In May of 2009, President Barack Obama presented a commencement speech at Notre Dame. The belief that he is the most pro abortion President ever, caused a significant controversy both over his appearance at this Catholic University and even more so over the honorary degree he received that day.
Amongst some booing, catcalls and derogatory shouts, President Obama presented the graduates with a his view of how polarizing issues should be addressed in the United States. Here is a clip of President Obama as he applies his view to perhaps the single most polarizing issue in America, abortion:
In case you missed it, here is what President Obama said in this clip:
Now, understand — understand, Class of 2009, I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it — indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory — the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.
Did you get that? According to President Obama, even when debating what is arguably the most polarizing issue in America, he believes the cases can be made with “passion and conviction” and without “caricatures!”
Surely if abortion, an issue where people are polarized on the very point of whether to do it at all, can be discussed in the fashion that President Obama outlines, the discussion on an issue like health care reform should look akin to a love in from the 1970s! After all, hardly anyone disagrees that something should be done with health care, the discussion is entirely over what specifically to do to improve health care and it’s costs.
It’s being reportedthat Nancy Pelosi will unveil her new and improved health care bill to the House on Thursday. Harry Reid is scrambling to find a way to 60 votes in the Senate so that he can bring his bill to the Senate floor.
Amazingly, well not really, while Pelosi and Reid are ready to debate their bills, not a single Republican has seen either bill. In fact, what we know about either bill is that we really don’t know what is in either bill other than what Reid or Pelosi have told us. It’s likely that neither bill will come close to satisfying President Obama’s pledge to not spend more than $900 billion and make it deficit neutral but we don’t know.
What we do know is that passage in either chamber is not even close to assured. Pelosi has 52 “Blue Dog” Democrats. Many of these Democrats come from districts that were previously Republican holdings. With elections for each House member coming less than a year after a final vote, many of these folks are going to be torn between the promises of Nancy Pelosi and the expectations of the constituents.
In the Senate, it’s hard to see a clear path to 60. With a public option in, it appears even the RINOs will hold with Republicans. Add to them Lieberman, Bayh, Lincoln, Nelson and it looks like you’ve got a number of ways to hold 40 votes even if Reid suddenly drops the public option. That said, I would never suggest Reid can’t get his 60. Who knows what promises have been made that could put the Democrats back in lock step and get Snowe to come along.
I suspect the debate in both Houses will be filled with “passion and conviction.” However, the “caricature” threshold was long ago bypassed.
The outcome of the debates and subsequent votes have the potential to dramatically change the United States as we know it. While I’m hopeful that the bills as they are rumored, won’t pass both chambers it’s clear that President Obama has invested a significant portion of his political capital in the effort. These bills aren’t going away in any natural fashion.
Stay vigilant, stay focused or the next caricature we’ll be talking about will be that of people who knew what it was like to live without an all controlling government.
Remember: Stay on target, stay on target!
