VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Faces Political Challenges on Health

President Barack Obama faces a major political test in the weeks ahead as opinion polls show fading public support for his top two priorities - health care reform and the war in Afghanistan.
　
President Obama (file photo)

Health care reform remains¹ President Obama's top domestic priority.

But recent public opinion polls show that a growing number of Americans disapprove² of his handling of the health care issue, and that in turn has emboldened³ Republicans trying to block reform efforts in Congress.

"Obama, while a glib⁴ and smooth speaker, is not particularly persuasive," said Fred Barnes, editor of The Weekly Standard magazine. "And so he is having trouble selling this health care policy, which is unpopular, but it is also dragging him down," he said.

Reform supporters found themselves on the defensive⁵ during the congressional August recess⁶ when opponents used town hall forums⁷ with lawmakers around the country to complain about the Obama plan.

"I do not have a problem and I do not know anybody who has a problem. But the 'boogey man' Obama is trying to state that we have a problem, and he wants to tax us," said an opponent.
　
President Obama at a town hall meeting, 14 Aug. 2009

The president is now attempting to regain⁸ the political momentum⁹ in the health care debate by trying to reassure¹⁰ the public.

"For all the scare tactics out there, what is truly scary, what is truly risky¹¹, is if we do nothing," he said.

Some recent surveys show the president's overall approval rating at or just above 50 percent - a far cry from higher numbers in the early days of his administration.

Tom DeFrank is a longtime political observer with the New York Daily News and regular guest on VOA's Issues in the News program:

"It is very clear that he has lost control of the agenda," he said. "You get a feeling that events are pulling him along rather than him the situation now. He has had a bad summer. His [poll] numbers are down, health care is in peril¹² and he has not been able to work his will on his own [Democratic] party, much less the opposition¹³ Republicans."

Political experts say the stakes in the health care debate are huge, not only for President Obama, but also for congressional Democrats¹⁴ who will defend their House and Senate seats in next year's midterm congressional elections.
　
Former US President Bill Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton knows firsthand about the political consequences of failing to enact¹⁵ health care reform. Republicans blocked his reform plans early in his presidency¹⁶ and used the issue to retake control of the House and the Senate in the 1994 congressional elections.

"We need to pass a bill. It needs to be the best bill we can possibly get through Congress. But doing nothing is not only the worse thing we can do for the economy and the worst thing we can do for health care, it is the worst thing we can do for the Democrats and don't you think the Republicans do not know it," said Mr. Clinton.

Analysts¹⁷ say that Republicans have had some success in raising doubts about the Obama health care initiative by focusing on the impact of the plan on the growing federal budget deficit¹⁸ and by raising the specter of too much government interference in the health care sector¹⁹.

"And Republicans have really won this message war by tying the issue of health care to spending. Their chief concerns with this are, number one, the price tag of whatever proposal that Democrats are creating and, number two, the concern that their own health care will not be the same as it was before a bill gets passed," said David Wasserman, who is with The Cook Political Report and a recent guest on VOA's Encounter program.

The intensity²⁰ of the health care debate will pick up next week when Congress returns to work after its summer break.

In addition to health care, the Obama administration appears to be facing a growing problem with domestic support for the war in Afghanistan.

A recent poll by ABC News and The Washington Post newspaper found that 51 percent of those surveyed believe the war is not worth fighting, compared with 47 percent who support it.

Matthew Duss is with the Center for American Progress. He says the discontent in Congress and among the public could grow unless the war effort begins to go better.

"If he does not show some progress and it just seems like we are getting deeper and deeper into an occupation and a counter-insurgency effort without any positive news for a number of months, I think he could face some real opposition," he said.

The U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, said in a report released this week that the situation in Afghanistan is serious, but that success is achievable.

 

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

3 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 glib   

adj.圆滑的，油嘴滑舌的

参考例句：

• His glib talk sounds as sweet as a song.他说的比唱的还好听。
• The fellow has a very glib tongue.这家伙嘴油得很。

5 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

6 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

7 forums   

讨论会； 座谈会； 广播专题讲话节目； 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 )； 论坛，讨论会，专题讨论节目； 法庭

参考例句：

• A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
• It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。

8 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

9 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

10 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

11 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

12 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

13 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

14 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

16 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

17 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

18 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

19 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

20 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。