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Tea Service: Energy served in unequal portions, as health care vote approaches
November 05, 2009 8:12 AM
ABC News’ Rick Klein reports:
Does someone control an army around here?
Another day, another public display of disaffection with your government: As the House stands on the verge of approving a sweeping health care reform measure, the biggest show in town has the distinct scent of tea.
Thursday's "House Call" gathering, on the West Front of the Capitol, comes at a critical time in the health care debate -- sandwiched between those mixed-bag election results and the first vote by a full congressional chamber on health care.
It's not the kind of event (even if it reaches proportions some organizers are predicting) that's likely to change many minds.
But if you need evidence of where the political energy and excitement has gone, one year since Grant Park, a lunchtime midday rally in Washington isn't a bad place to start.
(Try to imagine the old Obama campaign army pulling off something roughly comparable in as short a time, with as little formal planning -- or even with spreadsheets and call lists and marching orders, for that matter.)
Telling, particularly in the wake of NY-23: House Republican leaders -- including Leader John Boehner, Whip Eric Cantor, Conference Chairman Mike Pence, and Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price -- plan to speak. (Not that they necessarily what to make of the energy that will be on display Thursday, either.)
But the day belongs to Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. From the release out Thursday: "On the heels of an election arguably reminiscent of 1993's reaction against HillaryCare, nearly one thousand activists with Patients First--a project of Americans for Prosperity -- traveled to Washington on Thursday to say once again, ‘Hands Off Our Health Care!' Joining other Americans participating in Rep. Michele Bachmann's ‘House Call on Health Care,' Patients First activists from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia will participate in a rally at the Capitol before visiting their Congressmen to express opposition to the government takeover of our America's health care system."
A different kind of army, perhaps: "Democratic sources tell me that AARP – easily the most influential seniors lobby – will endorse the health reform legislation put together by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats," ABC's George Stephanopoulos reports. "A public announcement is expected tomorrow or Friday, in advance of a vote by the full House likely to come on Saturday."
Behind Thursday's noise: "Rep. Michele Bachmann isn't going down without a fight," Eric Roper reports in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "The Republican lawmaker has been on a media blitz promoting tomorrow's rally against the Democratic health care proposal on the steps of the Capitol, which she has dubbed ‘The Super Bowl of Freedom.' Actor Jon Voight and author Mark Levin are expected to attend in addition to Republican House leadership."
"Nothing scares members of Congress more than freedom-loving Americans," Bachmann, R-Minn., told bloggers and activists Wednesday night, per Politico's Daniel Libit.
"Don't bring your pitchforks," Bachmann said, "bring your video cameras."(Odd timing: "The aide who helped turn Rep. Michele Bachmann into a controversial mainstay of cable news has informed colleagues that she's quitting -- just as the firebrand Republican congresswoman prepares for her biggest media moment yet," Politico's Jonathan Allen reports. "Multiple sources have confirmed that Michelle Marston, a veteran Hill aide, is leaving Bachmann's office.")
How big could this get? "Some conservative groups said they were responding to Ms. Bachmann's request. In a statement, Tony Pessaro, the founder and chairman of a ‘tea party' antitax group in Bel Air, Md., said he had filled two buses and was working on a third," The New York Times' David M. Herszenhorn reports.
It had been a while since Republicans had a good Election Day: "There's a political rebellion going on in America, and what we saw last night was just a glimpse of it," Boehner, R-Ohio, told ABC News in a joint interview with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"Another tea party group in Arkansas said it was encouraging members who could not visit Washington to fax their elected officials at precisely noon Thursday, and they singled out Representative Mike Ross, Democrat of Arkansas, as a target."
McConnell, R-Ky., handicapping health care: "You've got a lot of newly elected Democrats -- as they had two good years in a row -- who are hanging on by their fingernails, and being pushed by the speaker and the majority leader to support legislation that they now know for sure their constituents don't approve of."
