Steele Rips Obama On Health Care, But Reporters Only Ask About Olympics
Michael Steele held a conference call with reporters today that was billed by the RNC as a discussion about health care, and on the call, Steele tore into Obama’s proposal as an economic drag on businesses and families that could prolong the recession.
But Steele also dropped an aside about how Obama’s planned effort to get the Olympics shows he’s losing focus, and that threw reporters off the health care track. The only questions for Steele? Requests for clarification of Steele’s criticism of Obama’s Olympics bid.
Dems are now seizing on that as proof that reporters don’t believe the GOP has credibility on health care, or at least have no interest in Steele’s views on it.
“It speaks directly to the RNC’s complete lack of credibility on health insurance reform that they would hold a conference call on health care and no one was at all curious about how Republicans felt about health care,” emails DNC spokesperson Brandi Hoffine. “I guess that’s what happens when you have no plan.”
To be fair, the Republicans who might better be questioned about health care are those with a direct say over it: Members of Congress. And Steele did get in some health care licks, hammering Obama’s reform plans as imposing untold costs on “businesses and families that will not hasten recovery but prolong recession.”
It’s also worth noting that the GOP’s health care opinions just aren’t relevant. The final proposal will pass with a handful of Republicans at best. It’s up to Dems.
But Dems counter that the RNC billed the call as being about health care — and couldn’t even get a reporter to ask Steele for his views about the big topic of the day.
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Update: A Democrat points out that Steele has attacked the administration for months on health care, and helps shape the debate, so he’s an important target for health care policy questions even if he plays no role in moving legislation.
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This coordinated attack on Obama trying to get the Olympics here in the U.S. is just another example of rallying the base against the President to raise more money.
No matter what he does, be it go out with his wife, try to reinvigorate our relations with other countries, invite legislators over for the evening to discuss health care or the stimulus, speak to students about the importance of education, they are going to use it to fire up their base.
The RNC is now in a mode to keep their people motivated in the hopes of taking back control in 2010 in the House.
It doesn’t matter if the U.S. loses the Olympic bid, our relations with other countries remains in the toilet, tens of thousands die every year because of no insurance or our school children continue to go in the wrong direction in terms of graduation rates so long as the Republicans regain control of the House.
They are willing to let America fail to regain control.
Oh c’mon. This says more about reporters than it does about the GOP. They’re just looking for some “controversy.”
Think Progress put it best…
“So according to Steele, Obama spending 18 hours to promote an event that has the opportunity to increase U.S. prestige, generate $22.5 billion in economic activity, and the equivalent of 315,000 new full-time jobs must mean that he has completely abandoned his entire policy agenda and plans to now spend all his time on this issue. Does this mean that Obama is no longer overexposed?”
and Steele was not trying to stir up some controversy?
SBJ, you truly are pathetic!
Come on folks, get back on track.
Steele was blasting Obamacare, the liberal newsies didn’t want to have a meaningful discussion, so they sidetracked to the Olympics. Typical liberal obfuscation in the face of logical argument. Kind of proves that the media with the exception of Fox has its head buried in the sand, doesn’t it?
No, sbj, AMERICA is looking for something from the GOP OTHER than terrorism. And they’re not getting it. This is just more of the same. Fear over the “untold cost” of health care reform. Fear over a President that is “losing focus.”
We are through with you and your terrorism.
to sbj’s point, both sides in this equation are to blame:
- Steele for organizing a conference call ostensibly to discuss healthcare and health insurance reform and having nothing new to say and blathering on with fact free attacks because the RNC has made the political decision to comrpomise the health and prosperity of a nation in hopes of short term political gain, but
- the reporters also have to feed the 24/7 news beast and they think that the American public likes black on black action so they push the new RNC issue point about Obama being overexposed and spending time on the Olympics instead of whatever they prefer (giving more guns to young children or whatever their topic du jure happens to be).
larbo, here is a basic point that you have missed: either you are happy with healthcare currently in the United States or you agree it needs reform. if you think there is a 3rd option, please provide it, with links/citations as to the Republican leadership specifics on their vision of reform.
from your limited comment history it appears that you are just another scared Publican watching your party die as the country gets more diverse and open minded and revolts against the last 8 years of anti-American corruption, incompetence and corporatism at the expense of the American citizen (or 40, depending on your point of view).
Sept 16, 2009:
“President Barack Obama stood with Mayor Richard M. Daley on the White House lawn Wednesday to cheer on the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid, saying he wanted to go to Copenhagen for the bid himself, but health care reform has to take precedence.
“I would make the case in Copenhagen personally, if I weren’t so firmly committed to making real the promise of quality affordable health care for every American.”
I guess in the past two weeks Obama decided he needed a bit of a “victory” with the news lately…Here’s hoping he visits Afghanistan, too.
SBJ recently claimed that he is a Libertarian. Ron Paul is against our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and yet SBJ takes the complete opposite stance.
Which one of these two is the real Libertarian.
