President Obama plans trip to Capitol on Friday

[cal04]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091105/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_congress_4

President Barack Obama intends to visit the Capitol on Friday to meet with House Democrats and make a final pitch for health care legislation scheduled for a weekend vote, according to congressional officials.

The president's meeting with the rank and file will occur little more than a year after his election helped swell the Democratic majority in Congress and make possible the ambitious drive to remake the nation's health care system.

The officials who disclosed the president's plans spoke only on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement. The White House declined to confirm details.

The Democratic House leadership hopes to have legislation on the House floor for a vote on Saturday.

[Clio the Leo]

1. And Rahm met with Reid tonight.

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/Rahm_visits_with_Reid_on_health_care.html

[amandabeech]

2. Rahm is from the House and probably won't be well received in the Senate.

Obama would carry more weight in the Senate than Rahm since Obama is a former Senator and is now where a lot of Senators wish they could be, and the Senate is where the wicket gets sticky.

I really don't understand this.

[Clio the Leo]

3. Rahm Emanuel is the President's Chief of Staff.....

.... and will be received wherever he deems to go.

That's like saying Hillary wouldn't be received well in France because she's from Illinois. She's the President's authorized representative and she speaks on his behalf.

[amandabeech]

5. I've heard a particular progressive senator be completely dismissive of the House.

The Senate simply doesn't have a lot of respect for the lower chamber, and Rahm will always be a man of the lower chamber unless and until he secures a Senate seat. He's not a member of the club. The President is a member and always will be. It's best to have an actual club member speak to a club rather than to send any kind of surrogate.

Your comparison to Hillary and the French is misplaced. The French have no specific problem with Illinois or New York. If you are not French, in my experience, well . . . you might as well be from the rings of Saturn. It is almost impossible to join the French club. No one in the administration is a real member of the French club so it doesn't really matter who we send.

[Clio the Leo]

6. You seem to be under the impression........

.... that he hasn't been speaking with Senators at all....

"Sen. Blanche Lincoln Meeting With Obama"
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/sen-blanche-lincoln-meeting-with-obama.php

"President, Sen. Bayh meet to discuss health care"
http://www.examiner.com/x-19365-Indianapolis-Statehouse-Examiner~y2009m10d13-President-Sen-Bayh-meet-to-discuss-health-care

"Later, the President will meet with Senator Patrick Leahy in the Oval Office."
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/10/president_obama_official_sched_157.html

"Later, the President will then meet with Senator John Kerry in the Oval Office."
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/10/president_obama_official_sched_151.html

"Obama to Meet With Senate Leaders After Lunching With Pelosi"
http://www.rollcall.com/news/39804-1.html

Make no mistake about it, his visit to Capitol Hill on Friday, press in tow, is for OUR benefit. President Hayes installed telephones in the White House many, many years ago.

[amandabeech]

8. My point is about an actual visit on Friday.

Those phone calls and visits haven't moved the bill to the floor, now have they? The pit bull isn't going to do much better.

I just wish that you would use your critical thinking skills when looking at all Dems, not just Obama. It'd make the party a whole lot better.

[Clio the Leo]

9. Moved the bill to the floor? The CBO score isn't even back yet.

Is the President supposed to stick his head through the Congressional Budget Office's door and yell, "COUNT FASTER!!!!"?

I think you may have heard THIS headline...
http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/Reid_sets_no_timeline_on_health_care_.html

... but not this one....
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1109/timeline_unchanged_6ad0b4e8-c313-4de7-af17-c4b1abf86ca2.html

"Our goals remain unchanged. We want to get health insurance reform done this year, and we have unprecedented momentum to achieve that," Reid spokesman Jim Manley emailed. "There is no reason why we can’t have a transparent and thorough debate in the Senate and still send a bill to the President by Christmas."

Or this one...
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/white-house-disputes-suggestions-that-health-care-wont-be-done-this-year.php
This afternoon, both senior adviser David Axelrod and press secretary Robert Gibbs maintained that health care reform will be ready to sign by the end of this year -- despite suggestions by the Senate majority leader that the bill won't be ready in time.
"This is going to get to the President's desk before the end of the year," Gibbs said on MSNBC.

[amandabeech]

10. The House has a bill, the Senate doesn't.

Obama wanted a bill weeks if not months ago, and he doesn't have it. It's been rough, rough, rough in the Senate, and I still don't think he has it in hand. And I still don't think that Rahm is going to help.

We'll never agree on this, so I will not continue to post on this thread.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Hmmmm. I hope he doesn't run into any of Bachmann's crazy tea party people trying to see the

white's of his eyes and trying to "scare" him.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. Got to get the health thing through