Lessons from the UK general election for Republicans

David Cameron didn't quite seal the deal with the UK electorate. Losing several targeted seats necessary to form a majority government, the conservative Tory Party lacks the seats in Parliament to claim authority to seat Cameron as Prime Minister. Instead, Cameron must attempt to find a coalition government with either Brown's Labour Party or Clegg's Liberal Democrats. Gordon Brown, as Prime Minister, has a constitutional right to form the coalition government first however. Brown's party took a serious beating in the election, losing a net 91 seats. Despite receiving glowing press reports and a surge in the debates, Nick Clegg's party had a dismal night and actually lost 5 seats.

While BBC coverage of the election spent a good deal of time focusing on the possibility the Labour Party would align with the Liberal Democrats, Clegg has conceded Tories have a right to form a governing coalition because they have the most seats:

Mr Clegg said: "I have said that whichever party gets the most votes and the most seats has the first right to seek to govern, either on its own or by reaching out to other parties and I stick to that view," said the Lib Dem leader.

"I think it is now for the Conservative Party to prove that it is capable of seeking to govern in the national interest."

Ed Morrissey suspects Cameron will have a tough time forming a coalition that will be fragile at best in the end.  Cameron was clear that cuts would be necessary to fix the fiscal nightmare facing the UK.  Lib Dems and Labour opposed those cuts.  Passing cuts to the "cradle to grave" entitlements citizens have come to enjoy will be difficult, if not impossible, under such a fragile coalition government.

The results of the election seem to confirm the denial seen on the streets of Greece may have plagued British citizens as well.  Had the British electorate been sold on the necessary cuts perhaps they would have given Cameron the majority he will need to pass those cuts into law.  They just weren't ready to admit the party is over.

There are lessons in this election for Republicans who now enjoy the same widespread belief they will gain power in the next election Tories enjoyed a few months ago.  While I would like to believe the American people are ready for a return to responsibility they may not be ready to face the cuts to Social Security and Medicare necessary to avoid a financial future now facing Greece.  They can however, remain committed to repealing the unpopular new health care entitlement before it has a chance to work its way into the American psyche as a just reward for citizenship.

There is a danger that comes with a sense of inevitability in elections.  In recent days, some Republicans have shown less enthusiasm for voting in recent days.  It would be a mistake for Republican candidates to take voter enthusiasm for granted.  It is also equally dangerous for those on the right to think return to power is so inevitable they need not support and actively work to elect the candidates who challenge the Democratic majority.

While Clegg was unable to translate enthusiasm for his youth  and change message into votes, he now enjoys a good deal of power as king maker.  Third party candidates on the right don't enjoy the same benefits in the US.  Let's leave it to the left to duke it out among themselves with third party candidates.

CNN Summarizes Health Care Summit in 2 Minutes - What Could Go Wrong?

CNN must be fearful that Barack Obama didn't fare very well in the health care summit last week. They put together a summary for those who missed the 7 hour summit condensing it into a two minute recap of the entire event. Surely they must realize when they are picking and choosing specific soundbites from an event of that length they are editorializing. If they realize they are editorializing you might think a news agency would make that point clearly. Don't strain yourself watching for such an admission, however.  It's missing along with the other 6 hours and 58 minutes they cut to make this summary.

You won't see a single word Paul Ryan uttered proclaiming the health care reform a fiscal train wreck. You won't see Obama cutting off Republicans as they are making clear arguments against the current proposed health care reform and offer reasoned and thoughtful alternatives. Nor will you see Democrats suffering from "annectdotitis" relating stories from constituents who wear their dead sister's teeth when dental coverage is not at issue.

What we do see is a montage of soundbites from Republicans suggesting they start over along with a few snarky responses from Obama on the use of the 2400 page bill as a prop. Worse still, is a montage of seemingly sincere Democrats suggesting there are many areas of agreement between the two sides followed by another montage of Republicans pointing to significant differences. The segment is concluded with Obama's final ultimatum. Having watched nearly all of the 7 hour summit, I would have summarized the event entirely differently. My summary would have been equally biased, perhaps even more so.   Then again I freely admit my bias, maybe it is time for CNN to do the same.



Related at Hot Air "CNN: We need a radical procedure to save the ObamaCare patient"
Cross posted at Potluck

Karl Rove On The House Republican Retreat

Much has been made of the President's appearance at the House Republican retreat on Friday. MSNBC changed their lineup Friday night to host a one hour special touting the genius of Obama's success in handing those nasty Republicans their hats and sending back where they belong, in the political wilderness. It was obnoxious. It was also a gross overstatement but we've come to expect nothing less from that network.

