Ads seek to refocus Obamacare debate; Dems point to GOP's 'sabotage' campaign

Nov 4 2013

Health law opponents are using President Barack Obama's promise that Americans could keep their health plan if they like it against him in a series of new ads. Meanwhile, Politico examines the effect of the long-running Republican effort to derail the law.

The New York Times: Conservative Group Tests New Attack On Health Law
A promise President Obama may come to regret -- "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it" -- is the centerpiece of the latest web video attacking the Affordable Care Act, released Thursday by Americans for Prosperity, the conservative advocacy group that is working to undo the health law. The video, titled "America's Broken Promise," features a mash-up of clips of Mr. Obama's statements and newscasters questioning his assertion, as foreboding music plays in the background (Stolberg, 10/31).

Politico: The Obamacare Sabotage Campaign
The opposition was strategic from the start: Derail President Barack Obama's biggest ambition, and derail Obama himself. Party leaders enforced discipline, withholding any support for the new law -- which passed with only Democratic votes, thus undermining its acceptance. Partisan divisions also meant that Democrats could not pass legislation smoothing out some rough language in the draft bill that passed the Senate. That left the administration forced to fill far more gaps through regulation than it otherwise would have had to do, because attempts -- usually routine -- to re-open the bill for small changes could have led to wholesale debate in the Senate all over again (Purdum, 11/1).