WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Barack Obama is considering giving a major speech detailing specifics on what he would like to see included in a health-care reform bill, a senior White House aide said Wednesday.
Senior advisor David Axelrod told CNN, the president is looking at the possibility of a speech as "one of his options" in pushing forward his health care agenda after he returns from vacation at Camp David next week.
Obama has outlined broad principles for what he would like in health-care reform, but he has left most details to leaders in Congress. Now, White House aides say, the dynamic has changed.
"We're entering a new season," Axelrod said. "It's time to synthesize and harmonize these strands and get this done."
Another administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity when discussing strategy, said the new phase was "driven in part by the actions of some in the GOP, including Senators Grassley and Enzi."
The official added, the White House believes those actions indicate that the two key Republicans - Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Mike Enzi of Wyoming, who are part of a bipartisan group negotiating a health care bill, "are essentially walking away from the table."
The official also said that "now is the time to begin to pull together the various strands and solutions from the four bills that have been marked up and other proposals... basically all the cards are on the table."
It's unclear still what form the speech by the president would take. If he decides to give an address, he could do it from the Oval Office or before a joint session of Congress. But the administration official said no decisions have been made.
"The president is considering all of his options on how to advance the debate and get reform passed. This includes possibly laying out a more specific vision."
From CNN Politics
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Blah blah blah blah blah. He's already said what he wants – and no one has listened. So, now he's going to try to guilt American's into giving up their choices. Blah blah blah blah.
heis a tv hog nearly as bad as schumer.....
If he does give a healthcare speech, this speech needs to be specific about what he wants in the bill. Period!
Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Please do, Mr. President, preferably to a joint session where those Republicans and Blue Dogs will have to hear!
Give me one good reason to believe anything that comes out of the mouth of obama that can be trusted………he surrounds himself with people like Van Jones….Carol Browner, Cass Sunstein, John Holdren………America is wising up to this and the American people do not want a socialist government and does not want our great great great great grandchildren stuck with the debt he is creating…………
This is a repeat story!
The president just needs to be quite! He has said all he needs to say
I do not want to see him on TV talking about health care any more!
Is it time for a new election yet????
president obama must take the lead on health care and keep harry /nancy in the closet somewhere. i support our president and want him to be the leader of our country even if it means getting rid of the blue dogs ,nancy and good ole harry. he needs to ram his health bill down the throats of the republican party that thinks he is to spineless to act on his own. we are democrats that elected obama an we stand beside him all the way!! he has safety in numbers out here and there are more of us than the ignorant teabaggers. we are just not blabbering like the uneducated!
shouldnt it be telling if the proponent of the bill has to rethink his strategy YET AGAIN!?
Bla, Bla, Bla, Bla... Same ol' same ol'... The people don't want it just drop it!
He's going on vacation again? Didn't he just come back from the Vineyard? I thought that was a "long overdue vacation".
Obama, Give it a break will you. It's dead on arrival.
Why not spend your time trying to govern from the center? That would do you much better than trying to reform healthcare.
Will you quit being such a flaming Liberal,!Your policies stink because your only answer to any issue is a new govt takeover/entitlement. That's real original there Barry. If you're so smart try to think of something else that doesn't involve the govt. dirty hands getting all over everything.
Good. I will be watching.
he should give the speech infornt of the full congress. He should give detail on the direction and then give the members of congress the opportunity to ask questions. He should have a proposal in front of him that addresses cost and features.
If he hadn't abdicated his responsibility to the far left fringe of his party, he wouldn't be having these problems.
By the way... if part of your plan is saving $500 Billion in Medicare fraud and abuse (which everyone agrees with), why don't you pass that part immediately???
Drop the public option.
If the product doesn't sell because nobody wants it, just rename it and put on a shiney new wrapper.
President Obama, I have faith in you....Republicans have already drawn a line in the sand and have no intentions of working for the betterment of the American people. Greed and Ignorance rules the Repuplcian Party.
It is up to the Democrats to pass healthcare reform with the Public Option.
It's the moral thing to do
ANOTHER VACATION?! Are these people ever NOT on vacation?
Bush would go to his ranch for a few weeks every year and the media screamed bloody murder. These people have done nothing BUT vacation since the inauguration. Europe with the wife and kids, then Yellowstone, than whitewater rafting in Wyoming, then the Grand Canyon, then two weeks on Martha's Vineyard, and now a week at Camp David. Obama has spent more days vacationing than working. He must REALLY want this healthcare thing passed.
Does Obma think he can jusr roll back the events of the last few months and start over? A mulligan? This guy's lost his grip with reality. Do his advisors tell him this kind of crap?
Right after he indoctrinates your kids in school on September 8th!
Reform has to take place. Don't kid yourself private industry is only concerned about profits. I know someone that needed insurance badly and was refused by this certain health company. You talk about rationing! They have been doing it for years with no check and balances.
Public option doesn't mean gov't will tell what you can and cannot have. Your doctor will still rule and you will not have to give up the right
to any doctor what myths!! I say let there be competion and remember it is an option. The best policy and results win. Time for this country to get better health care. For what we pay 39th rated in the world. Cmon Keep what you have if you like it. It will be paid for from the wealthy who have been having a free ride for years. Go Obama and Democrats
When he puts out a proposal that makes U.S. taxpayers more important than the greedy trial lawyers I will listen to him. So far he and the other cowards in congress do not feel that the 150 billion in annual saving from medical malpractice REFORM is worth getting the trial lawyers upset over.
Enough with the speeches !!
Establish single payer. With the national savings accrued from what was formerly spent on rising private health insurance premiums(including multimillion dollar executive salaries and bribery through lobbyists) and rising deductables, a new generation of doctors and nurses can be trained.
Win-win for the American people.
"The president is considering ... possibly laying out a more specific vision."
Well that would be a nice place to start.
Obama has never said anything to clear up his healthcare nightmare. He needs to lay off of the kids in this monstercare. Do not go into the schools.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He is desperate.