Obama’s Trip to Capitol Hill to Push Health Care Postponed Until Saturday - Coincidence?

Obama plans meeting with Pelosi's House on Saturday - image rightpundits

The AP is reporting that the President’s planned trip to Congress on Friday , to push for health care reform, has been postponed until Saturday. The President, according to the White House, had planned a trip to Walter Reed Hospital, on Friday instead. The President has yet to visit Walter Reed, almost a year into his presidency.

Co-incidence or not, on Thursday, thousands of conservatives who would prefer an alternative to the current health care reform proposed by the White House, marched on the Capitol, visiting with members of Congress to let them know exactly how they feel. The rally, which was broadcast on C-SPAN, involved key members of the Republican Congress, including Michelle Bachman of MN, and tech savvy, Rep. John Culberson of Texas. Culberson was one of the leaders of the House Revolt last August when Speaker Pelosi, during the energy debate, shut off the lights, the C-Span cameras and headed on vacation to promote her book, while the price of gas was going through the roof. House Republican’s stayed, in the dark house, getting their message across, using whatever means necessary to stand up for the people in their districts and the country in general.

The majority of the media, along with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, continue to dismiss protestors against health care reform, however, conservatives in general, have taken a page from the liberal playbook of the past, by becoming more vocal when issues matter, a stunning change from what had been the norm for decades. In the case of this dismissal (denial) of the protest yesterday, it is worth noting that the innuendo from the press and the White House, regarding “tea party activist”, and throwing words around such as “conservative”, along with “about 10,000 tea party protestors” marched on the Capitol yesterday, (abridged and in general), are unwittingly speaking to the majority of those who do not support the current proposal.

According to recent polling, 53% of American’s oppose the current plan, and perhaps more telling, 73% who do support the plan identify themselves as liberal. Therefore, one can conclude that 27% of the liberal base no longer is on board the Pelosi express. In addition, when one includes trends in American Political Ideology, Gallop indicates that those who identify themselves as Conservative (this was as of June, 2009), were growing, to pre-2004 levels. As of June, 40% of respondents considered themselves to be conservative, with 35% moderate and a mere 21% identifying themselves as liberal.

With unemployment numbers remaining above 9%, the rate of inflation poised to move, in line with the rising cost of fuel, those numbers may have changed in the past 3 months. Additionally, 2010 will bring a zero cost of living increase to those who rely on social security benefits, as well as any government pensioners. This decision was based upon low oil prices this past summer, which caused a negative rate of inflation (of course, there are three entities that rate inflation, of the three, The BEA, the Federal Reserve and the Depart of Labor, the Dept. of Labor was used in that calculation having the lowest figure). Of note, in 2010, insurance benefits for those very same individuals, is poised to rise by 10 percent. Should pricing on food and oil, continue to rise, and individuals living in high tax states, such as Massachusetts, who’s high insurance premium (Medicare supplement plans included), hike for 2010, lays mainly on the State’s Universal Health Care program, one can see that trend towards conservatism edging higher.

Although the recent Republican (i.e. conservative) wins in two statewide races are being pooh-poohed by the White House, and the Speaker, who are more energized by low margin wins in two special election races in New York and California(Historically, Republicans do not fare well in special elections. Surely, this fact cannot be lost on the President and his Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

That Saturday trip to the Hill, although a coincidence, given the rally, the statistics on trends and specifically the legislation on the table, may do more damage to the Democrats in 2010 than the loss of two state-wide elections. Although the media is now pointing to “southern democrats” (i.e. blue dogs) as being concerned about their jobs, it would behoove all Incumbents to pay attention to the trends. One must remember that even the most liberal state of Massachusetts, when pressed, has elected Republican Governors, and was the state that embraced Conservative Republican Ronald Reagan, not once, but twice. This following the disastrous term of one Jimmy Carter, whose approach to governing is parallel to the current occupant of the White House.