Today in Washington D. C. - Nov 30, 2009 - Public Opposes Dem Health Bills; Dems Don't Seem to be Listening

News reports indicate that "President Obama will announce a surge of 34,000 US troops in Afghanistan at the US Military Academy at West Point> on Tuesday, December 1st. General Stanley McChrystal, America's top general in Afghanistan requested 40,000 additional troops to quell the Taliban insurgency and stabilize conditions on the ground. Senior Defense Department officials believe the US is losing the war, the Taliban is gaining and increased troops are needed to turn the tide in the NATO forces' favor."

The House will reconvene Tuesday at 6:30 PM. The Senate reconvene today at 2 PM and will resume consideration of the Reid substitute amendment to H.R. 3590, the vehicle for Democrats’ health care reform bill. The first vote of the week is expected tomorrow on the nomination of Jacqueline Nguyen to be district judge for the Central District of California. Anyone notice, how the Democrats dragged out approving judges under President George Bush but now with Democrat President Barack Obama, the Senate runs confirmations through the Senate without delay.

As the Senate returns to begin floor debate on the Democrats’ health care bill today, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Democrats in Congress and the White House are pushing a health care reform on Americans that they do not want. A new Gallup poll out today finds once again, “Despite the considerable efforts of Congress and the president to pass health insurance reform, the public remains reluctant to endorse that goal. Over the past month, Gallup has found more Americans opposed to than in favor of healthcare legislation . . . .” More Americans want their members of Congress to vote against “a healthcare bill” than for it: 49%-44%. A majority of independent voters continues to oppose passage of the Democrats’ health care bill, by 53%-37%. Support from all 3 political affiliations has dropped for the bill since October, “falling by 6 points among Democrats, 8 among independents, and 12 among Republicans,” according to Gallup.

Further, Gallup finds, a majority of Americans continues to disapprove of President Obama’s handling of health care, 53%. Only 40% approve. Gallup points out that this “represents his worst review to date on this issue.” And “Independents are nearly twice as likely to disapprove (58%) as to approve (33%).”

And how are Democrats reacting to this? Apparently, they aren’t. Instead, they’re looking to make deals among themselves to pass a bill that most Americans don’t want. Politico reports today, “The next phase in the Democrats’ health care push will be waged in the privacy of the Senate leadership office, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will attempt to do something that has eluded him all year: negotiate a compromise on the public insurance option that can garner 60 votes and win over a public still leery of reform.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell pointed out Democrats’ apparent determination to plow ahead, telling CNN’s John King last weekend, “[Americans] are literally screaming -- many of them -- telling us, ‘Please don't pass this. Don't pass this bill.’ If the majority is hell-bent on ignoring the wishes of the American people, they have 60 votes in the Senate. You would think that they might be able to do this, but I believe there are a number of Democratic senators who do care what the American people think and are not interested in this sort of arrogant approach that everybody -- sort of shut up and sit down, get out of the way, we know what's best for you.”

Hopefully, those Democrats who say they oppose Reid’s bill will be more interested in what the American public is telling them than whatever deals are offered behind closed doors in the majority leader’s office.

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