VOL. 3 NO. 187 POLITIFRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2010 CO WWW.POLITICO.COM White House The people around Obama are romantics. Loss Leaves They dream of Obama as a transformational figure, Caught in looming large on history’s stage. Health Care Democrats’ In Critical Crossfire Condition BY GLENN THRUSH, LISA LERER AND JAKE SHERMAN BY PATRICK O’CONNOR AND CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN Congressional Democrats — stunned out of silence by Scott Brown’s victory in Health care reform teetered on the brink Massachusetts — say they’re done swal- of collapse Thursday as House and Sen- lowing their anger with President Barack ate leaders struggled to coalesce around a Obama and ready to go strategy to rescue the plan, in the face of public with their gripes. growing pessimism among lawmakers that If the sentiment isn’t the president’s top priority can survive. quite heads-must-roll, it’s The legislative landscape was filled with getting there. obstacles: House Democrats won’t pass the Hill Democrats are Senate bill. Senate Democrats don’t want demanding that Obama’s to start from scratch just to appease the brain trust — especially House. And the White House still isn’t tell- senior adviser David ing Congress how to fix the problem. AP Axelrod and chief of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Rep. Bill Pascrell staff Rahm Emanuel — and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D- shelve their grand legis- Nev.) both tried to put a good face on the lative ambitions to focus obvious chaos on Thursday, promising to on the economic issues that will determine press on. the fates of shaky Democratic majorities in “We have to get a bill passed,” Pelosi told both houses. reporters. “We know that.” And they want the White House to step Senate Finance Committee Chairman up — quickly — to help shape the party’s Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said, “No way is it See CONGRESS on Page 13 See HEALTH CARE on Page 10 Why the GOP Court Ruling Should Still Sends Dems Be Nervous Scrambling BY JIM VANDEHEI REUTERS BY KENNETH P. VOGEL AND JAMES HOHMANN President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton are cordial, though not close. Some of the biggest special interest Republicans are riding high in the wake groups in Washington are expected to take of Scott Brown’s win, talking up an authen- full advantage of a Supreme Court decision tic resurgence for their party and a real Thursday enabling them to spend millions chance for reclaiming power. Clinton Redux? on attack ads in the 2010 midterm elections, Don’t bet on it. even as the Obama administration and con- Yes, it is indisputable that the GOP The ’90s offer BY JOHN F. HARRIS gressional Democrats scramble to close the has surged, especially in the past several gaping holes the ruling carved in campaign months. Republicans won three major races lessons — WWCD: What Would Clinton Do? finance rules. in tough states — and watched the percent- That’s not a question that President Barack Obama and Thursday’s highly anticipated 5-4 deci- age of Americans who prefer Republicans if Obama his team of loyalists from the 2008 campaign are prone to sion in a case brought by the conservative over Democrats in hypothetical matchups wants to ask, because they don’t much care about the answer. nonprofit group Citizens United reversed rise to the highest level since 2004. It is an irony of the Obama administration — given decades of law restricting corporations and But it is also indisputable that the rise hear them that it is staffed with so many people with high-level ex- unions from spending their general funds has little to do with the voters’ view of Re- perience during Bill Clinton’s presidency, including one on ads supporting or opposing candidates. publicans writ large — and that the very Cabinet member named Clinton — that its basic attitude And it left liberals and advocates for strict- concerns that got them booted from power toward Clinton-style governance is hostile. er campaign finance rules predicting an ex- persist today. Obama and White House aides are courteous to the plosion of corporate-funded ads attacking Voters “have fallen out of love with Democrats. the Democrats,” said Rep. Adam Putnam See CLINTON on Page 12 “We are moving to an age where we won’t See GOP on Page 20 See SCOTUS on Page 15 INSIDE POLITICO 44 MONEY POLITICS CLICK Are Volcker’s fortunes improving The health reform lessons Dems Was Brown’s victory steeped in John Amid baby bombshells, Edwards as Geithner loses capital? should apply to financial regs. the tea party movement? Edwards takes up low-profile charity work. PAGE 3 PAGE 7 PAGE 8 PAGE 21 AP.