I for one always miss Bill Clinton, even though I never voted for him and mostly disliked him in office. (This happens to me with every U.S. president, and may even happen some day with George W. Flightsuit.) Anyway, Bubba went to Capitol Hill today to rally support for Obamacare, and said these things:
Clinton argued that even "the most cold-hearted person" ought to support health care reform simply from an economic standpoint. He reminded Democrats of the political momentum their failure to pass reform in 1993 delivered the House of Representatives to the Republicans the following year.
"The point I want to make is: just pass the bill, even if it's not exactly what you want," Clinton told Democrats. "When you try and fail the other guys write history."
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said Clinton described the ongoing tea party protests against the Democratic agenda as a sign his party was making progress.
Whitehouse quoted Clinton arguing: "The reason the tea-baggers are so inflamed is because we are winning."
Clinton's overall message was one the Obama administration has tried to make: not passing a bill is the worst thing Democrats could do.
"So it's not important to be perfect here, it's important to act, to move, to start the ball rolling, to claim the evident advantages that all these plans agree with and whatever they can get the votes for I'm gonna support," Clinton said he told the senators. "I think it is good politics to pass this and to pass this as soon as they can. But I think the most important thing is it is the right thing for America. The worst thing to do is nothing."