SBJ is a g@y man. He recently said that he does not support the Republicans using social wedge issues, such as “family values”.
And yet, just yesterday, the very same SBJ declared that he does not support “the G@y Agenda” That is a “Christian Family Values” wedge issue that the Right Wing Republicans have being using over several election cycles. SBJ, The G@Y Republican says he is against the use of such wedges issues, but also uses the same wedge issue.
He still will not spell out what the so called “G@y Agenda” consist off. He says that he is a G@y man, and that he opposes it, but he refuses to tell us, what the hell it is supposed to be.
So now we have arrived at a point where SBJ is using the very same social wedge issue, that he says he is against using. What a Maroon!
sbj:
1. you’re talking about a grand total of 18 hours, 12 of which Americans will be sleeping,
2. haven’t you noticed how much stronger the Democrats’ hand has gotten in the last 2 weeks, from “will it even pass” to “of course it will pass, just how strong will the public option be”? surely even you have noticed the change in the tenor of the debate since the president’s initial announcement?
3. wouldn’t a few hundred thousand jobs and a few hundred BILLION dollars be worth 18 hours of his time, in fact, could you please provide a better return on his/our money in terms of hours for dollar/job return?
you should know better than to follow a political party which is taking its marching orders from a drug addict and a bipolar hatemonger.
A POWERFUL PUBLIC OPTION CLAIM FROM SENATOR TOM HARKIN.
Harkin says he has the votes to pass public option bill in the Senate
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/60683-harkin-says-he-has-the-votes-to-pass-public-option-bill
” 09/29/09 11:04 AM ET
The Senate has the votes to pass a healthcare reform bill including a public option, a key Senate chairman said Tuesday.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said that the Senate “comfortably” has a majority of votes to pass the public plan, and that he believes Democrats can muster 60 votes to break a filibuster.
“I have polled senators, and the vast majority of Democrats — maybe approaching 50 — support a public option,” Harkin said told the liberal “Bill Press Radio Show.” “So why shouldn’t we have a public option? We have the votes.”
Senator John Ensign(R) Nevada, uncovers the answer to all our health care costs.
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) brought up what he thought was a very good point: If you don’t count injuries from guns or car accidents, the U.S. health care system actually provides better outcomes than those in European and other industrialized countries.
There you have it folks. Straight from Senator John Engsign(R), The Horse’s mouth, or more likely, the other end of the beast.
The only way to contain health care costs in the USA is to ban the use of all firearms, and to eliminate the ownership and use of all personal automobiles.
In his honor, let us name it The John Ensign Health Care Cost Containment Legislation.
On another topic; Senator John Ensign(R) Nevada, went on to point out, that if you did not count the times that he cheated on his wife, with the wife of a member of his staff, then his history of marital fidelity, is actually better than that of Governor Mark Sanford(R) South Carolina.
@ajax: “a grand total of 18 hours, 12 of which Americans will be sleeping.”
I’m just telling you what Obama himself said two weeks ago.
“Haven’t you noticed how much stronger the Democrats’ hand has gotten in the last 2 weeks, from “will it even pass” to “of course it will pass.”
Not at all. The Dems have always been able to pass a bill – any moron knows that – they control both houses and the Presidency! They have not been able to get the 60 votes needed in the Senate for cloture – and they still don’t have them. Nothing has changed.
Drug addiction and mental illness are serious issues. These folks deserve our reasonable help and our sympathy, not your foolishness.
AJAX,
Since when does limited comment history make one a scared “Publican”. I assume you think a that lot of biased comments on blogs makes you an expert?
Purely for your edification, I am a middle of the road independant who is happy with his health care, but does agree that reform is needed.
But, yes, I am scared. Very scared. Like a lot of my fellow thinkers, I firmly believe that Obamacare is exactly the wrong way to accomplish reform. Steele was right in a lot of his assertions. You guys just can’t get it through your thick skulls that there is any other method of reform.
TORT REFORM, OPEN COMPETITION ACROSS STATE LINES, MORE TORT REFORM, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN ADDRESS A SUBSIDY FOR THE FEW MILLION PEOPLE THAT CANNOT AFFORD HEALTH INSURANCE THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
All of these suggestions have been proposed by the Republican party and completely blown off by the Democrats.
Yes, I am afraid, very afraid, of you.
sbj:
limbaugh the drug addict and Beck the bipolar hatemonger deserve our sympathy when they put down their megaphones of dishonesty and hatred and check into rehab, not one second sooner. they have done more to harm America than Sadam or Kim Jung Il could have ever hoped.
lardo, your use of caps, reference to “Obamacare” and focus on tort reform (about which I am somewhat sure you know next to nothing about) makes it clear that you are Palin-hugging, Beck sympathizing, Limbaugh drug-justifying teabagger, which places you in precisely the same category as your leaders, ie, with 20% and against 80% of this country.
When Doctors and hospitals stop covering up their mistakes, and let us have complete access to all Doctors’ histories, so that we can avoid being treated by the bad ones, then I will support Tort reform.