(Watch "Top Line" at noon ET at ABCNews.com for more from Boehner and McConnell, plus a live interview with RNC Chairman Michael Steele.)
Interesting counterpoint, from David Plouffe, reacting to Tuesday's results: "I think there's some notion out there among some that we can press a button on a computer and turn people out. It doesn't work that way. None of this is transferable," Plouffe tells ABC's Aaron Katersky.
Where's the energy? "It's not a resurgent right wing that should trouble Obama's party," E.J. Dionne Jr., writes in his Washington Post column. "But for the moment, the thrill is gone from politics, and that is very dangerous for the mainstream progressive movement that Obama promised to build."
More pushback -- a 12-hour (!) online town hall -- "Pelosi Plan Exposed" -- organized by GOP leaders and campaign officials.Pushback to the pushback: Americans United for Change is up with "a rapid response TV ad" that renames the House health care bill: "The Health Insurance Industry Profits Protection Act." From a spokesman: "With the House vote now expected on Saturday, we're putting $17k behind this spot to air it heavily on DC area cable (CNN and MSNBC) by the end of Friday so lawmakers are sure to see it."
Reverberations: "Democrats on Capitol Hill began a nervous debate Wednesday about the course President Obama has set for their party, with some questioning whether they should emphasize job creation over some of the more ambitious items on the president's agenda," The Washington Post's Michael D. Shear and Paul Kane report.
"Moderate and conservative Democrats took a clear signal from Tuesday's voting, warning that the results prove that independent voters are wary of Obama's far-reaching proposals and mounting spending, as well as the growing federal debt. Liberal lawmakers, meanwhile, said the party's shortcoming came in moving too slowly on health-care reform and other items that would satisfy a base becoming disenchanted with the failure to deliver rapid change in government."
Susan Milligan, in The Boston Globe: "Democratic moderates who will determine the fate of much of President Obama's domestic agenda heard an early warning from this week's off-year elections: Congress had better do something about the economy, or sitting lawmakers will lose their jobs in 2010."
The New York Times' Carl Hulse: "Democrats still face the political dilemma that has dogged their health care efforts this year and will continue to face tough choices as they take up issues like curbing global warming. Should they concentrate on motivating their core supporters, many of whom appeared to stay away from the polls in New Jersey and Virginia, by taking a more liberal approach, for example by embracing a public health insurance option? Or do they try to write health, energy and fiscal policies that can attract independents, who broke for Republicans in Tuesday's voting, in order to protect more moderate Democrats in conservative districts where spending and the rising debt are top worries?"
Surely the next election will be national, if this one wasn't...
David Axelrod, to ABC's Jake Tapper: "I think that young people were energized by the President about the set of issues and concerns that he ran on. I think they'll be energized again in 2010. But you know some of it is a personal appeal and we are going to work hard over the next year to make sure that in these national elections that are coming up our voters and particularly young voters are strongly engaged."
But what if the race in New York wasn't the only one on the ballot that mattered? "The Democrats' problems concern direction and mood; the Republicans' loss in the 23rd showed a weakness of tactics," Margaret Carlson writes in her Bloomberg News column. "As hard as it may be for the GOP to contain Sarah Palin (R-Facebook), Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and their various allies, it's a lot harder to deal with a public that's losing faith in government to improve their lot."
"For Obama and the Democratic congressional leadership, the off-year results arrived at a moment when their fragile internal coalitions are facing severe tests," David Broder writes in his column. ":The White House is attempting to stage-manage a crucial vote-counting exercise in both the House and Senate to determine whether Democrats can risk bringing landmark health-care bills to the floor. And within weeks, Obama may precipitate a similar test of support on a new policy toward Afghanistan."
Not that Democrats take cues from this particular pundit, but still: "Looking ahead, the bad news for Democrats is that the legislation that helped lead to the collapse of support for their party on Tuesday could yet inflict more pain on those foolish enough to support it," Karl Rove writes in his Wall Street Journal column. "The health-care bill House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to vote on this week could sink an entire fleet of Democratic boats in 2010."
