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 source — instruct supporters 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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