It was an amazing moment according to Democrats:

The moment President Obama began his address to Republicans in Baltimore today, I began to receive e-mails from Democrats: Here's an except from one of them: "I don't know whether to laugh or cry that it took a f$$@&$* year for Obama to step into the ring and start throwing some verbal blows... I'm definitely praying at mass on Sunday morning that this Obama doesn't take another 12 month vacation."

This e-mail comes from a very influential Democrat.

Accepting the invitation to speak at the House GOP retreat may turn out to be the smartest decision the White House has made in months. Debating a law professor is kind of foolish: the Republican House Caucus has managed to turn Obama's weakness -- his penchant for nuance -- into a strength. Plenty of Republicans asked good and probing questions, but Mike Pence, among others, found their arguments simply demolished by the president. (By the way: can we stop with the Obama needs a teleprompter jokes?)

I watched most of this event on Friday and saw a defensive thin-skinned Obama pretend he was suddenly all about bipartisanship. As usual, Obama laid a heaping helping of blame on Republicans but was forced to admit the Republicans had ideas , that he'd seen them and considered them. Perhaps it's just me but didn't he just spend an entire year claiming the exact opposite? Maybe this is why most voters don't trust Obama's statements about the economy. Obama has lost the trust of a significant portion of the voting public because he campaigned on being a pragmatic centrist but governed as a left leaning ideologue. It will take more than a day trip to Baltimore to undo that image in the minds of voters. I will let Karl Rove make the rest of the case, Friday was no win for Obama:

Buyers Remorse - 50% Would Not Vote to Re-elect Obama

Via Memeorandum
Hotline on Call has the results of an Allstate/National Journal Heartland  poll conducted by Financial Dynamics of 1200 adults.  Polls surveying adults without qualifying for likely or registered voters tends to favor Democrats yet there is little in the poll from which Democrats might take heart.  The most striking finding:

That a mere 39% would either definitely or probably vote to re-elect Obama should give Democrats in Washington considerable pause.  The study shows little support for Obama's economic policies while Republicans gain traction with their focus on taxes and lowering government spending:

Just 34% say the country is moving in the right direction, down 13 points since April, and 55% say it is off on the wrong track, up 13 points over the same period.

But as GOPers focus on taxes and spending, that message seems to be causing Obama the most harm. Among those who believe Obama's policies have moved the country in the wrong direction, 45% cite spending and government regulation as a top cause for their opposition.

I would argue that it is not the message that is causing Obama the most harm, it is the actions of his administration supported by a Democratically controlled Congress that is the culprit.  Republicans, however, are wise to continue to focus on smaller government and lowering taxes in this political atmosphere.

Ed Morrissey notes another huge red flag for Democrats:

After a year of single-party governance, Americans have grown very disenchanted.  In April of last year, 47% of respondents thought the country was moving in the right direction, against 42% who thought it was going off the rails.  Now, 55% think the country is moving in the wrong direction, and only 34% think otherwise.  Since only Democrats have been doing the driving, that gives a strong indication that they may find themselves replaced at the wheel at the next opportunity.

That next opportunity comes this Tuesday January 19, 2010 when a strong showing by Scott Brown should send shivers down the spine of every  Democrat up for re-election this November.

Max Baucus Impersonates Drunken Sailor on Spending Binge

I am not sure if this is Best Drunk Dude Ever Tries to Buy More Beer Part II or if Baucus is punch drunk from all the kool aid the Democrats were forced to swallow to pass their health care bill. Could be he is totally sleep deprived after they worked for 24 days straight to pass the rotten lousy health care bill before Christmas. In any case this video is pretty pathetic as Baucus slurs and rambles through a rant against the Republicans who opposed the health care bill:



I am fairly certain the synapses are not firing as they should because Democrats seem to be under the mistaken impression those who say no to their drunken out of control spending binges are going to be in trouble with voters next year. Even their own pollsters are having a hard time believing the fauxtrage against Republicans has any hope of sticking:"

“People are angry and what Democrats are trying to do is channel that anger,” said Democratic pollster Doug Schoen. “You’ve got to displace the anger onto the Republicans. If they can do that, Democrats have some hope but right now things are looking increasingly bleak every day.”

