With numerous surveys showing Congressional job approval near an all time low and the President’s job approval rating slipping, Democrats will now drop everything and pin their hopes on a successful legislative session on one issue: health care.
While it isn’t news that congressional Democrats want to pursue legislation designed to bring more government control into the system, it is rather interesting that they are picking a fight on the one issue the Republicans and their outside conservative allies are ready for. Since the now infamous “Hillary-Care” battles of the early 90′s, conservative grassroots organizations have been building an army of activists for this exact issue.
Democrats have huge majorities in the House and Senate AND have President Obama in the White House ready to sign away anything they send him. But numerous studies indicate that the public is against the spending decisions made by this President, which to date is the Congressional Democrats biggest legislative “achievement.” With such huge majorities, congressional Democrats have mismanaged the CIA/torture debate, couldn’t pass card-check legislation that their union allies insisted on, and lost support within their own caucus on climate change legislation. Pick any one of the above issues and the Democrats had full ability to roll the Republican minority under the table on the House and Senate floor.
Because the Democrats haven’t been able to manage their own caucus effectively, it’s very interesting they are choosing the battle which will unify the conservative base of the Republican Party, as well numerous independent grassroots coalitions opposed to more government control of health care. Polling data shows solid support in fixing the current system, but there are vast differences between Republicans and Democrats as to HOW to fix it. Democrats want more government control; Republicans want more private, free-market-based solutions. While Democrats may be successful in winning the votes on the floors of the House and Senate, they may lose the battle of public perception. Stay tuned.
