From 'round the sphere...
White House Dems not learning the lesson of Massachusetts?
At least some of them don't appear to have learned much [2]...or maybe they just don't want to give anyone the satisfaction of acting as though there was anything to learn.
David Axelrod stated: "I think that it would a terrible mistake to walk
away now. If we don't pass the bill, all we have is the stigma of a
caricature that was put on it. That would be the worst result for
everybody who has supported this bill." In other words, they need to push it in order to get rid of the bad taste everyone has in their mouths about it? (Wouldn't want that bad taste lingering 'til November?)
Spokesman Robert Gibbs was still full speed ahead, suggesting that they wouldn't "...abandon our pursuit on things that are important to the middle
class."
As for the folks in the press, the Boston Globe doesn't appear to have learned much eaither, saying that Brown's win didn't "negate the
resounding mandate that President Obama and Democrats in Congress
received in 2008 to address escalating health costs."
Some people are just hard-headed.
Keep the change: the changing political landscape
The election in Massachusetts changed a lot of things, (ex. the math of the health care debate and the possibility of passing other bills Obama had his eye on), but it's also changed how things look for this coming November.
Larry Sabato (no conservative he) has a look at this years Senate races up on Rasmussen Reports [3], and it doesn't look good for Democrats. (from the article)
...In fact, it is likely that the Republicans will gain at least 3 to 5
Senate seats in November. Even more startling, in the aftermath of the
Massachusetts special election, Republicans would do even better IF the
general election were being held today. The Crystal Ball projects that
the Democratic majority in the Senate would be reduced to just 52 seats
if November’s contests were somehow moved to January.
Currently, Sabato's predictions have the GOP picking up seven seats. Also, today's Rasmussen polls show Republicans ahead in the "toss up" states of Pennsylvania [4] and Missouri [5], (with PA's party switcher Specter down by nine points). The Pennsylvania poll aslo showed 57% of people there opposed to ObamaCare...and 62% oppose it in Missouri. (hint, hint)
So how does all this effect the Democrat's political message? According to Democrat consultant Peter Fenn [6]:“The change message still works. Only now it’s working against Obama and the Democrats as the party in power.”
Hey big spenders!
It's widely understood that the anger and frustration that voters have been feeling lately, demonstrated just days ago in Massachusetts, is the result of a good many issues. From bailouts, to TARP, to stimulus, to taxes to health care,etc. So what does Congress move to do just after that big Massachusetts upset? Raise the debt limit another 1.7 trillion [7] dollars, that's what!
WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats on Wednesday proposed allowing the
federal government to borrow an additional $1.9 trillion to pay its
bills, a record increase that would permit the national debt to reach
$14.3 trillion.The unpopular legislation is needed to allow the federal government
to issue bonds to fund programs and prevent a first-time default on
obligations. It promises to be a challenging debate for Democrats who,
as the party in power, hold the responsibility for passing the
legislation.The record increase in the so-called debt limit is required because
the budget deficit has spiraled out of control in the wake of a
recession that cut tax revenues, the Wall Street bailout, and increased
spending by the Democratic-controlled Congress. Last year's deficit hit
a phenomenal $1.4 trillion, and the current year's deficit promises to
be as high or higher.
Seems they didn't learn that much on Tuesday afterall.
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