The "Family Planning" jettison; An Obama "cave" or a deliberate setup?

[Barack_America]

Before everyone jumps on Obama for nixing the family planning provision in the stimulus package, think a moment about why it was initially included.

Would it have been nice to have it included? Yes. But did Obama likely consider it a crucial component of the bill? No.

Quite possibly it, as well as other provisions, were placed in the bill with the intent of irking the Republicans. The Republicans have been very vocal in their opposition to this part of the bill, and now it's gone. Also gone is the Republican cover to complain about how none of their suggestions are being implemented in the bill. They highlighted the contraceptives and Obama has nixed them. How very "bipartisan" of him. Now that the Republicans have gotten what they went on the TV and demanded, can they risk demanding more? Can they risk being seen holding up the stimulus when their most vocal demand has already been met? Can they risk being seen to vote against the stimulus in lock-step when Obama has already accommodated their demands in such a "bipartisan" fashion?

So family planning is out, and that's too bad. But contraceptives are such a "sexy" topic that the MSM can't help but talk about them. So they'll get the experts on talking about how Obama was smart to remove this because it really belongs in a healthcare package, and hey, while we're at it, let's talk a little bit more about how badly our nation needs that healthcare package passed....

Brilliant.

Kudos to another DUer who is thinking along the same lines:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8144437&mesg_id=8144658

[PBS Poll-435]

1. Nancy Pelosi did a piss-poor job of selling this component when she appeared on George S's show

last Sunday.

Truly awful.

[Barack_America]

5. That doesn't surprise me.

Nor does it change my opinion about why family planning was included in the bill.

My God, Boehner couldn't stop himself from marching out of the WH the other day and crowing about FP. But of course he was going to do that. The Republicans are always looking to rile-up the fundies, and I have to think that Obama knows that.

[Enrique]

7. did any other dem do a better job selling it?

[Barack_America]

10. Maybe they didn't want to be seen defending something they knew was going to go.

If the Obama administration had marked this as a "must save", Dems would have done a better job defending it.

It's good policy, but critics do have a point that it won't be generating jobs or money back into the economy.

[PBS Poll-435]

12. Not that I know of. It was (facepalm) city.

nt

[Robb]

2. I'll say this

Every time I have concluded Obama screwed something up, he's proven me wrong and that he's playing a much longer game.

We'll see.

[Radical Activist]

3. Either way...

There will be many more chances to get this passed and I hope Obama and the House Dems will get it in the future.

[firedupdem]

4. I didn't think it belonged in this package. The funding will come

but not in this package. Smart move if it was intentional.

[Enrique]

6. I think it's a cave

I think it was put in there because it's good solid policy. And I think it's good strategy to load the stimulus package with as much good policy as the dems can manage.

[Barack_America]

14. Time will tell.

If the administration and Congressional Dems highlight it, it was probably strategy. If they don't and allow Boehner to become emboldened and demand more, it was probably a cave.

[Vinca]

8. I agree with the previous poster that funding will come for this, but . . .

in the meantime, just for the hell of it, we should all email Boner our thanks for trashing birth control. Don't forget to mention how the next kid you pop out will make your welfare payments go up and how bad you feel that you can't get a job or finish your education.

[Barack_America]

11. Now is the time for Dems to come out in defense of it....

Saying that they recognize the necessity of compromise in order to get the stimulus passed, but that family planning is important policy for a, b, c, etc.

[Occam Bandage]

9. Another alternative: Was thrown in at behest of someone who wanted it there,

and in such a goddamn enormous bill a lot of dumb shit is going to be in there. Passed preliminary oversight because, like DUers, the Dems thought, "Hey, family planning's a good thing, keep it in."

Republicans, not being ideologically predisposed to approve of that spending, say, "Family planning has no business in a stimulus bill." Obama says, "Yeah, actually, in this case you're right." He cuts it from his proposal, because they have a point: this is a stimulus bill, not a random-projects bill. If a project has no stimulative effect, it should be somewhere else. That's just good government.

[Barack_America]

13. Entirely possible.

And that is definitely how the Obama administration wants this to come across publicly.

But, personally, I have to think that the administration was much more on top of the first major piece of legislation they're trying to pass.

[Occam Bandage]

18. I don't have quite the same faith in their oversight capabilities.

Generally speaking, I'm usually more predisposed to believe in incompetence over malice, missteps rather than feints, and institutional flaws rather than hierarchical premeditation. I trust Obama knows what he's doing, but I don't trust that his presence has ended the pervasive, chaotic, contradictory, unsteady, and often bumbling nature of Washington.

[Avalux]

15. Deliberate set-up. He knew full well the Pukes would jump all over it.

Now he can take it out; saying he compromised. The provision needs to be attached to healthcare reform anyway, not the stimulus package.

[Thrill]

16. The Senate would of scrapped this anyway

[Barack_America]

17. The question is whether you think Obama anticipated that? nt

[Thrill]

19. Yes. He needed to show he was willing to give a little

and since this was their main talking point. He can give, and come out looking good.

[geek tragedy]

20. Occam's Razor: Obama playing nice and Democrats playing

like wimps.

[sohndrsmith]

21. Msnbc has been talking about health care... hats off to you! : )

Well, played. Beautiful.... : ).