From: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34602.html
President Barack Obama had exhausted most of his health care reform arguments with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during a White House meeting last Thursday when he made a more personal pitch that resonated with many skeptics in the room.
One caucus member told POLITICO that Obama won him over by “essentially [saying] that the fate of his presidency” hinged on this week’s health reform vote in the House. The member, who requested anonymity, likened Obama’s remarks to an earlier meeting with progressives when the president said a victory was necessary to keep him “strong” for the next three years of his term.
Another caucus member, Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), said, “We went in there already knowing his presidency would be weakened if this thing went down, but the president clearly reinforced the impression the presidency would be damaged by a loss.”...
Added Serrano: “He was subtle, but that was the underlying theme of the meeting — the importance of passing this for the health of the presidency.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34602.html#ixzz0iXZVRSNW
Both President Obama and congressman Serrano are confusing President Obama's personal prestige with the presidency itself. G-d willing, the presidency will survive Barack Obama. The presidency is high office. It is preserved when the president acts with courage, wisdom, and integrity, fighting to defend the U.S. Constitution and his oath of office. Defending the executive branch from encroachments by other branches is another way the president defends the presidency. Narrow partisan issues do not touch the presidency unless the president permits that by besmirching his office in pursuit of narrow partisan goals.
Although President Obama personally will be damaged politically if the health care bill is defeated, the presidency itself remains undamaged unless Barack Obama has damaged it through his own conduct. And at this point, President Obama himself seems to be doing exactly that.
Peggy Noonan, among others, thinks that defeat of the health care "reform" bill will help President Obama by enabling him to move on to other issues, and removing the issue from this autumn's midterm elections. President Obama seems unable to see this point of view.
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written by Jay Golub , March 19, 2010
"Added Serrano: “He was subtle, but that was the underlying theme of the meeting — the importance of passing this for the health of the presidency.”"
So it is unpopular and bad for the country, but Obama is telling hispanic Democrats that they must vote for this bill to protect "his" presidency? Or is Obama making the case that this bill's failure to pass would weaken the office of President, as the second passage starts to discuss?
I would argue that if he succeeds in ramming this bill down the throats of Americans, using the power of the Presidency, the PASSAGE of this bill will truly weaken the power and prestige of the office of President of the United States.
Yet, Obama - the selfish pol he's now proving himself to be - would probably get some short-term "strength" by getting the bill completed.
Anyone who votes for this solely to empower this particular President should be run out of office with pitchforks. Serrano should be ashamed of himself if he follows down that path...
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