Over on the Republican side -- behind the celebration, concerns: "The same conservatives who energized the party this year forced out a Republican nominee they considered too moderate; their candidate lost to Democrat Bill Owens," USA Today's Kathy Kiely reports. "There was no sign the family feud was ending Wednesday, as Republicans offered sharply different spins on Owens' victory."
Adam Nagourney, in The New York Times: "Throughout the day Wednesday, Republicans grappled with the disappointing outcome of a special election for what had been a reliably Republican House seat in upstate New York. That contest became a battleground between the party establishment and a conservative insurgency demanding more ideological purity from candidates."
Tending the grassroots -- particularly the breeds that grow in Florida: "We will not spend money in a contested primary," Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told ABC News. "The first lesson is that competitive primaries are generally a good thing."
Lessons of NY-23: "It was just a disaster waiting to happen so I don't think it was so much about the Democrat got elected, it was that the Republicans really fumbled the ball and the Democrats fell on it in the end zone," former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., said Wednesday on ABCNews.com's "Top Line."
On health care -- a Saturday vote: "House leaders said that they were confident of reaching their goal in time for a Saturday debate on the most significant changes to the nation's health-care system since the creation of Medicare in 1965. They released 42 pages of amendments to the 1,990-page health package unveiled last week, a move that started the clock ticking on their pledge to make the legislation publicly available for 72 hours before lawmakers are asked to pass judgment," The Washington Post's Lori Montgomery reports.
"Democrats tacked new provisions onto the legislation late Tuesday, clearing one of the final hurdles for bringing the bill to the floor," The Wall Street Journal's Janet Adamy and Martin Vaughan report. "But the changes didn't resolve sharp differences among Democrats over how the bill handles funding for abortion, with some saying they won't support the legislation until it addresses their concerns."
Voting -- on Shabbos? "My rabbi said there's a Talmudic exemption for the public option," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., per The Hill.
Who to watch: "Blue Dog Democrats face a dilemma this weekend: Should they oppose legislation they believe is flawed, or move the bill out of the House in the hopes of it changing in conference?" The Hill's Jared Allen reports. "Many Blue Dogs are expected to face the grimmest reelection prospects of any Democrats, and the upcoming healthcare vote is giving some significant pause."
The president's day: "The president today will make good on his campaign promise to host a White House Tribal Nations Conference. Leaders from 564 federally recognized tribes will come to the Department of the Interior for an all-day forum discussing concerns in the Native American community," per ABC's Sunlen Miller.
Canceled for... too MUCH hype? "Earlier today we were surprised to see promotion for a ‘debate' between former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at Radio City Music Hall in February," ABC's George Stephanopoulos reports. "But now we are hearing that this event has been cancelled by the former presidents who say they never agreed to a debate, but back to back speeches. Clinton and Bush have done the joint appearance thing before – last spring in Toronto."
The Kicker:
"We got walloped." -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.
"From my perspective, we won." -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
For up-to-the-minute political updates check out The Note's blog . . . all day every day:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/
November 5, 2009 in The Note | Permalink | Share | User Comments (82)
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AARP will endorse Pelosi's version of the health care bill! Does anyone else sense it's business as usual?
Posted by: LongT | Nov 5, 2009 8:34:21 AM
Why isn't there more coverage of the Tea Party Express??? They're drawing crowds of several thousand at each stop. Granted not huge numbers BUT growing.
Posted by: Sandi | Nov 5, 2009 8:45:48 AM
quote 'It's not the kind of event that's likely to change many minds.' Then what will change a congressman's mind?
