'Your voice can get health care passed.' Barack Obama at AFL-CIO picnic today in Ohio

[flpoljunkie]

Here's the end of Obama's speech today at the Labor picnic where he went off script with his 'Fired Up' story. If you're not fired up, you should watch.

--Josh Marshall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLnoctztjh0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftpmtv%2Etalkingpointsmemo%2Ecom%2F%3Fid%3D3371192%26ref%3Dfpblg&feature=player_embedded

[pinto]

1. kick

:kick:

[Cha]

2. Yes, what the President has been saying all a LONG.

http://www.barackobama.com/

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8625126

[joeycola]

12. He needs to draw the line in the sand and say that he will veto any bill

without a strong public option. Until he does not==he is all over the map and comes across and wishy washy!!

[Cha]

14. Nah, he's doing this his way..

I like his way..not yours.

[DrToast]

3. No, it can't. The votes will get it passed. The public already wants it

Now it's time for Washington to show who they really represent.

[flpoljunkie]

5. It is possible for Congress to do what's right, but they must be persuaded.

They do indeed hold the key.

To put it more simply, Congress writes and passes legislation. The president cannot write legislation or pass it. What is the White House to do about that?

The president does not have the power to substantially change the dynamics of Congress on health-care reform, or big bills in general. If they did, Clinton would have passed health-care reform, as would Nixon and Truman and FDR. But what Brooks tells his readers today is that this is, in fact, Obama's fault. It is a lack of presidential audacity as opposed to congressional will. But this is worse than untrue: It's damaging. It feeds the persistent delusion that the fix to our problems is a different president or a better White House strategy. And so we change our presidents, and the White House revamps its tactics, but we do not solve these problems. If you don't have a competent driver, buying a bunch of new cars doesn't end your transportation woes.

The president cannot pass legislation over Congress. But Congress can pass legislation over the president. That's how our system is constructed, but you wouldn't know it from the way we report on it.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/09/the_primacy_of_congress.html

[DrToast]

6. If they haven't gotten the message yet

I don't know if they will.

[flpoljunkie]

13. And, they won't without pressure from their constituents to overcome the special interest money.

They must fear losing our support--and our votes.

[grantcart]

4. Or if YOU READ BETWEEN THE LINES he was really saying "Sit home and do nothing"

Better Believe It!!!

[denem]

10. Thar's B Speak to you

Budd E Var.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. Man!

He REALLY looks like a man who is getting ready to CAVE on Wednesday night to the Republicans and private insurance industry.

:sarcasm:

[CakeGrrl]

8. But you know even when he doesn't, the "cavers"

will find SOMETHING wrong with whatever he says.

:crazy:

I don't know why he's perceived as not leading. I see the media not covering anything positive or relevant being the biggest problem.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. Of course they will

A few DUers, with all due respect, spring to mind. Obama may or may not be playing "chess" but he is still having to play politics, which for all practical purposes, is the same to me. He will probably not come out and say anything "definitive" enough for some people here but they should realize that he is having to walk a very fine line to get something through. I think, as one story put it, "threading the needle", which is, IMHO, a quite apt description. Obama is far from caving to anybody and is leading more than some people care to realize.

[proud patriot]

9. I've made copies of my healthcare story

people who comment pos. or neg. get a copy .