Health Care Stumbling Block In The House?

Yesterday Obama was whining about Republicans playing politics with health care refortm, looks like what he really needs to worry about are Democratic votes and not Republican strawmen.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee canceled the session as it faced serious concerns about the legislation from fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, who hold a large number of seats on the panel. The Energy and Commerce Committee is the only House panel with jurisdiction over health care that has not completed writing its version of the reform bill.

This isn't the kind of news Obama wants to hear as he kicks off two days of trying to sell an increasingly skeptical public on his plan. The push will be capped off with a prime time press conference tomorrow night. 3 networks will carry it, Fox passed, but only after the White House agreed to move it up an hour an out of the more lucrative 9pm slot.

The stakes were particularly high for NBC, which airs the most-watched show of the summer, "America's Got Talent," at 9 p.m. This week, the reality hit includes a heavily promoted interview with "Britain's Got Talent" singing sensation Susan Boyle.

Sources said that NBC demonstrated reluctance to carry Obama's news conference live. Faced with the prospect of only one or two major broadcasters -- CBS and ABC -- covering the event, the White House moved its start time to 8 p.m.

Why would even Obama's own personal network balk at carrying it? Because his prime time shows have become increasingly unpopular.

posted by DrewM. at 10:28 AM

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