By Dave Andrusko
In an interview with New York magazine outgoing pro-abortion Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) offered an insider’s view of the political impact of ObamaCare. One academic paper estimates that about 25 of the 66 House seats Democrats lost in 2010 could be directly linked to having voted for ObamaCare. It could well have been larger—and that doesn’t even factor in how opposition to ObamaCare was a huge favor in state legislative races all over the country.
Frank’s initial response came as the last part of an answer to New York magazine which reminded Frank that just after Obama was elected in 2008 that 2010 would be a good year for Democrats.
“Obama made the same mistake Clinton made. When you try to extend health care to people who don’t have it, people who have it and are on the whole satisfied with it get nervous.”
He added,
“I think we paid a terrible price for healthcare. I would not have pushed it as hard. As a matter of fact, after [Sen.] Scott Brown [R-Mass.] won [in January 2010], I suggested going back. I would have started with financial reform, but certainly not healthcare.”
This answer misses a lot. Elsewhere, Frank suggests Obama did not want to “blame Republicans” on the other issues Frank thought were important to the outcome of the 2010 off-year elections because “he wanted to work together.”
This is worth remembering–and rebutting–because the public is going to be told day in and day out that the President tried to work with a recalcitrant Republican Party held “hostage” by “right wing forces.”
There is a reason Gallup has reported that “Obama’s ratings have been consistently among the most polarized for a president in the last 60 years.” One reason is that Obama talks a great game of finding “common ground,” but never practices that policy. For another, time after time a majority of the public, when asked, has responded that Obama is more liberal than they are.
And never was that unwillingness to find “common ground” more evident than when pro-lifers tried to make ObamaCare abortion-neutral. Obama fought it tooth and nail—and won!
We will also hear that ObamaCare will not be a major issue in this fall. It will be. You can take that to the bank.
Your feedback is very important to improving National Right to Life News Today. Please send your comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha
