Will Obama Help or Hurt Democrats in November?

By: Michelle Levi
Topics: Campaign 2010

On "Washington Unplugged" Tuesday, Stuart Rothenberg of the Rothenberg report said that while the Obama administration might shift policy priority to help downticket Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections, "kitchen table" issues will remain front and center in November.

"Democrats have to turn to jobs and the economy to convinced they are doing things," he told moderator Bill Plante, CBS News' senior White House correspondent.

"This has been a very difficult Congress for the Democrats," the Washington Post's Scott Wilson admitted and said that congressional Democrats will probably start perusing financial regulatory reform and the Supreme Court Citizens United case. Both issues could help them in November.

"That's the kind of issue that the Democrats can structure in a way so it looks as though they are taking on big business," Rothenberg said. "But I think kitchen table issues are going to be so important in the Fall that they may be able to 'win' a fight or two, but on these big pieces of legislation -- immigration, climate change, cap and trade -- these things have no chance in the near future with the blood bath on health care reform," he added.

Watch the full roundtable above.

"Washington Unplugged" appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.

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by JourneyHomeBurke March 17, 2010 3:09 PM EDT: The fact remains that big insurance by refusing care to patients and reimbursement to doctors over typos has ticked everyone off. They have a monopoly over the whole process and a well financed lobby team (including Lieberman's wife) and representatives on both sides of the isle.

A friend of mine recently laid off just he and his spouse is paying $2,500.00 dollars a month for his COBRA. Health insurance costs more than his mortgage. Anyone taking up the insurance industry's cause doesn't know what they are talking about.

If you think the insurance companies are going to voluntarily lower their cost while having a monopoly over the process ? you are being disingenuous ?Over 60% of all US bankruptcies are attributable to medical problems. Most victims are middle class, well educated and have health insurance - (The American Journal of Medicine)

The insurance companies and their representatives in Congress would love to perpetuate a business model that is crippling our overall economy ? a bunch of great Americans aren?t they?

A slavish focus on profit margin might be good for the individual or a business, but it is one helluva lousy way to "govern" a Country. The GOP and the major media outlets being wholly owned subsidiaries of Corporate America have a hard time with that concept.

Paul Burke
Author-Journey Home; Reply to this comment


by cleric60 March 17, 2010 11:03 AM EDT: Question of this St. Patrick's Day, do you think Obama and the rest of democrats kissed the Barney Stone in Ireland...when it came to this health care national coverage for all our citizens.????
Also, do you wish we had a St. Patrick to go to Washington, DC and drive out all the lying snakes in our government?????; Reply to this comment


by RobAla March 17, 2010 6:39 AM EDT: Democrats have hurt Democrats, and that includes the President. They (including the President) have done this by the following:

Most Americans don't care for lies, corruption, and extremism in a President - or in their representatives:
1) He lied 8 times in promises to televise the health care discussions openly on CSPAN.
2) He made deals giving one premium health care plan to union members (supporters) and another to the rest of the country.
3) He stood by and allowed the House and Senate to buy health care votes using taxpayer money.
4) He allowed the health care bills to be fashioned behind closed doors and be filled with political favors.
5) He tried to take over the nations health care by the federal government - most Americans do not want this extreme action.
6) He irresponsibly overspent 100s of billions of dollars the US didn't have on bailouts (President Bush started it and President Obama accelerated it) and bogus stimulus packages.
7) He has behaved in the most partisan manner of any recent President, after promising bipartisanship.
8) Congress is considering an end run around the US Constitution, with the suggesting that they should send the Senate health care bill to the President for signature, without actually allowing an up or down vote.
Just to name a few.
This is given rise to anti-democrat and anti-Obama opinion; Reply to this comment


by sunday42 March 16, 2010 11:36 PM EDT: If Obama was smart he would campaign for the Republicans. This guy is an idot.; Reply to this comment


by Joutue March 16, 2010 7:59 PM EDT: By Joutue march 16,2010 6:57 PM

Obama will hurt the Dems campaigns terribly, if he shows up for them.
He's done help lose it for one of them.; Reply to this comment


by jgg000101 March 16, 2010 6:33 PM EDT: hmmm, let's see, he campaigned for dems in NJ, VA, and MA and they all lost big time. Then he campaigned for harry reid in NV and harry's polls sunk to new depths. Maybe obama should threaten to campaign FOR them if they vote "no" on healthcare.; Reply to this comment


by wdh3007 March 16, 2010 6:03 PM EDT: Does anyone really need to ask this question he is already hurting them with his Obamacare push on the American people. It's also actually better for them if he doesn't campaign for them.; Reply to this comment