Blue Dogs' saving grace: Obama threatens not to campaign for Dems voting no!

With the fate of ObamaCare in the hands of nervous Blue Dog Democrats, Obama has decided to do what he does best: strongarm Chicago politics.

The president will refuse to make fund-raising visits during November elections to any district whose representative has not backed the bill.

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Mr Obama's threat came as the year-long debate over his signature domestic policy entered its final week.

Mr Obama is personally telephoning congressmen who are still on the fence this week, in between several personal appearances devoted toward swinging public opinion.

It will be interesting to see if moderate Democrats actually vote no based on the president's threat. Most Blue Dog Democrats are from fiscally conservative districts where Obama's approval rating is in the toilet plumbing. Keeping the president away during election season, as Obama threatened, has to be a top priority. This isn't mockery or hyperbole: Last week vulnerable Democrats in Pennsylvania and Ohio skipped scheduled speeches by the president on health care. Every serious poll shows that voters will be far more likely to vote against a Democrat if he or she votes yes on health care reform, and Obama is the front-and-center face of health care reform. This is one arm-twist that might actually backfire.