Blogs and Stories
White House Done With Wilson
Olivier Douliery, Pool / Getty Images
The White House hits the road for health care reform, and speaks out—proclaiming the town-hall meetings didn’t matter, branding the Wilson flap as “a pimple on the ass of progress.”
With his big health-care speech behind him, President Obama and his senior aides are mapping his fall strategy. A time-honored White House dilemma looms: Should he spend most of his time rallying the public, or twisting arms and slapping backs on Capitol Hill?
Obama’s senior team has chosen to deploy the president on the road for the moment, but they concede that he will also need to lobby for congressional votes himself from the Oval Office—even if all that really matters is the votes of a handful of up-for-grabs centrists in the Senate. “In terms of his personal time, we have got a lot of events coming up, but it’s obviously going to be a multifaceted deal,” said one senior White House aide. “He and others will be working the congressional side. It is just a handful of votes at this point, but the handful could be important.”
“If you look at the polling, we didn’t lose ground in August,” a senior Obama adviser said. “We lost it in July and June, when Congress was in town.”
Conventional wisdom has it that the president and his team lost August, when cable TV went wall-to-wall with reports on town-hall forums erupting with constituents upset with the president’s plans for health-care reform. But Obama’s team sees it slightly differently. “If you look at the polling, we didn’t lose ground in August,” a senior Obama adviser said. “We lost it in July and June, when Congress was in town.”
• Mark McKinnon: Send Joe Wilson HomeThat might seem an academic distinction; after all, the headline about the polls was Obama’s approval ratings went down, significantly. But in this adviser’s view, the town-hall dramas didn’t take the toll everybody think they did; rather, the outbursts were largely politically irrelevant. “I don’t think the protesters hurt us,” the senior adviser said. “We’ve done three town-hall meetings and they were all fine.”
In fact, the White House is more than ready to brush aside the now-infamous protest of Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who yelled at the president during his televised address. “I think this is a pimple on the ass of progress,” said the senior adviser.
• Max Blumenthal: Joe Wilson’s Strange Friends Clearly, the White House is feeling confident in the aftermath of last Wednesday’s big speech. And they got some good news in the immediate aftermath. They had seen some slippage among seniors and independents over the summer. But on Thursday, the AARP released a poll that offered some comfort. The poll, conducted immediately after the speech, showed 72 percent of independents over the age of 45 saying that some of their concerns were addressed by the speech, with 63 percent saying they were “more supportive” of his proposals. Those findings were broadly in line with a CNN poll after the speech showing a 14-point rise in support for Obama’s plans among those who watched the address, with 67 percent of all voters backing the president’s plans. Such instapolls don’t necessarily portend a longer-term rise in Obama’s ratings, but they sure beat the alternative.
For now, the Obama team wants the president in the field, working to hold together the base of support for reform. The day after his speech to Congress, he sought and won the support of the American Nurses Association—his second event with the group after first appearing with nurses in the Rose Garden in July. He hits the road for a rally in Minneapolis on Saturday and an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday with Steve Kroft—who also talked with Obama’s senior team on Election Night last year, and again in March, for a wide-ranging sitdown in the wake of the uproar over the AIG bonuses in March. The campaign continues on Tuesday with a visit to the AFL-CIO’s convention in Pittsburgh.
Richard Wolffe is Daily Beast columnist and an award-winning journalist, and senior strategist at Public Strategies. He covered the entire length of Barack Obama's presidential campaign for Newsweek magazine. His book, Renegade: The Making of a President, was published by Crown in June.
For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
How Rich People Smoke Pot
Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
Stars Celebrate the Super Bowl
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Obama's Plan to Split the GOP
Richard Wolffe is Daily Beast columnist and an award-winning journalist. He covered the entire length of Barack Obama's presidential campaign for Newsweek magazine. His book, Renegade: The Making of a President, was published by Crown in June.
Presidency on the Line
Richard Wolffe is Daily Beast columnist and an award-winning journalist. He covered the entire length of Barack Obama's presidential campaign for Newsweek magazine. His book, Renegade: The Making of a President, was published by Crown in June.
New White House Blame Game
Richard Wolffe is Daily Beast columnist and an award-winning journalist. He covered the entire length of Barack Obama's presidential campaign for Newsweek magazine. His book, Renegade: The Making of a President, was published by Crown in June.
ddooley
WE STILL HAVE FREE SPEECH
thruthefog
Pres. Obama....you go! Get this deed done. America needs you more than ever, offering what every citizen deserves....the opportunity to adequate health care.
aBigDeal
Deed? What deed, exactly? Bankrupting the country? Does it even matter to any of you that he's on track to DOUBLE the National Debt?
