For Obama, What A Difference A Week Made

[jefferson_dem]

For Obama, What A Difference A Week Made
by Liz Halloran

To paraphrase a former president, it's been a heckuva few weeks for the current one.

President Obama signed his hard-won health care legislation into law, embarked on a road show to market it, and mimicked that same former president's famous "bring it on" challenge to Republicans rallying their party faithful with calls to repeal the new law.

He's lectured leaders from Israel and Afghanistan, endorsed an offshore drilling plan, announced new gas mileage requirements, and, his voice shot-through with sarcasm during a speech in Iowa last week, mocked the media for peddling poll-driven impatience.

Amazing what a win in a major legislative battle will do for a president's spirit. (Turmoil over spending and leadership at the Republican National Committee over the past week, and the release Tuesday of a major new and largely sympathetic book about the president by New Yorker editor David Remnick, also haven't hurt White House efforts to drive its own, new narrative.)

Though the president's national job approval ratings failed to get a boost by the passage of the health care overhaul — his numbers have remained steady this year at just under 50 percent — he has earned grudging respect even from those who don't agree with his policies.

"He's achieved something that virtually everyone in Washington thought he couldn't," says Henry Olsen, vice president and director of the business-oriented American Enterprise Institute's National Research Initiative. "And that's given him confidence."

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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125594396

[SpiralHawk]

1. "But we stole the headlines. Neener." - Republicon Faux Lesbian B & D Fanboy TeaBaggers

"Yah, yah, yah on healthcare reform and victory and saving money for America and all that crap. But ask yourself, who was the Most Brilliantly Fabulous Media Star of All? No one can hold a candle to us republicon homelanders. Neener, neener, neener."

- Republicon Faux Lesbian B & D Fanboy TeaBaggers

[MannyGoldstein]

2. An Incredible Achievement, Hard Won

He passed a RomneyCare bill that most Americans don't want, bypassing the cheaper and better public option that most Americans do want, and that he campaigned for the Presidency on with great gusto.

That's not easy.

Obama and the Predator Class have won a huge victory indeed, and they deserve our respect if not our love.

[jefferson_dem]

3. Gawd Bless those teabaggin' repugs for opposing this monstrosity from the "get go".

Obama = Predator in Chief

[MannyGoldstein]

4. yes, i'm a teabagger

Well done.

[jefferson_dem]

5. Well, for the record, I never accused you of being a teabagger.

Sorry, if it offends you. I just have trouble taking those on "the left" who oppose the health care reform seriously.