Schoen was blunt about the challenge Democrats are facing next fall. “The Democrats are trying to stem the bleeding,” the former pollster for President Bill Clinton said. “Obama’s in a free fall and, unless they stem the bleeding, they’re going to face unprecedented losses.”

If I were a betting woman, I would think the odds might just favor anyone who stood up and opposed the health care debacle the drunken Democrats have tried to ram through without a single Republican vote. Baucus' rant is the epitome of delusional displaced anger because they know they are doing themselves in with their own legislation. I personally hope they continue to rant and rave about the party of no, ramp it up and keep it coming. Someone needs to announce the keg is tapped, we're out of beer.

Raising the Limit on the National Credit Card

One month before Obama was elected as President of the United States the National Debt Clock, a digital counter near Times Square, ran out of space  to track the national debt.  This was after a Democratically controlled Congress had promised in 2006 during the first 100 hours in control they would drain the swamp, break the link between legislation and lobbyists and beyond that:

All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority

Today that same debt clock reads slightly over $12.1 trillion reflecting an increase of close to 2 Trillion dollars since October 2008.  While the clock in Times Square found a way around the debt that became too large for their clock, Congress now ponders a solution to a debt too large for their self-imposed limitations.  The solution is to raise the statutory limit on the federal debt that was most recently raised to $12.1 trillion in provision of  the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the "stimulus."   Congress is proposing increasing the statutory limit on the federal debt by another 1.8 Trillion, while 50 House Republicans propose legislation making it more difficult for Congress to raise its' own credit card limit.

The limit has been raised seven times since 2002.  When Bush was elected in 2000 the federal debt was 5.6 Trillion.  By 2006, when Democrats took control of Congress that figure had grown to 8.4 Trillion.  Since then the projections and actual growth in the debt have been astronomical:

The need for Congress to reign in spending or raise the limit is urgent:

With the fiscal 2009 deficit at $1.4 trillion and the current debt at $12.09 trillion, advocates of raising the limit say it is essential because the country will probably hit the current limit by the end of the month.

"We expect Congress to raise the debt ceiling in a timely manner," a Treasury official said.

Democrats want to hike the ceiling and face the music now rather than deal with the fallout next year, when Republicans could seize on the issue for political gain in the 2010 congressional election.

To borrow a phrase from the President, let me be clear, Republicans can and should seize the issue not only for political gain but to stop the insane spending this Democratic Congress seems unwilling or unable to contain themselves.  The Republican proposed legislation making it more difficult to raise the limit faces a difficult path to law largely because Republicans lack the votes in either the House or the Senate to stop anything Democrats commit themselves to passing or opposing.

Before voters go to the polls next year they should know how this Democratically controlled House and Senate has handled the nation's financial future.  While the media and pundits are quick to point out the years of irresponsible spending under Bush and a Republican Congress, the Democrats have raised out of control spending to an art form.  Raising their limit now to hide from voters their irresponsibility in 2010 seems in line with the rest of Democratic strategies lately.  When it comes to the limits of federal debt, Democrats can run but they can't hide from the fiscal train wreck they've set in motion as Senator Judd Gregg makes clear:

Gregg said this "is not a theoretical problem -- it is directly in front of us." And he warned that "the nation will go bankrupt" if spending is not reined in.

Rush Interviews Sarah Palin

While the Barbara Walters and Oprah interviews focus on Palin persona, Rush focuses on Palin the political powerhouse. The interview touches on many policy issues including the economy, unemployment, foreign policy including Iran and Afghanistan with some clarification on the issue of illegal immigration as well. The highlight seems to be her declaration that America is not quite ready for a third party:

You know, to be brutally honest, I think that it's a bit naive when you talk about the pragmatism that has to be applied in America's political system. And we are a two-party system. Ideally, sure, a third party or an independent party would be able to soar and thrive and put candidates forth and have them elected, but I don't think America is ready for that. I think that it is... Granted it's quite conventional and traditional, but in a good way that we have our two parties, and I think that that's what will remain.

It looks as though there won't be a third party run for Sarah in the future.

The Lefties are taking note of the number of times Palin uses the term commonsense:

If you're keeping score at home, that's eleven "commonsense"s in an interview than runs about 3,400 words.

Well, we've always known this about Palin -- she absorbs catchphrases rather than ideas, and then she runs those catchphrases into the ground. (Remember "hungry markets"?)

