Anti-Obama Tone Worries GOP

The congressional battle on health care isn't about health care, it's about controlling the rhetoric. Last week, Sen. Jim DeMint said that if Republicans can stop Obama's health-care bill, "it will be his Waterloo, it will break him." Now, Politico reports, Republican leaders in the Senate worry that the GOP is misplaying its hand, as Democrats have seized on DeMint's comment to paint the GOP as a party whose mission is to ruin the Obama presidency. Republican leaders are already working on damage control. Sen. John Cornyn, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said DeMint's comments were "a distraction," and jabbed the Democrats by adding, "If they'd rather get into a food fight, rather than actually solve problems," he supposed DeMint's comment gave them an excuse. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Senate Republican Conference chairman, agreed with Republican Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, who told Meet the Press: "My goal is not to stop the president; my goal is to get the right kind of health care for America."