The other day in an op ed responding to Howard Dean's comments on the health care bill, David Axelrod said it would be "insane" to criticize the bill, or words to that effect.
The Nation's Ari Melber tells of a blogger conference call Thursday evening in which Axelrod was asked about that.
Axelrod Walks Back Insanity Defense on WH Blogger CallThe White House swiftly organized a blogger conference call on Thursday evening to rally support for health care reform, in a bid to stem fallout from progressives over recent compromises in the Senate. Senior Obama adviser David Axelrod devoted most of the time to taking questions, as bloggers from OpenLeft, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars and Huffington Post pressed for answers on why recent concessions seemed so one-sided.
MyDD's Jonathan Singer said he was channeling another blogger, Duncan Black, to ask whether Axelrod's recent "insane" remark about Howard Dean's position also applied to Ben Nelson's willingness to scuttle the entire bill. "I'm not professionally qualified to judge insanity and maybe I should have used a different word," Axelrod said, and he noted that "everybody's a little on edge at this point" in the long legislative battle. He also stressed his respect for allies in the "progressive community," but reiterated his view that it would be "wrongheaded" to squash all of health care reform at this point, which is "infinitely better" than the status quo.
Asked about a dip in polling by Huffington Post's Nico Pitney, Axelrod reiterated his argument that the White House was focused on legislative progress, not polling or approval ratings. "We're not here to husband our poll numbers like a trophy on a shelf," he responded, and essentially rebuffed the argument that White House compromising has reduced enthusiasm and support from Obama's base.
I realize the WH is bubbled off from everyday mundane things...but they should read read the poll by Progressive Change and DFA. Sam Stein at Huff Post
presents some pertinent parts.The liberal action groups Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America commissioned a survey several days ago, in which they asked more than 800 voters whether Lieberman's position on health care should affect his status as head of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Eighty-one percent of Democrats said they would like to see the senator's chairmanship -- which he was allowed to keep despite campaigning for Sen. John McCain in 2008 -- taken away should he sustain a filibuster. Only 10 percent of Democrats said there should be no punishment. Even fewer (nine percent) said they had yet to make up their minds, underscoring just how divisive Lieberman is within the party.
Here is the complete poll and the White House and Axelrod need to not ignore it.
http://act.boldprogressives.org/cms/sign/natpollresults121809/One part:
PUBLIC OPTION + MEDICARE BUY-IN
If Congress proposed passing a strong public health insurance option PLUS allowing people age 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare, would you favor or oppose this idea?
FAVOR OPPOSE NOT SURE
ALL 58% 31% 11%
Men 52% 38% 10%
Women 64% 24% 12%
Democrats 88% 8% 4%MANDATE, NO PUBLIC OPTION/MEDICARE
Would you favor or oppose a health care bill that does NOT include a public health insurance option and does NOT expand Medicare, but DOES require all Americans to get health insurance?
FAVOR OPPOSE NOT SURE
ALL 33% 56% 11%
Men 35% 53% 12%
Women 31% 59% 10%
Democrats 37% 51% 12%Republicans 30% 61% 9%
Independents 31% 57% 12%
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