This just in on Politico.
Obama's pitch to House Democrats is now boiling down to one point: The whole enterprise is about the Obama Presidency, the Obama brand, the Obama legacy, the Obama agenda. It's all about Barack Obama.
President Barack Obama had exhausted most of his health care reform arguments with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during a White House meeting last Thursday when he made a more personal pitch that resonated with many skeptics in the room.
One caucus member told POLITICO that Obama won him over by “essentially [saying] that the fate of his presidency” hinged on this week’s health reform vote in the House. The member, who requested anonymity, likened Obama’s remarks to an earlier meeting with progressives when the president said a victory was necessary to keep him “strong” for the next three years of his term.
Another caucus member, Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), said, “We went in there already knowing his presidency would be weakened if this thing went down, but the president clearly reinforced the impression the presidency would be damaged by a loss.”
The Oval office has been occupied by clueless alcoholic dolts (U.S. Grant comes to mind), men who just could not manage to keep 'that thang' in their pants (that list is quite a bit longer, but we'll settle for Harding, Kennedy, Clinton), paranoids(remember Nixon?), deluded egotists(Lyndon Johnson personally ordering particular Vietnam air raids), a few dedicated servants(Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Eisenhower, Reagan), and well-meaning people in waaaaaay over their heads (Jimmy Carter, both Bushes).
But Barack Obama is a completely different sort of Occupant.
Not even FDR possessed the complete narcissism that Barack Obama displays for us all, combined with a complete willingness to, well, just make stuff up and expect that no one will dare challenge him. Jerry Ford bumps his head on an airplane, and it gets days of coverage in the 70's. Obama tells one howler after another, like yesterday's claim of an Hawaiian earthquake, or that he has saved or created millions of jobs since coming to office, or his 3000% reduction in health-care premiums for small businesses, and no notice is taken.
This man is willing to play dice with every life in America for the sake of His Presidency. His image. His ego. His legacy.
If He succeeds at this, what else lies in store for us?
The Call List
See that little red banner on the top right of the page? It's been an interesting exercise to go down that list.
OS's own beloved John Tanner (TN-8) isn't answering the phone in his DC offices. Voice mail, mailbox full. The Jackson office answered, with the weary sounding lady assuring the caller she'll pass the message on--riiiiiight....claiming he still hasn't decided. The auction for his vote is still ongoing, evidently. He sold his soul so long ago, it's not worth mentioning. OS's reminder that the attempt to pass the bill without a recorded vote on the bill is unconstitutional is met with irritation.
Still, OS takes a break from his work, and dials the Capitol switchboard, hears the busy signal, and takes a bit of comfort that maybe somebody is paying attention enough to really get motivated...
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