Posted by: jeff | Nov 5, 2009 8:55:03 AM
longT wrote:"AARP will endorse Pelosi's version of the health care bill! Does anyone else sense it's business as usual"
The so called "Health Reform" GOP bill doesn't do a darn thing for the middle class and uninsured. Of course AARP is going to support what is best for their members, that's the reason I just joined.
Posted by: Jeni | Nov 5, 2009 8:58:54 AM
As a member of AARP, I endorse AARP's decision. The opponents of Heatlh Care reform are in it for themselves. Check out Center for Responsive Politics. Mitch McConnel is bribed by the health care industry. So is every other opponent. Bear in mind while Bachman is engaging in her antics, real people are dying because they do not have access to health care. (Check out the report by the Harvard University Medical School.)
My only complaint about the current health care reform is that it needs to take place immediately - not in 2013.
Posted by: William Joseph Miller | Nov 5, 2009 9:10:42 AM
Nancy Pelosi has subreptilian intellect and a phonetically memorized speech. She is ignoring the will of the American people, they don't want the Government to take over healthcare. Michelle Bachmann is a Patriot for standing against these Democrat Socialists despots. The Tea Party is here to stay and it will grow and grow in numbers, people are participating and expressing their views, they are exercising the most important right they have, freedom to assemble and express their opposition to another Government disaster. ABC News take notice.
Posted by: wizcat123 | Nov 5, 2009 9:11:05 AM
The unfortunate aspect of this tea party nonsense is that is too little and too late. Where we these people during the 2008 campaign? When it mattered most they were nowhere to be found. Now they are just a collection disgusting malcontents seeking attention. Apparently some lawmakers are giving them the attention they crave, but again, it's too little and too late. America voted for the Democrats and gave away their liberties for a bandwagon full of promises written on the wind.
Posted by: wavygravynet | Nov 5, 2009 9:13:28 AM
Of course AARP is going support what is best for its financial survival and not in the best interest of their membership. That's the reason I just quit.
Posted by: older&wiser | Nov 5, 2009 9:19:37 AM
Americans are destructively fickle have a memory of about 8 minutes. Do we not remember that Republicans and their failure of a president destroyed our economy during their watch, engaged in a pointless and expensive war, and allowed Wall Street to run rampant? The simple fact is that we cannot AFFORD to have Republicans in charge again. They are fiscally irresponsble and morally challenged.
Posted by: DaveM | Nov 5, 2009 9:23:23 AM
DaveM
Liberals wrecked our economy thru the Bush years by FORCING the banks to give loans to people who could never pay them back.
Left wing groups like ACORN and liberal trial lawyers brought lawsuit after lawsuit against the banks claiming racism (anyone remember that BO was ACORN's lawyer in 1993)and eventually got the lending standards tossed out. Enter in "affordable housing". Show me some republican officials crying about the need for affordable housing... The only socialists on capital hill shouting for this was barney frank, chris dodd, chuck schumer, maxine waters, charlie rangel..ALL DEMOCRATS.
Posted by: Dave | Nov 5, 2009 9:30:36 AM
DaveM Americans are destructively fickle have a memory of about 8 minutes. Do we not remember that Republicans and their failure of a president destroyed our economy during their watch? 10 months in not 8 minutes and I do recall a lot of help from A Democratic Congress the last two years. Democrats can spin this anyway they want but this IS Obama's Economy. He has made it worse not better, Afghanistan IS Obama's War and it has become worse not better, The Debt IS Obama's and he has made it Higher not lower. We are no longer going to fall for this Blame Bush Blame Republicans BS the LEFT is spinning.
Posted by: nobama12 | Nov 5, 2009 9:31:26 AM
Just in - the GOP health care bill would cover only 3 million uninsured Americans - less than the uninsured in the state of Texas alone. Would leave 52 million uninsured. Lowers premiums "zero to three percent". Dems bill covers 36 million. The GOP bill would do nothing to help those struggling with health care costs, bankrupty due to medical bills, pre-existing conditions, denial of coverage, etc. Leave it to the GOP to provide a lot of lip service while offering no solutions - except to their big buddies in pharm and insurance. Disgusting!
