White House Talking Points: We’ve Got The Big Mo, Baby
The White House talking points that are being distributed this morning to outside surrogates to use on TV — which were sent over by a recipient — instruct them to stress the House Dems who have flipped from No to Yes in the past 24 hours, an effort to create a self-reinforcing sense of momentum:
* Members of Congress who were opposed to the bill are stepping forward to say they now support this health insurance reform legislation that will rein in insurance companies, lower costs, help small businesses and reduce the deficit.
* And we’ve seen support pouring in from all around the country — from newspapers like the National Catholic Reporter and the Washington Post, to advocacy groups ranging from LULAC to the Federation of American Hospitals. So far more than 250 groups representing doctors, nurses, consumer groups, clergy, small businesses, farmers, seniors, young people and more — all are raising their voices to say that the time to enact health insurance reform is now.
The emphasis on Catholic, Hispanic and medical groups alike is meant to suggest White House confidence that the uncommonly broad coalition they’ve tried to build behind reform is, after a year of strife, tension and uncertainty, finally coming together.
And: Having just watched Nancy Pelosi at a presser this morning, it seems clear that she and her staff are convinced they have the votes, though she stopped short of saying so.
Asked if the votes were in hand, she said: “When we bring the vote to the floor, we’ll have a tremendous victory for the American people.” She also quoted Dem Rep John Lewis telling the Dem caucus: “We may not have chosen this time in history, but this time has chosen us.”
Full White House talking points here.
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Mo=momentum and mojo
Are we having a vote party Sunday? (with Plum Line t-shirts?)
{keeping fingers crossed}
“We may not have chosen this time in history, but this time has chosen us
I like this.
You don’t get to choose when to be courageous.
OT and not that I’m burnt out on HCR but I think this is a done deal and so what interested me this morning was the fact that Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham are ready to sponsor a bi-partisan bill on Immigration reform
Schumer has conceded we need better control of our borders and Graham has conceded that mass deportation is not really practical…I’ve always thought that Immigration reform with all of it’s varied special interest groups..employers, Hispanics, Tancredoites..I just assumed it would be even more contentious than HCR.
Perhaps I’m mistaken…in fact I truly hope I’m mistaken.
I vote yes on a Sunday party. Greg, no box wine please. Get the good stuff. You have that Champagne sponsor, so hit them up.
Graham has conceded that mass deportation is not really practical…
Jesus Christ. This constitutes a concession?
Sometimes I believe we’re screwed as a country.
Mariano Rivera? He’s the Big Mo in my neck of the woods.
CT, I was struck by the same line. They’ve really been destroying the GOP in messaging since the SOTU. Esp Pelosi who has been incredible on that tip, imho.
Is Financial Times reporting reliable? They’re saying over there that Obama is removing ban on Pharma from buying out generic counterparts. First vote against drug reimportation, then this. I’m not against passing the bill, but why the further concessions to Pharma, haven’t they gotten enough already?
“Are we having a vote party Sunday? (with Plum Line t-shirts?)”
And lava lamps?
CT – we aren’t screwed until those people take over again…
I hate to sound cynical, but immigration reform is going to be a very big issue for the fall elections if they get started on it soon.
The HUGE problem for the GOP is that they are going to get pushed very far to the right by their base (teabaggers) and this will leave them little or no flexibility. This means that if any “moderate” GOPs such as Graham try to forge an alliance and participate on a sane bill, they will be pilloried for it. Expect a split in their party along these lines.
Add the fight over how to fix the economy and financial regulation, and the Dems have a hole they could drive a truck through.
ruk, the immigration reform debate will be interesting. I thought the same, that it would be worse than HCR, and it might be. Who knows where everyone will line up? But I think Schumer and Graham are on the right track, and Obama supports them. I HOPE that congress will be in the mood for passing something truly bipartisan.
@rukidding
The Schumer/Graham bill is an interesting pairing and I’m glad to see it. Nevertheless, I do believe that the teabaggers are going to really lose it on this issue. I honestly believe it will be worse than what we’ve seen with HCR…and like you, I hope I am mistaken.