“Crown Jewel”?

Notable Democrats Expressing Regret Over ObamaCare

House Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Recently Called ObamaCare Obama’s “Crown Jewel.” PELOSI:  “Well, again, we’re not as important as, obviously, the American people. But I think that it is the crown jewel. It is the greatest achievement, but with stiff competition. The president achieved many things in the two years that we were in the majority in his presidency. Not much since then legislatively.” (PBS’s “Charlie Rose Show,” 4/3/12)

BUT SOME TOP DEMOCRATS BELIEVE OBAMA’S “CROWN JEWEL” WAS A MISTAKE AND WILL COST DEMOCRATS BIG

“[S]everal Prominent Democrats Are Lamenting The White House Push To Pass Health-Care Reform Three Years Ago.” (Jeffry Bartash, “Pair Of Top Democrats Lament Obama’s Health Care Push,” The Wall Street Journal’s “ Market Watch,” 4/19/12)

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA)

At A Bloomberg Breakfast On Wednesday, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) Said ObamaCare Cost Obama “A Lot Of Credibility As A Leader.” “‘I’ll be real frank here,’ Webb said at a breakfast organized by Bloomberg News. ‘I think that the manner in which the health-care reform issue was put in front of the Congress, the way that the issue was dealt with by the White House, cost Obama a lot of credibility as a leader.’” (Karen Tumulty, “Jim Webb: Health Care Law Represents A Leadership Failure For Obama,” The Washington Post, 4/18/12)

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA): “From That Point Forward, Obama’s Had A Difficult Time Selling Himself As A Decisive Leader.” (Jeffry Bartash, “Pair Of Top Democrats Lament Obama’s Health Care Push,” The Wall Street Journal’s “ Market Watch,” 4/19/12)

Representative Barney Frank (D-MA)

Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) Said That Instead Of Pushing ObamaCare, Obama “Should Have Instead Turned His Focus To Financial Reform.” “Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said he advised President Obama against taking up health care reform following a special election in 2010 that changed Democrats’ fortunes in the Senate, saying that he should have instead turned his focus to financial reform.” (Jonathan Miller, “Barney Frank: Obama Made ‘Mistake’ With Health Care Push,” National Journal, 4/16/12)

• Representative Frank (D-MA) Said That Obama And Democrats Pushed ObamaCare Too “Hard.” FRANK: “I think we paid a terrible price for health care. I would not have pushed it as hard. As a matter of fact, after Scott Brown won, I suggested going back. I would have started with financial reform but certainly not health care.” (Jason Zengerle, “In Conversation: Barney Frank,” New York Magazine, 4/15/12)

Representative Frank (D-MA) On Obama’s Healthcare Push: “Then Obama Made The Same Mistake Clinton Made.” (Jason Zengerle, “In Conversation: Barney Frank,” New York Magazine, 4/15/12)

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Admitted That ObamaCare Was A “Liability” In The 2010 Election. “A top Democrat acknowledged Thursday that President Obama’s health care bill hurt his party in 2010. And a new study suggests it cost the Democrats something pretty specific: their House majority. ‘It was clearly a liability in the last election in terms of the public’s fear,’ House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Thursday during a briefing with reporters.” (Aaron Blake, “Study Shows Health Care Bill May Have Cost Democrats The House,” The Washington Post’s “ The Fix ,” 3/9/12)

Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY)

Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY) Said Passing ObamaCare “Wasn’t Worth” The Political Cost.  “‘Oh, politically? Politically?’ Yarmuth paused for a moment. ‘Big picture, politically, it probably wasn’t worth it. Policy-wise, it was worth it because it’s going to move the country dramatically in the right direction,’ he said. ‘Even if it were to fail [at the Supreme Court], it’s going to move the country dramatically in the right direction.’” (Joshua Miller, “John Yarmuth Says Health Care Law Probably Wasn’t Worth Political Cost,” Roll Call’s “At The Races ,” 4/12/12)

• Representative Yarmuth (D-KY): “We Made A Lot Of Mistakes” On Health Care. “‘We — collectively, those of us interested in doing comprehensive health care reform — we made a lot of mistakes,’ he said.” (Joshua Miller, “John Yarmuth Says Health Care Law Probably Wasn’t Worth Political Cost,” Roll Call’s “ At The Races,” 4/12/12)

Representative Brad Miller (D-NC)

Representative Brad Miller (D-NC) Said That ObamaCare Had Hurt Democrats Politically.  “‘I think we would all have been better off — President Obama politically, Democrats in Congress politically, and the nation would have been better off — if we had dealt first with the financial system and the other related economic issues and then come back to health care,’ said Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), who is retiring at the end of this Congress.” (Julian Pecquet And Sam Baker, “Dem Buyers’ Remorse On Health Law,” The Hill’s “ Health Watch,” 4/19/12)

• Representative  Miller (D-NC) Also Said Obama Had Misplaced His Priorities By Focusing On The Passage Of ObamaCare Rather Than The Economy.“Miller, who voted for the law, said the administration wasted time and political capital on health care reform, resulting in lingering economic problems that will continue to plague Obama’s reelection chances in 2012.” (Julian Pecquet And Sam Baker, “Dem Buyers’ Remorse On Health Law,”The Hill’s “ Health Watch,” 4/19/12)

Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)

Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) Repeatedly Criticized His Party’s Handling Of ObamaCare Especially On How ObamaCare Would Be Paid For. “Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.) also criticized his party’s handling of the issue, and said he repeatedly called on his leaders to figure out how they were going to pay for the bill, and then figure out what they could afford. Cardoza, who like Miller will retire at the end of the Congress, said he thought the bill should have been done ‘in digestible pieces that the American public could understand and that we could implement.’” (Julian Pecquet And Sam Baker, “Dem Buyers’ Remorse On Health Law,” The Hill’s “ Health Watch,” 4/19/12)

Representative Norm Dicks (D-WA)

Representative Norm Dicks (D-WA) Conceded That ObamaCare Hurt The Democrat Party Politically.  “‘It did hurt us, there’s no doubt about it. The climate out there was really ugly because of it,’ said Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), who is also retiring at the end of this Congress.” (Julian Pecquet And Sam Baker, “Dem Buyers’ Remorse On Health Law,” The Hill’s “ Health Watch,” 4/19/12)

Former Representative Artur Davis (D-AL)

Former Representative Artur Davis (D-AL) Believes ObamaCare Will Be “An Albatross” For Democrats In The Upcoming Election. “Former Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.), who lost his primary for Alabama governor after voting against the law, said health care remains an albatross for Democrats in 2012, and will be even more of a problem if the Supreme Court overturns the law in June.” (Julian Pecquet And Sam Baker, “Dem Buyers’ Remorse On Health Law,” The Hill’s “ Health Watch,” 4/19/12)

• Davis: ObamaCare “Is The Single Least Popular Piece Of Major Domestic Legislation In The Last 70 Years.” “‘I think the Affordable Care Act is the single least popular piece of major domestic legislation in the last 70 years. It was not popular when it passed; it’s less popular now,’ Davis said. ‘I think the worst thing that could happen to Barack Obama’s reelection campaign would be if he had to spend four months this fall explaining what ObamaCare 2 would look like.’” (Julian Pecquet And Sam Baker, “Dem Buyers’ Remorse On Health Law,”The Hill’s “Health Watch,” 4/19/12)