[Peace-discuss] If there only were attacks...

[C. G. Estabrook]

[He's been a disastrous president already, even worse than his critics 
from Right and Left suggested he would be.  His military is killing 
people in a Blitzkrieg in AfPak, his economists are bailing out his Wall 
Street backers with nothing for the vast majority while the country 
sinks deeper in to recession, he's selling out healthcare to the 
insurance companies  -- admittedly, the Democrats in power have been 
doing all these things regularly for two generations, but he was 
supposed  to stand for "change."  At least most people outside the 
self-deluded political class (~20% of the population) knew that was a 
lie.  If we had any Left at all, these things would at least be said. 
--CGE]

	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.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/03/AR2009070302309_pf.html