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--Federal funding for abortion is part of the planned legislation.
These are just a few of the diaphanous ghosts being evoked. You can see right through them.
My fellow Americans, NONE, that is NOT ONE, of the draft bills includes any language about "death panels," or abortion, or benefits for illegal immigrants--as you Representatives and Senators here tonight know full well.
But some here before me this evening are reluctant to make that clear to their constituents. Worse still, some are taking a leading role in spreading the confusion.
The Politics
Of course, it's not just the money; it's also politics. I've gone out on a limb to get a fair deal for ALL on health care--a hard thing to do. Recent presidents have been thwarted when they took on the challenge I have taken on.
I knew that, and I made that promise to you anyway. It had been 43 years since President Lyndon Johnson successfully pushed through Medicare, and now it's 44 years. I knew the odds. But a promise is a promise.
Politics? I knew that opposition to reform for crass political reasons would be strong; I never expected it to be so transparent.
Where's Jim deMint? Ah, there you are, Jim. I want to publicly thank my dear friend and former Senate colleague, the junior Senator from South Carolina, for making crystal clear what motivates him, and many in his party.
On July 17, Senator deMint spoke candidly about how he sees the political stakes. And this is what he said:
"If we're able to stop Obama on this it will be his Waterloo. It will break him."
I'll confess: it's hard to know what to say to that. Perhaps it would be best, initially, to try to laugh it off. So I'll borrow from that great musical Gigi, where Leslie Caron sings:
This is my Waterloo, whispers my heart;
Pray I'll be Wellington, not Bonaparte.
But seriously, Jim, this is not about me losing like Napoleon at Waterloo, as you are hoping. It's not about winning or losing at all.
For me it's a matter of keeping a promise--of keeping faith with the America people--and it's about compassion. And if you and those with you succeed in thwarting reform, it is the hopes and prayers of millions of Americans without affordable health care that will be broken. I will be profoundly disappointed, but not broken.