George W. Bush also glommed onto simple words and phrases -- you know, like "freedom." But at least that was aspirational. Freedom! What did it mean to be a champion of freedom? It was a worthy goal, even if the execution was abysmal.

Are we to presume "hope" and "change" are aspirational catchphrases. What does it mean to be a champion of hope, we've not seen very much of it coming from this administration. We certainly have seen very little commonsense.

Part I



Part II

Rush has a thread at Memeorandum
Transcript at RushLimbaugh.com

A Bad Time to be a Democrat

While Rasmussen has been showing Republicans in the lead on the Congressional Ballot for some time, today Gallup shows a 4 point edge for Republicans as well.  Gallup sampled 894 registered voters which generally produces results that lean towards the Democrats, to find Republicans leading 48% to 44% for Democrats.  The most startling finding in this poll, Republicans gained a full 22 point preference among Independents:

Party like it's 1994! There is every reason to party if you're a Republican, as Byron York points out in The Washington Examiner:

It's an extraordinary turnaround for the GOP. Last July, Democrats held a six-point lead. Last December, Democrats held a 15-point lead. At one point in 2007, Democrats held a 23-point lead, and for all of that year, 2007, Democrats held a double-digit lead.

The new Republican lead is the result of a dramatic move of independents toward the Republican party. In the new poll, according to Gallup, the GOP leads among independents, 52 percent to 30 percent -- whopping 22-point margin. Last month, the Republican lead among independents was just nine points, and in July, the GOP lead was a single point. So among independents, the Republican lead has gone from one point to 22 points in less than six months -- with much of lead accumulating in the last month.

Will Democrats continue to bury their heads in the sand and continue to pursue a left-wing agenda that is clearly losing the confidence of the all important Independent voters?  Harry Reid answers "full steam ahead," as he plans to take the yet unwritten Senate health care bill to the floor next week.  Do we get to read the invisible bill or is that too much to ask?

H/T:  and many more reactions at Memeorandum.

Thoughts on the Urge to Purge

Via Memeorandum, Politico has the daily dose of drama on the supposed civil war among Republicans, again.  They found a few moderates who felt the urge to gnash some teeth while they weep and wail over the national support for the conservative candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd district over Dede Scozzafava.  Almost right from the jump, Politico frames the argument entirely wrong:

The message from national and New York conservatives is unambiguous, though: This was an angry, energized base telling the national party that an anything-for-a-majority approach by GOP leaders is unacceptable. They are serious and deeply concerned about what's going on in Washington.

No, the angry, energized base was not saying that an anything-for-a-majority approach is unacceptable.  We don't think we can win when our candidate is virtually indistinguishable from the Democrat.  Of course there will be both Congressional and Senatorial seats that cannot be won by running a hard line right-wing candidate.  We need to focus on the best candidate and one who will be with the party on the matters that have most appeal to swing voters right now, smaller government, taxes and  deficit spending.  Unemployment is rapidly approaching 10%, people need to get back to work which can only come through spurring economic development.  This is the critical message, this is the winning message.

Democrats in Congress have held the country hostage this year as they tried to pass legislation that can only blow holes the size of Texas in the already bleeding fiscal budget.   Democrats already know this is wounding them and can see the freight train coming for them in 2010.  While they pretend to worry about righting the ship, the left wing of their party insists on taking on more water.  It is a strategy doomed to fail.  The only way to stop it is to be the one setting the agenda instead of the ones who are shut out of the room.

If Doug Hoffman wins on Tuesday, it will be because the district would vote for a more conservative candidate than the one the local officials thought possible.  This was clearly misguided.  While there are quite a few moderates in this area, the district has a long history of supporting the Republican candidate.  It leans right, there was no need to lean further to the left than the Democrats to find a candidate.   The angst among the moderates on social issues is misplaced.  Voters are worried about keeping their jobs and frankly, it is the moderates who are beating the social issue drum over the economic drum.  They beat it so loudly, the left assumes there must be  blood in the water.  They want there to be blood in the water.  Let's not give it to them.

Sarah Palin's instincts were dead on in this election, and her message now is the right one, "it's time to unite."

I want to personally thank Republican Dede Scozzafava for acting so selflessly today in the NY District 23 race. Now it's time to cross the finish line with Doug Hoffman so that he can get to work for District 23 and the rest of America.