Posted by: pamp205 | Nov 5, 2009 9:34:10 AM
This healthcare bill will be BO"s catastrophe for the next 3 years. He and the rest of his socialist cronies have tried to shove something down our throats that the overwhelming majority DOES NOT WANT! Who would have thought that this type of governing would have some people upset???
These limosuine liberals are so far removed from everyday Americans. They have all made careers out of bashing rich people, and yet they live like sultans.
Wake up people, liberals want to turn us all into serfs with the government in total control, which is EXACTLY what this healhcare scheme is about.
Posted by: Dave | Nov 5, 2009 9:36:06 AM
"Of course AARP is going support what is best for its financial survival and not in the best interest of their membership. That's the reason I just quit."
That is a sad commentary about special interest groups in America. Unions are the same way anymore... started with good intentions, and now all about the Benjamins.
Posted by: Shane | Nov 5, 2009 9:40:56 AM
Within the next year the Democrats will:
- Pass sweeping healthcare reform a the expense of American taxpayers.
- Pass immigration reform (amnesty) which will include fast trac to citizenship.
- Pass Sen Feinstein’s dream gun control bill.
- Raise taxes on the wealthy which is already being passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.
- Institute cap and trade, raising prices of gasoline, heating oil, natural gas and since most electricity is generated by coal fired generators, electricity goes up too.
- Cut Medicare expenses to pay for the health care of people who aren’t citizens.
- Send more billions to third world countries who hate us so we can say we provide 70 % of their aid.
- Cancel the annual cost of living increase in Social Security payments like they did for 2010. I noticed that Congress and the President got their raises.
- The nation will go into such debt that even China won’t loan us any more money.
- Have total control of the House of Representatives and the Senate with a Democrat in the White House but they’ll blame Republicans for their failure anyway.
After they do all that they’ll lose control of Congress until all those illegal aliens become citizens and be able to vote them back in again.
Posted by: oonogil | Nov 5, 2009 9:42:50 AM
Let me put this in a way that might actually show you how enormous this Health KiLL is. Latest Estimates put the the total cost at 1.2 trillion. Go back to 1776 the year we first declared our Independence, That is 233 years or around 85,045 days. 1.2 trillion would be like spending $14,110,177.00 EVERY DAY since 1776.
Posted by: nobama12 | Nov 5, 2009 9:43:42 AM
The tea parties can't even achieve 1% of the population within a 10 mile radius. The real tea party began more than 4 years ago. republicans have been thrown out of office as fast as the election process will allow. As for Virginia and New Jersey. Virginia has a company based there that lost the 35 billion dollar air force tanker contract after first being awarded it. The ship yards are probably a little dry to. New jersey was upset about property tax and I don't blame them. Unfortunately now that they have a republican governor their jobs will be turned into dung. Heads they lost, tails they lost.
Posted by: rightbehind | Nov 5, 2009 9:46:53 AM
Speaking of fickle memory...how about fickle analysis from our 'political pundits'.
Spin yesterday was about how Tuesday's election was a problem for President Obama's agenda. While I congratulate the GOP on their wins, only 2 races would have a direct impact on the President's agenda.
The 2 are congressional races in CA and NY, the winners of both races are the only ones from last Tuesday that would be able to vote in Congress. Democrats won both.
Posted by: New Wave | Nov 5, 2009 9:46:58 AM
? This is my first post of the day yet I appear to have already been here... Time I start posting as something new I guess.
Posted by: jhw539 | Nov 5, 2009 9:48:58 AM
While we are all busy on one front the communists come and attack us on another. >>>>>>>> More CONFISCATION and I can't wait until 2010 <<<<<<<<<<
Senate panel approves Democratic climate bill
Posted by: ChicagoBob | Nov 5, 2009 9:50:12 AM
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