That's money you and I, and our kids have to pay back. It's killing our economy.
How do you know what every citizen deserves? Who made you God? I can argue all day long that every citizen deserves a Ferrari and beachfront property. It doesn't make it any more possible to achieve financially.
expat976
What planet did you come from? Do you read?
Have you even looked at the history of the national debt? Take a look, hillbilly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_by_U.S._presidential_terms
AlanD2
aBigDeal: What's the big deal with doubling the national debt?
Ronald Reagan tripled it from $1 trillion to $3 trillion.
George W. Bush doubled it from $5 trillion to $10 trillion.
Be fair now - if Republicans can do it, there is nothing wrong with Democrats doing it.
By the way, Bill Clinton REDUCED our national debt by $14.2 billion.
Bulldoglover100
LOL really and where do you get your facts? Fox News where the news lies?
The deficit was doubled in George Bush's Presidency. Fact.
The Health Care Reform will cost less that Bush's 2 wars. Fact.
George Bush inherited a debt free country. Fact.
In 8 years Bush put us in the trillion dollar debt field. Fact.
The largest health passage was under Bush. Fact.
As for you inability to agree with majority rule aBigDeal? Your welcome to go live in a country that does not utilize the democratic process but as for now? The majority elected Obama and this is what he ran his campaign on. Get over and figure out that your not 5 and don always get your way but stop lying.
robwriter
Hey, BigDeal, where were you when the Republicans were turning a surplus into the largest ever federal deficit? Ferrari? Beachfront property? "On what planet have you been living"? How about basic healthcare? Like every other goddamn country that's not in the Stone Age? How about we manage that?
frontman9000
So what's your answer genius? Live with a broken system that is morally reprehensible and exorbitantly expensive? If socialized medicine works everywhere else in the world why wouldn't it work here? Typical republican short-sightedness. Too narrow-minded to see the big picture and would rather watch your fellow citizens die than see your tax dollars go to help the anyone in need.
yweston
aBigDeal
Who made you God to say what Americans don't deserve. Your kids have to pay back the money Bush spent to murder people. And you're focused on the money kids will pay back to help and save people's lives in our own country.
reardongalt
aBigDeal, the "deed" is: taking from the producers and giving to the moochers. Oh yeah, and keeping most of it for themselves and their friends.
Ayn Rand wrote that there are three kinds of people in this world: producers, looters, and moochers. The moochers are represented by most of the people on these leftists websites, like thruthefog, and all the rest of the jokers who are attacking you. The looters are the guys in Washington DC running the country. The producers are the people that make the whole thing work. Those are the people who you saw at the Tea Parties and Town Hall meetings. The reason why the MSM and the Democrat leadership demonized them is so they can make sure the moochers all vote for them.
There's an old saying that if you run a campaign on the premise that you will take Peter's money and give it to Paul, you can be pretty sure you will get Paul's vote. That's the philosophy of the looter class, and the moocher class makes it happen.
There's just one flaw with their plan, and it's the reason why all Socialist/Communist/Marxist regimes fall of their own weight eventually. And that is the fact that sooner or later the producers like you and me say: "Screw this, buy your own health insurance."
It is inevitable.
rtchap2
abigdeal it looks like you ruffled alot of liberal feathers. Sure our healthcare is not perfect and it does need some TWEAKING. But to go the route of Obama is reckless. All these Obamamaniacs will be crying about their worsening financial dismay in 10 years or less. They cannot seem to understand that their children and grandchildren will pay a hefty price in the not to distant future. Can only bank on public option failing miserably and hopefully that will be the prelude to Obama's 2012 assault on the United States of America.
Evolution
Big Deal, This will save money in the long term. Please pay attention. He's not lying.
cluesearch
Really? The national debt was at $10 trillion when Obama took office, up from nearly $5 trillion when Bush 43 took office. Now that is an actual doubling of the national debt. The healthcare bill is slated to come in at $900 billion and that is over TEN years. Get your facts straight bud. Don't believe me, here is the data from the U.S. Treasury. (I gave it a tiny url). http://tinyurl.com/2werbr and here is another fact that will make you go hmm. Did you know that with the exception of Richard Nixon, and the great depression every time the deficit went up it was done by a republican President and every time it went down it was done by a Democrat AND even though the national debt increased during the great depression by the end of Roosevelt's terms it had already gone back down? http://zfacts.com/p/318.html Republican's are fiscal weapons of mass destruction.
doug-c
From watching his speech it looks like Obama mainly wants to pass legislation that will reform health care. Its the liberals in congress who want a public option that will cost money. Go yell at Pelosi.