With Congress poised to overhaul one-sixth of our economy with so-called health care “reform” (which is really a government takeover of health care) and with plans to enact a cap-and-tax bill just as our economy struggles to recover, Doug Hoffman will be a voice for fiscal responsibility and common sense in Washington.

We need candidates like Doug now more than ever. In these final days of the campaign, it's vital that Doug continue to receive the enthusiastic support of those who want to bring common sense to Washington. Let’s help make it happen! You can help Doug by visiting his official website today and offering your support: https://www.doughoffmanfor

 While Palin rallied the right in this election toward a likely victory with a conservative candidate, her most crucial role in 2010 may be to rally the right to back off when calls for a more conservative candidate than is reasonably electable become overpowering.  These instances will be fewer and further between than the media and some teeth gnashing moderates would have us believe but Palin might make the case more effectively than anyone when those instances arise.  The election in the NY-23 was not one of those instances.

More Doom and Gloom for Dems

From Rasmussen:

For the first time in years, or so it seems, Republicans lead in voter's trust on all ten issues regularly polled by Rasmussen.  Republicans have doubled their lead over Dems on the issues of taxes and the economy since last month.  

ObamaCare Hammered in Public Opinion

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire is running with a finding in the latest Quinnipiac opinion poll showing Congressional Republicans at their lowest grades since Obama's election on the following points:

• Voters disapprove 64 - 25 percent of the way Republicans in Congress are doing their job, with 42 percent of Republican voters disapproving;

• Only 29 percent think Republicans on Capitol Hill are acting in good faith;

• Voters trust Obama more than Republicans 47 - 31 percent to handle health care;

• Voters 53 - 25 percent have an unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party. 
  

First, let us acknowledge this poll samples registered voters which would produce results that favor Democrats more than a poll that samples likely voters though it skews results less than a sample of adults.  That said, the most glaring problem with this poll is the questioning such as we see here:

15. Who do you trust to do a better job handling health care - President Obama or the Republicans in Congress?

No such question is asked comparing Congressional Democrats to Obama's handling of health care.  As such question 15 can only lead to an odious comparison between Obama and Congressional Republicans.  Far more revealing however, clear majorities of Republicans and Independents do not see Democrats making a good faith effort to cooperate with Republicans as we see in the following response:

21. Do you think Obama and the Democrats in Congress are, or are not, making a good faith effort to cooperate with the Republicans on health care reform?

Tot                         Rep    Dem    Ind    Men    Wom    Wht    Blk    His



Yes/Making effort    41%    18%    69%    34%    38%    45%    36%    67%    55%
No/Not mkg effort    46     73     16     53     53     39     52     12     34

Those who oppose the Democrats reform do so because it is believed it will expand government and increase deficits.   This is the real bad news for Congressional Democrats and Obama found in this poll:

On the negative side, voters don't believe 71 - 19 percent that Obama can keep his promise that health insurance reform will not add to the federal deficit, down from 72 - 21 percent disbelief August 5. Even Democrats believe 50 - 32 percent that health insurance reform will add to the deficit.

That a high percentage of Republicans are dissatisfied with Republicans in Congress reflects much different concerns than those who see Republicans not being cooperative.  The overwhelming fear among Republicans is that they will be too cooperative.   Lest anyone forget however, Democrats control the government right now.  That their proposals for reform have generated strong opposition is a secret the media would like to keep from voters.  There is no easier way to hide that message than focusing on absurd comparisons between Obama and the minority party who don't have the votes to stop ObamaCare unless there is a groundwell of public opposition to the program.  The Quinnipiac buries the notion in the last line of their report:

"They trust Obama more than congressional Republicans on health care. Yet there is no groundswell of support of his health care plan itself."

Political Wire buries it in the headline:

Republicans Hammered in Public Opinion

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air shows how the Pew poll  that samples with a huge partisan split shows Obamacare rejected by a margin of 13 points.  As Ed notes this portion of a poll released earlier in the week but was withheld from release until today. There is no easier way to lie to the public than through statistics.  Nevertheless, the main stream media fall over themselves to invent new and creative ways to hide the sad truth, the public doesn't support this health care reform. 

H/T: Memeorandum

Van Jones: Republicans are Assholes

Via The Hill Tony Romm has the video of Van Jones, "the Green Jobs Czar," calling Republicans assholes. He later describes himself as an asshole, which Romm is quick to point out. If you watch the video, however, this is hardly an excuse as he appears to be on a roll enjoying the audience response:




Romm describes the comment as "off the cuff and then goes on to describe it as a slip:

Jones made the off-the-cuff remark in February, during his lecture at a Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC) event on the green economy. At the time, the Obama administration had not yet tapped Jones to serve as a special adviser on the White House's Council on Environmental Quality.

