NYT: Lawmakers Detail Obama’s Pitch

[Elmore Furth]

Obama tried to rally the Congressional troops to not be intimidated by the teabaggers.

Tea bagging is a right-wing gimmick involving a tiny minority on the ultraconservative fringe. Teabaggers destroyed the GOP in safe congressional seat in New York. The apocalyptic frenzy whipped up by the Fox News/Limbaugh inspired shock troops for the far right has Obama as one of the four horsemen of the destruction of America.

Teabaggers Destroy G.O.P. in Safe NY Seat (with Poll)

Teabaggers Out Of Touch

In an odd coincidence, the House debate on Saturday to overhaul health care took place on the third anniversary of the 2006 election that gave Democrats majority control after 12 years of Republican dominance. It fell to President Obama and to Congressional leaders to persuade those Democrats still sweating the final vote that it would not prove the party’s undoing in next November’s midterm elections.

Both Mr. Obama and the House leaders showcased Democrats’ newest colleague, Representative Bill Owens, who last Tuesday won a special election in an upstate New York district that Republicans had held since 1872. In the campaign, Mr. Owens gave unabashed support to the pending House health care bill, despite the opposition of national conservative groups, including the new Tea Party Patriots, who backed Mr. Owens’ conservative rival.

Mr. Obama, during his private pep talk to Democrats, recognized Mr. Owens election and then posed a question to the other lawmakers. According to Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, who supports the health care bill, the president asked, “Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care? All it will do is confuse and dispirit” Democratic voters “and it will encourage the extremists.”

Another freshman Democrat from New Mexico, Representative Martin Heinrich, said the president’s comments overall were reassuring. “If you want to see a recipe for failure,” Mr. Heinrich said, “don’t do the things you talked about in your campaigns and turn your back on your base. All the independent voters in the world don’t matter if the Democrats don’t turn out.”
Lawmakers Detail Obama’s Pitch

[emulatorloo]

1. Nice -- thanks for posting this n/t

[Pirate Smile]

2. All the independent voters in the world don’t matter if the Democrats don’t turn out.”

Luv it!

[Clio the Leo]

3. heh heh he he heh ..... we got the President of the United States to say...

"teabag." heehehehehehehehehe ;)

[patrice]

5. ! I think he did that for us (i.e. everyone who has been paying attention.)

:rofl:

[Clio the Leo]

6. lol, wonder if Rachel will pick up on that?

IF he said it .... that's the benefit of the event being closed press .... because Barack Obama is NEVER going to say "tea bag" unless it's a sentence that reads, "Michelle, we're out of...."

[angee_is_mad]

4. K&R

thanks for posting.

[TomCADem]

7. K & R!

[Jennicut]

8. He is completely correct. And who ran away from the reform? Deeds.

It was not the only reason he lost but the Dem base in VA was not inspired to turn out for him.