This user is no longer registered.
n--Y--grumpyguyLiveandlearn
If you don't have a Ferrari and beachfront property, don't worry. Stop being a sucker!
xlntcat
Have you been in a coma for the past year. The country went bankrupt last September. Bush doubled the national debt and left a 1.3 trillion dollar deficit for this fiscal year which ends the last day of this month. Why are you suddenly concerned about debt? Where was your concern for the past decade?
Juniusforte
BigDeal, It wll triple the national debt if we do nothing. The U. S. is siling towards desaster; let us try to do something about this - health care needs REFORM! Space cadets don't seem to realize this.
Juniusforte
BigDeal (Actually SmallDeal if we consider your grey matter),
We are a nation, one people, one flag, one army, one government. We need one healthcare system for all. This is call progress. By the way it is also one world in which we must compete. You cave men individualists, it's about time to join the human race.
Seaweed
Remember that republicans are much less educated, so your tiny little brain can't really understand these things. Go rest.
jamesindentontx
typical emotional argument. I wish you would stick to health care, and quit bringing in insulting innuendo, i.e. that people want free stuff on your dime. If those opposing heatlh care would just talk about the issues and quit insulting everyone else, then maybe I will take you seriously when you ask "Who made you God?" Look, All I want is not to bankrupt because my insurance company refuses to pay, etc. I have to be responsible, why don't the insurance companies?
Signer
I can see your concerns on the money issue. I did some checking because it concerned me too. I looked at Medicare, and the history on that. We all thought that would bankrupt America too. If a person pays a certain amount in, much like they would working for a company, then that person can afford to keep working and rather than not getting much health care, or end up loosing a lot more and going on "welfare" healthcare, it actually ends up to be more of a monetary balance. It also brings in more competition with existing insurance costs. The purpose is not to have health care costs have someone so broke, that they can never get on their feet again. That hurts the ecomony in more ways than one.
exocracker
Whats wrong with you idiots. Read Mr. Obama's heath care bill. It does give illegal aliens free health care at the expense of all of us. Therefore, Obama DID Lie. Thank You Joe for speaking the truth and don't worry about disrespecting the President since Obama was not born in this country he is NOT legally the President. So technically you did not disrespect the Office of the President.
connie47
Joe Wilson "a pimple on the ass of progress."
Rahm or Gibbs?
dreaday19
If it wasn't limited to White House staff, I'd say Rep. Frank.
al-nafs
Most likely Rahm.
piktor
No, it was Joe the Democrat Plumber
Redhead5050
Ha! I love it...what a perfect analogy.
GeorgeP922
Definitely Rahm, he BROUGHT leaking to the white house.
Obama better fire him soon, as he is set to destroy the netroots, party base and our lead in 2010.
marinersarenumber1
Had to be Rahm - never met a scrap he didn't like.
I think Gibbs had a mouthful of Spicy Doritos at the time.
tonyjenson
I hope Jon Stewart does a parody. Maybe on Kim Kardashian's ass?
Liveandlearn
Who cares. It's brilliant!
mcmchugh99
I couldn't have described Joe Wilson better than myself. My ancestors were Southerners who fought for the Union, and I shit on the Confederacy, the Stars and Bars, and its whole "heritage" of treason and racism. In my family, we have felt exactly this way since the Civil War.
To me, what Obama is trying to do represents reform and progress, while the Republicans seem happy to keep representing the 19th Century--and only the worst aspects of it.
evae1960
It is about time the GOP turned their high-powered observations on themselves for a change.
Hold a mirror up, if you dare, you fools.
I can't wait to see the footage from the "tea party" they're holding this weekend. I just can't bear to associate myself with them anymore. How embarrassing.
rrecord
Stupid is as stupid does!
bobj72
"The Anatomy of The PIMPLE ON THE ASS OF PROGRESS": Rep. Joe Wilson's membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans ("SCV") provides us a bit more information about Congressman Joe Wilson, S.C. The organization, SCV has been thoroughly studied by Civil War historian James M. McPherson who has associated the SCV as "undoubtedly neo-Confederate." (McPherson's credentials; Prof. Emeritus Princeton Univ., Pulitzer Prize winner, Past Pres. Amer. Historical Assn. and Member Editorial board of Encyclopedia Britannica.) McPherson further said that the SCV has "white supremacy" as their "thinly veiled agenda." It's interesting to note some of the other 'well known' members; Pat Buchanan - media consultant, Clint Eastwood, Orval Faubus, Trent Lott, Lester Maddox, Rick Perry - TX Gov. and Harry Truman. Relevance of this information??? Wilson's outburst is symptomatic of some deep seated social biases? Who knows? Then again... who really cares!
