WASHINGTON (AP) — Mocking his critics, President Barack Obama boasted Tuesday that 7.1 million people have signed up for his health care law, an unexpected comeback after a disastrous rollout sent his poll numbers plummeting and stirred fears among Democrats facing re-election this fall. [...] the late enrollment surge may do little to change the political dynamics heading into the midterm elections, particularly for Democrats running in conservative states where the health law and the president himself remain deeply unpopular. Why are they so mad about the idea of people having health insurance? he asked a group of administration officials and supportive members of Congress in the White House Rose Garden. The president's remarks amounted to a victory lap for an administration that botched the start of the long-planned enrollment period for the insurance marketplaces at the center of the landmark law. The enrollment website was riddled with technical problems, and a flurry of private policy cancellations forced Obama to recant his pledge that Americans who liked their health insurance plans could keep them. Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster, said the politics behind Obamacare will shift as more Americans feel personally invested in the overhaul — either because they're getting care through the exchanges, staying on their parents' plans or benefiting from patient protections. Among their considerations is whether to offer a comprehensive proposal or piecemeal measures, as well as whether to keep the more popular elements of Obama's law such as leaving children on their parents' plans until age 26. [...] the desire among Republicans to fully dismantle Obama's signature achievement remains tempting, especially for tea party members who have significant clout in the House.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 7 hours ago.
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