Leader's sputtering agenda, habitual dishonesty, and racketeering ways than the hard-wired MSM drones on this side of the pond... highlights mine, this in today's Times Online:
The medics smiled. The President shook his fist a bit. He was done in 15 minutes, took no questions and strolled back to the Oval Office. He had, in effect, announced that he was going to pretend that the Democrats had not lost their supermajority in the US Senate six weeks ago. He wants the lower House to pass the $950 billion health reform Bill already passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve.-------
The battle over healthcare has certainly dragged on far too long for Mr Obama’s or the country’s good. But his quick speech on Wednesday was totally unlike the dozens of slow ones that preceded it, and not just in style. It was the moment he nailed his colours to a strategy that, if it fails, could very well realise the Republicans’ fantasy of turning him into a one-term president.
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It is a strategy of “reconciliation” that is anything but conciliatory. It uses a special congressional rule that requires only a 51-vote majority in the Senate for budget Bills, on legislation whose enemies say its only effect on budgets will be to bust them.
This is healthcare reform “the Chicago way”, as one Chicago columnist has put it with an unsubtle whack of local pride.
It is eminently contestable: the Republicans’ new anti-Obamacare point man, Lamar Alexander, has promised to turn the midterms into a de facto referendum on appealing reforms passed with reconciliation if the President insists on using it...
Good to hear that; repealing ObamaCare -if passed- should be a litmus test for GOP candidates in midterms-and-beyond, especially with Republicans poised for massive gains in just a few months from now... more -here-
The Other McCain explains just what Obama's got in mind as he prepares to do a Chicago on us -here-
Weasel Zippers says Mitch McConnel has come-out swinging, vowing to repeal any HC bill passed in this manner -here-
The Club for Growth has already published a Repeal ObamaCare pledge for conservative candidates -here-
Ed Morrisey asks will repeal work -here-, while also offering useful strategic insight.
This reckless political gamble in the face of substantial public opposition is clearly an act of desperation as the agenda of the Progressive Left crumbles in Obama's inept hands... small wonder then that plans to ram-through this statist power-and-tax grab by use of reconciliation has been called "the last gasp of the Left" by Jennifer Rubin at Commentary.
Of course it's passage remains far from certain, and Senator Judd Gregg has vowed to make it "extremely difficult" for the Dems to foist this on us using such dubious parliamentary maneuvers. The GOP has reportedly settled on a strategy of infinite amendments to buy some time while putting wavering Blue Dogs on the ropes -here-
Pat Dollard says the Republicans have a few other tricks up their sleeves as well -here-
Left Coast Rebel has a desperate Obama now trading judgeships for votes on ObamaCare in the House -here-
And Dan Perrin at Red State builds a case that Obama and Pelosi are pretty-much still bluffing, anyway... and not only do they not have the votes to get it through, they probably never will... -here-
Eric Erickson presents "all you need to know" re. the HC debate in 30 seconds...