As things now stand, the medical institutions have a protection code, where they enable the bad doctors and hospitals to continue to treat patients. They have to become transparent, and stop the practice of settling cases, with agreements that all records are sealed. That is an ongoing cover up scheme, that they have in place.
I want to know if a doctor or hospital has a bad history of making medical mistakes, or not, before I pick one to treat me.
I can not find out that information now, because the code of silence is in place.
When the medical profession stops doing that, then I will support tort reform. If they will not change their practice of covering up, then they do not deserve any Tort relieve.
Gibbs said that Steele is rooting for Rio…LOL!
If we do get the Olympics which is a BIG if, then it would bring $22.5 billion in economic activity to the United States and would create 315,000 new full-time jobs in addition to the countless part-time jobs.
And “I am just telling you” what SBJ himself said, just yesterday, and on prior occasions.
SBJ recently claimed that he is a Libertarian. Ron Paul is against our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and yet SBJ takes the complete opposite stance.
Which one of these two is the real Libertarian.
SBJ is a g@y man. He recently said that he does not support the Republicans using social wedge issues, such as “family values”.
And yet, just yesterday, the very same SBJ declared that he does not support “the G@y Agenda” That is a “Christian Family Values” wedge issue that the Right Wing Republicans have being using over several election cycles. SBJ, The G@Y Republican says he is against the use of such wedges issues, but also uses the same wedge issue.
He still will not spell out what the so called “G@y Agenda” consist off. He says that he is a G@y man, and that he opposes it, but he refuses to tell us, what the hell it is supposed to be.
So now we have arrived at a point where SBJ is using the very same social wedge issue, that he says he is against using. What a Maroon!
>>>Senator John Ensign(R) Nevada, went on to point out, that if you did not count the times that he cheated on his wife, with the wife of a member of his staff, then his history of marital fidelity, is actually better than that of Governor Mark Sanford(R) South Carolina.<<<
Hahahaha. Exactly.
AJAX,
I did answer your question. All you could muster for a response was a bunch of juvenile babble. That makes you an expert?
Like I said, I am very afraid of your kind, and so is any middle of the road independant that reads **** like you write.
Could it be that the press is just not interested in hearing more of Steele’s incoherent rants about how great our healthcare is and how fascist/commie/socialist Obama’s grandma-killing reform is? If they must listen to his buffoonish tirades, maybe they simply prefer to hear him babble about different subject. What has he said of substance about healthcare anyway?
lardo:
what exactly do you think tort reform is, and how will your Limbaugh/Beck/Palin misunderstanding of tort reform make healthcare and health insurance available to those who do not currently have it, and ensure that those who currently have healthcare and health insurance are not subject to rescission or opted out due to pre-existing conditions, and how does it address premiums increasing annually at a rate of over 400% of CPI?
you are a Limbaugh dittohead without an original thought and no concept of this debate except what you are spoon fed by a drug addict.
if you want to have a serious debate about this topic, get to learning kiddo, because using caps doesn’t scare us independent voters too much, and seeing as how the American public hates Limbaugh, Beck and the rest of the “leadership” of the current Republican party more than it hates venereal diseases, you had better learn quick.
What the press should be looking into is Obama continuing erratic behavior. On September 16, 2009 he was just telling us that, while he wanted to go to Kobenhavn, he just couldn’t because of how serious the healthcare debate was. Then, less than 10 days later, he is saying he will be there with bells on. And in between these conflicting and erratic decisions, the healthcare debate among Democrats seems to be in more disarray, if anything, as the Democrat-controlled Senate Finance Committee votes down the leftwing amendments. It’s like he wants to be out of the country doing something else while the “left of the left” is being sold down the river. I am an anti-communist so it doesn’t bother me, but is this the kind of leadership you people were expecting when you elected him?
And has Obama really “gamed out” this Chicago Olympics thing? Does he (and the other Daleyites in his administration) really want to see Chicago politics under the kind of scrutiny that follows the Olympics? They had corruption issues in Salt Lake City, for crying out loud. Imagine what is lurking in Chitown.
yeah Hugo, why would the POTUS want 350,000 jobs and $25+ BILLION in revenue for his country in return for 18 hrs work? what kind of crack does Limbaugh feed to his minions that you guys now hate capitalism and job creation?
You people are so cute when you talk economics. Mmm mmm mmm, Barack Hussein Obama.
Also, why do you hate people in the favelas of Rio? Don’t they need those jobs too?
Big Baby, do you ever get tired of talking out of your ***? I have not seen you post a single intellectually honest statement. Ever. Pathetic.
Hugo, Limbaugh dittohead clown that you are:
When you have a moment, do some background on Roubini, DeLong, Stieglitz, Volcker, Rouse, Goolsbee, Romer and Krugman and tell us your thoughts, then let us know which economists the drug addict and the bipolar hate-monger order you to read.
Finally, please let us know why you are against the Olympics coming to our country, and bringing hundreds of thousands of jobs and Billions of dollars along with.
Thx.