How Jim DeMint did Obama a favor
The senator said healthcare would be Obama's 'Waterloo' 鈥� if Obama lost, it would break him. Now, Obama is using the comment as an example of crass Beltway obstructionism.
Washington
"If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him."
When Jim DeMint uttered those words late last week, he did the president a favor.
In one memorable line, the Republican senator from South Carolina turned the healthcare debate into a personal battle against President Obama. Suddenly, Mr. Obama has a foil. 鈥淭he Party of No鈥� 鈥� the Democrats鈥� name for Republicans trying to block reform 鈥� now has a face, and it鈥檚 Senator DeMint.
Both Monday and Tuesday, Obama has riffed on DeMint's comments, turning the debate into an argument about 鈥渙pponents of reform.鈥�
On Monday, Obama said, 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 about me. This isn鈥檛 about politics. This is about a healthcare system that is breaking America鈥檚 families, breaking America鈥檚 businesses, and breaking America鈥檚 economy.鈥�
On Tuesday, he kept going: 鈥淚 know that there are those in this town who openly declare their intention to block reform. It's a familiar Washington script that we've seen many times before. These opponents of reform would rather score political points than offer relief to Americans who've seen premiums double and costs grow three times faster than wages.鈥�
Obama still has some ground to make up with public opinion. A Gallup poll released Tuesday shows that more Americans now disapprove (50 percent) than approve (44 percent) of how Obama is handling healthcare policy.
Analysts say Obama lost ground in the debate while he has been dealing with other issues. He just spent nearly a week overseas, visiting Russia, then attending the G-8 summit in Italy, then going to Ghana.
鈥淥ne of the mistakes they鈥檝e made, it seems to me, is they went a long time where he was not out front on that issue,鈥� says Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. 鈥�The Republicans were actually able to frame the agenda in a way that [says], they鈥檙e going to let government step in between you and your doctors.鈥�
鈥淚f he had framed the agenda as, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to move away from a situation where the insurance companies are stepping in between you and your doctors,鈥� we鈥檇 probably be in a different place,鈥� Mr. Ornstein adds.
DeMint can be especially useful in keeping Obama鈥檚 left flank with him on health reform, as the president contemplates the inevitable compromises. The campaign wing of Obama鈥檚 operation, called Organizing for America 鈥� and based at the Democratic National Committee 鈥� has also leaped on the DeMint comment. On Tuesday, OFA director Mitch Stewart sent an e-mail to supporters, citing DeMint鈥檚 "Waterloo" comment and asking them to sign a 鈥渄eclaration of support鈥� for Obama.
The DNC itself released a Web ad, also riffing on DeMint's remarks 鈥� throwing in conservative talker Rush Limbaugh and South Carolina鈥檚 other Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, for good measure. 鈥淭ell Republicans: Stop rooting for failure and start fighting for the American people,鈥� the ad concludes.
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