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Posted: 9:41 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, 2010
By Jamie Dupree
President Obama hits the road today to start a sales job on the new health reform law that he signed earlier this week, as Democrats hope to use the coming months to convince people that the bill is in their best interests.
Mr. Obama previewed some of his likely talking points at Tuesday morning's signing ceremony at the White House, ticking off a series of benefits that will go into effect in 2010.
"This year, we'll start offering tax credits to about 4 million small businessmen and women to help the cover the cost of insurance for their employees," the President said.
"That happens this year."
Also expect the Commander-in-Chief to give more than a few mentions to the Congressional Budget Office estimate of how much this bill will cost, something that Democratic lawmakers have been trumpeting for some time.
"It is paid for. It is fiscally responsible," said the President.
Democrats in the Senate meanwhile maneuvered towards a different theme, focusing on Republican calls to repeal the new health care law in coming years.
"They want to take those rights now that now exist for all Americans as a result of the President's signature," said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), "they want to take that away from you."
And that seems like a theme that you will hear out of Democrats a lot in coming months.
Just as Republicans are convinced that they can ride health care to an election victory in Congress in November, Democrats believe now that the health care fight is over, they can get a bump in the polls and at the polls.
One difference is that the President has the bully pulpit. We'll see how often he uses it in the months ahead.
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