BullMoose
They should chage their name to Son's of the Losers of the War to keep Racism and Slaves.
Why do Repugs preach hard work, but their ancestors only lifted a whiskey glass for a workout? Is being racist and lazy ingrained in Southern culture?
anyone with a brain knows racism is at the core of the wacko acts the Repugs have been pulling all spring and summer. They did not want to show their cards the first month, but their hand is showing now, racist, racist, and more racist.
BasPos
This is stupid. Leave the racist out there, unshriven and unapologetic. Admonished he will be pitied by his racist supporters.
Glenda1976
Don't buy this false bravado. Your dear sweet leader is not going to pass this without Republican support.He doesn't have the stones to go it alone. Trust me
bobj72
"Glenda" you refer to passion, determination and focus as "false bravado." Interesting. Then you go on to assert that President Barack Obama "doesn't have the stones to go it alone."... That suggests you're pretty familar with the guy's physical make-up, doesn't it? Pretty bold of you, taking such a stand. I'd even say; "It takes stones to make such a claim!"
yweston
Glenda1976
Trust me is the same line "Ted Bundy" used every time he met a woman he wanted to murder.
billkarwin
The "ass of progress?" Is that what the Democratic Party mascot is called? I thought it was a donkey.
johngault
The hypocrecy of it all.
Where was the outrage when reid called the president a lieing, loser.
The sanctimonius, self rightious voices were silent when members were boing the former president.
The speaker refers to citizens as nazi.
The entire lot is an embarrassment to the very office the have sworn to up hold.
Mhussein
Ouch!!!!
I am having a mental picture of an ass, a pimple and Joe youlie Wilson on it....and it's not pretty.
etch1993
You sure are missed on MSNBC! It's great to see that you still have incredible access to the White House... bring it on!
neverlate
Why are we even talking about this when we don't even have the underestimated $900 billion we need and unemployment is approaching 10%? This whole thing is utter nonsense. Where are the grown ups in Washington? The American people have cut back on their expenses, it is time for government to do the same before they spend us into third world nation status.
robwriter
Gosh, neverlate (well, except in this case). The US already ranks near the Third World in terms of healthcare and has for years. Where the fuck have you been?
neverlate
that's ridiculous - and please don't site the bogus WHO report.
AlanD2
neverlate: "bogus WHO report"?
Facts: The Bane of Conservatives!
yweston
neverlate
Now the right wants to talk about "fiscal" responsibility after (8) years of Bush spending like a drunken sailor
neverlate
news flash - Bush is gone - its sunk cost - money is gone - and it doesn't create an excuse for more binge spending by the government.
AlanD2
neverlate: Think French. Better than us and half the price.
By the way, the Washington grown ups are in the White House now. Pleasant change from the Bush years, isn't it?
And when you say "it is time for government to do the same [cut back on expenses]", you sound exactly like Herbert Hoover, another conservative Republican.
You aren't trying to get us into Great Depression II, are you? Or do you really want 25% unemployment?
neverlate
The French system is not what is being proposed in Congress, so stop with that canard. Also, I am not proposing we do not provide counter-cycical spending, but do not add to the structural deficit. There is a big difference .
AlanD2
neverlate: Stimulus spending always adds to the structural deficit. If it didn't, it wouldn't be stimulating the economy.
I agree that the French system is not being proposed, unfortunately. But whatever reform we get will be the first step on a road that leads to it, or something very similar.
Liveandlearn
What planet are you living on? Now that you are on Earth, wake up and pay attention!!
xlntcat
What part of this must be paid for do you not understand and where were you while Bush was doubling the national debt. The 90 Billion per year must be covered or Obama won't sign the bill. Now if you want to get excited about cutting back on spending keep an eye on your corrupt congressmen who have tried to inflate the Defense Budget with perks for themselves.
aackc1
I never leave website addresses, but this story caught my eye. I had never heard of ACORN before two years ago. Now its difficult to not here about them and its usually funny. I know its lower level, but just wow!
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-09-11-acorn-hidden-camera_N.htm ?csp=34
stat3man
We're behind you! Go, Obama, go!
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.