Obama says liberals should stop attacks

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, strategizing Friday with congressional leaders about health care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation.

In a pre-holiday call with a half-dozen top House and Senate Democrats, Obama expressed concern over advertisements and online campaigns targeting moderate Democrats, whom they criticize for not being fully devoted to “true” health care reform.

“We shouldn’t be focusing resources on each other,” Obama opined in the call, according to three sources who were involved in the conversation. “We ought to be focused on winning this debate.”

Specifically, Obama said he is hoping left-leaning organizations that worked on his behalf in the presidential campaign will now rally support for “advancing legislation” that fulfills his goal of expanding coverage, controlling rising costs and modernizing the health system.

In the call, leaders of both chambers expressed optimism that they will hold floor votes on legislation that overhauls the $2.2 trillion health system before Congress breaks in early August.