It appears that the key to getting this legislation passed is not the what but the how.
Just like Obama treated the American electorate like adults during the election season, he is treating congress like adults in their first session. He is asking them to do their jobs and just showing him what he feels is the correct direction for their efforts (based upon his victory over McCain).
This will enable Obama to continue to win friends and influence people across the board in congress (excluding of course, intractable wingnuts). Man this is going to be fun to watch.
Ricardo Alonzo-Zaldivar of the AP hits the nail on the head when he writes:
Obama's approach is a conscious departure from the path former President Bill Clinton took in the 1990s. Clinton's 1,300-page health care bill tried to answer every question and ultimately went nowhere. Obama is asking Congress to fill in the blanks.
As Obama's spokesperson said: "Members of Congress are not potted plants." So frankly, I believe that Democrats are going to be fired up to get something creative done. And that includes Blue Dogs.
Clinton's top priority was to get everybody covered quickly. Obama has framed the problem differently, focusing on how to slow rising costs, so that everybody can eventually be covered.
I am pleased with what Obama is doing thus far and the way in which he is doing it. Pragmatism ROCKS>LINK