SPOTLIGHT: 'FINISH THE JOB'
President Obama yesterday at a Senate Democratic Conference meeting told
lawmakers to "finish the job" on health reform. He acknowledged that
many Senate Democrats have concerned constituents and as a result are
facing difficult re-election bids, but said that if they pass health
reform and other initiatives they will have a better chance at
re-election. The president also said that senators should tell voters
honestly that some problems will take time to solve, defend health
reform without getting stuck on confusing or overwhelming minutiae,
point out when Republicans stall worthwhile legislative efforts and stop
paying attention to media coverage that emphasizes politics. In
addition, Obama called for as much transparency as possible on health
reform, saying Democrats had made a mistake by not always publicizing
the negotiations on the House and Senate reform bills. Obama also told
lawmakers not to be concerned about the recent special election of
Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown (Mass.), noting that Democrats went
from having "the largest Senate majority in a generation to having the
second-largest."
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