Democrat Cardin rebutts Steele's attack on Obama health plan
The Democratic National Committee turned to Maryland Sen. Benjamin Cardin to deliver a rebuttal to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele鈥檚 speech Monday attacking the Obama administration鈥檚 health care reform plans.
Not coincidently, Senator Cardin defeated Chairman Steele in a hard fought 2006 race for the Senate.
Trading charges
Cardin charged that Steele had 鈥渞eally politicized the debate on health care鈥� by calling Obama鈥檚 proposals an experiment and socialism during a speech and question and answer session at the National Press Club Monday morning.
In a brief conference call with reporters, the Maryland Senator also offered a rebuttal to comments made Friday by South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint (R) that, 鈥淚f we鈥檙e able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo鈥t will break him.鈥�
鈥淎s President Obama pointed out, this is not about him,鈥� Cardin said after citing the Waterloo remark. The issue is 鈥� whether the American people will have access to quality healthcare.鈥�
In a day of charge and counter-charge, Cardin claimed that Steele and his fellow Republicans 鈥渨ill say no to anything President Obama suggests. I don鈥檛 think it has anything to do with the policy underlying the proposals.鈥�
Obama: tough talk and giving ground
Cardin鈥檚 comments came on day when the President vowed to fight 鈥渢he politics of the moment.鈥� Speaking at the Children鈥檚 National Medical Center in Washington, Obama said, 鈥淲e can鈥檛 afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care.鈥�
The President also gave some ground Monday in the health reform battle. Until today, his stated goal was to get reform legislation passed before Congress took its August recess. In his health care remarks Monday, Obama said, 鈥淟et鈥檚 pass reform by the end of this year.鈥�
