Rangel: Obama's Speech Made it Tougher

I though when Obama speaks, America listens and obeys?

A key House committee chairman says proposals President Barack Obama set out in his health care speech are causing problems for Democrats trying to finalize health legislation in the House.

Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel of New York says House Democrats would have to slash subsidies to the poor to get their bill to the $900 billion, 10-year price tag Obama specified.

Rangel also noted that the president didn’t mention the new income tax on the wealthy that House Democrats want to use to pay for their bill, favoring a different approach instead. The congressman said “the restrictions that the president has given in his speech as well as the proposed discussions in the Senate has caused us more problems.”

Rangel isn't the only Democrat with heartburn these days (Obamacare will fix that):

Following up on his This Week appearance where he promised to fight on for the public option, Sen. Jay Rockefeller blasted the draft bill produced by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus: “there is no way in its present form that I vote for it unless it changes in the amendment process by vast amounts.”

He’s not alone. Fellow Finance Committee member Ron Wyden is livid too. Expect a rocky mark-up next week. As one top Democrat told me, the fundamental problem is that Democrats “are being asked to support a bipartisan bill that doesn’t have bipartisan support.” The compromise without the cover.

Republicans probably can't stop this thing, but Democrat infighting can.