Kennedy-Obama Bond Put Health Care on Fast Track

[babylonsister]

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000003194569

Kennedy-Obama Bond Put Health Care on Fast Track
By Adriel Bettelheim, CQ Staff


Other than his victory in the Iowa Democratic caucuses, no moment catalyzed Barack Obama ’s historic presidential campaign more than winning the endorsement of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy .

At a Jan. 28, 2008 rally at American University in Washington, the then 75-year-old progressive warrior from Massachusetts forcefully rejected arguments that Obama was inexperienced and not ready to lead the nation, and drew parallels to the path breaking campaign his brother waged in 1960.

The address at once firmed up Obama’s bona fides with unions, Latinos and senior citizens and dealt a staggering blow to the presidential hopes of his chief primary rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton .

In return for his support, Kennedy made Obama pledge to make health care a first-tier priority — a promise the president fulfilled by staking much of his first-term agenda on an ambitious and controversial plan to retool the U.S. health care system.

snip//

Anna Burger, chairwoman of the labor coalition Change to Win, on Wednesday linked the health care overhaul to Kennedy’s work on social justice issues, saying, “The most fitting tribute to honoring the life and legacy of this great statesman is for Congress to pass quality affordable health care for all this year.”

Jack Lewin, chief executive officer of the American College of Cardiology, predicted Kennedy’s death increases prospects for a bipartisan compromise, even at a time when the financial world is jittery about the prospect of more federal spending adding to the national debt.

“The sentiments and loyalties to the Lion will certainly nonetheless tilt the Congress’ agenda toward passage of some kind of historic health reform bill. Whatever it contains, it will be more than it might have been in his honor and memory,” Lewin said.

[WI_DEM]

1. Now we must finish the job.

[TomCADem]

2. K&R

[Skidmore]

3. As I've said before, the President is not the problem,

Congress is the problem.

[jenmito]

4. Is Jack Lewin, who predicts a "bipartisan compromise," part of the Lewin Group? n/t