The Hill's apologetic descriptions seem rather absurd since the tape speaks for itself. Clearly they see this as damaging, however, and do their dutiful best to smooth it over. This is not reporting, this is damage control.

For more on this see Legal Insurrection's post Glenn Beck's Revenge
Hat Tip: Memeorandum

Fact Check: Obama's Press Conference July 22, 2009

Well, the reviews are in, and they aren't very good. It's tough to call an Obama Presser a success when even Chris Matthews and Ed Schultz have nothing good to say. Matthews chalked Obama's inability to make the case for completely overhauling the health care industry to the lateness of the hour. Hello, it was 8 PM, not much of an excuse.

Perhaps if Matthews was a bit more thorough in his analysis of the unimpressive presser, he would note the numerous ways the President's rhetoric failed to match with the proposals currently coming out of the House and Senate. The AP does a pretty thorough review and found a number of the President's statements in opposition to the facts. One of the most glaring disconnects came when the President claimed:

"You haven't seen me out there blaming the Republicans."

Perhaps he was unaware that he blamed Republicans in his own opening statement:

I've heard that one Republican strategist told his party that, even they may want to compromise, it's better politics to "go for the kill," another Republican senator that defeating health reform is about "breaking" me.

Clearly this was a reference to Senator DeMint's Waterloo statement that has taken center stage in Obama's efforts to find a face to tie with the problems plaguing health care. Senator DeMint has issued a statement, in response to a DNC proposed attack ads scheduled to run in SC and national television. The ad alleges that Senator DeMint has offered "no plan at all" a claim which Senator DeMint describes as "patently false." The statement includes numerous links to the Senator's most recent health care proposals as well as a list of previous legislation he proposed including a few voted against by then Senator Obama.

In The GOP Live Response many claims made by the President were refuted with links to outside sources were supplied to back up the GOP assertions. The President repeated his claim that the government will not get between patient and doctor. Live Response posted this response:

House Dems' Bill Creates New Czar That Will Push Government-Run Health Insurance. "The health choices commissioner would head an independent agency, as envisioned in the 800-page draft bill released by House Democratic leaders. The Health Choices Administration would regulate a revamped insurance marketplace and be expected to deliver Obama's promise of affordable coverage for all ... The commissioner and the new agency would run a kind of national purchasing pool through which individuals and small businesses could pick medical coverage from private plans and a government-sponsored alternative." (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, "Need For Federal Insurance Czar Is Questioned," The Associated Press, 7/7/09)

Jake Tapper of ABC asked whether the American people would be required to make additional sacrifices aside from the proposed surtax on the wealthiest taxpayers. The President denied there would be sacrifices which completely belies the proposals contained in the House bill HR 3200. In fact the President claimed:

They're going to have to give up paying for things that don't make them healthier. And I -- speaking as an American, I think that's the kind of change you want.

GOP Live Response also noted there were taxes under consideration:

House Democrats Have “Lots Of Potential Targets For Higher Taxes” Apart From Deduction Limiting. “House Democrats have lots of potential targets for higher taxes as they aim to expand health care coverage to reach the roughly 50 million that experts say are uninsured. Also under consideration are higher alcohol taxes, increases to the Medicare payroll tax and a value-added tax, a sort of national sales tax, of up to 1.5 percent or more ... The [other] tax options include: increasing the price of soda and other sugary drinks by 10 cents a can, applying a potential 2 percent income tax increase to single taxpayers earning more than $200,000 a year and households earning more than $250,000, a new employer payroll tax could target 3 percent of employers' health care expenditures, taxing employer-provided health insurance benefits above certain levels ... House Democrats planned to unveil a draft of their sweeping health care bill Friday ... The draft, being released at a news conference ... was not expected to mention the potentially unpopular tax options.” (Erica Werner, "House Eyes New Taxes As Senators Pare Health Bill," The Associated Press, 6/19/09)

As the Senate Finance Committee has not finalized any of their planning, potential sources for funding the new entitlement are in flux. Clearly this was a problem for the President as he took center stage in prime time television to sell health care reform that was missing a few key ingredients, those being a finished plan and a means to pay for it.