Steele to Obama: Slow Down on Health Care

5173860A day after Michael Steele fired sharp criticisms at President Obama's health care reform plans, the chairman of the Republican Party had a new message for the president: slow down.

In an interview with "The Early Show" Tuesday, Steele repeatedly criticized what he termed as the president's "excessive push" to get his reform plans in place by the time Congress takes its August recess.

"How do you do that in two weeks?" Steele asked.

Monday, Steele bluntly termed Mr. Obama's plan "socialism," in remarks at the National Press Club, and said the Democrats' health reform plans were concocted by a "cabal" consisting of the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.

While Steele agrees with Mr. Obama's goal to insure the nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance, the GOP chairman said Congress and the president could afford to take another eight to 10 months to formulate a plan.

"We've gotten this far with the health care mess we're in," Steele said.