In a March 11 Hill article, staff writer Alexander Bolten quoted Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) stating his concern that President Obama was “emphasizing [other issues] to too great of an extent so people don't think he's serious about the economy. He's biting off too much, considering how bad the economy is.” But while Bolten noted that Grassley “has worked with Democrats on healthcare reform,” he did not mention that in opening remarks at a March 10 Senate Finance Committee hearing, Grassley said that he supports working on health-care reform now, even though it will not singlehandedly fix the economy: “Health care reform is important, but it won't fix all the problems with our economy nor will it solve the entitlement crisis. Fixing health care is necessary but not sufficient. Still, we have a great opportunity before us, and it's an opportunity we should take. The American healthcare system -- if you can even call it a system -- is in desperate need of reforms.” He also said, “At this point, I haven't heard from any Republican Senators that we shouldn't be working on health care reform this year. We haven't had to make any difficult decisions yet, but not one Senator has said to me that we shouldn't be trying to pass health care reforms.”

Moreover, at the March 10 hearing, Grassley reiterated his support for a schedule for considering health-care reform legislation that reportedly would meet Obama's stated goal of enactment by the end of the year. At the hearing, committee chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said in his opening remarks that “Senator Grassley and I have laid out a schedule ... [that] calls for this committee to mark up a comprehensive health care reform bill in June. We should put a health care bill on the President's desk by July 4.” At the hearing, Grassley also said that on March 5, he and Baucus had “announced an ambitious, but achievable, schedule for developing a bipartisan health reform proposal.” According to a March 5 Associated Press report, that schedule involves “an extensive series of hearings on health care with hopes of a committee vote in June and floor debate and passage in July.” The AP reported that in announcing the schedule, Baucus said, “We are fully committed to passing health care reform legislation this year,” and Grassley said, “I'm fully in agreement.”

From The Hill's March 11 article headlined “Obama's honeymoon bliss fading”:

Don Fowler, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said he supported Obama's approach but acknowledged that the debate over healthcare reform could drag down his administration.

“Healthcare is an incredible political morass,” said Fowler, noting that Obama will have to take on powerful interests such as hospitals, insurance companies and the American Medical Association.

Fowler said it would require the wisdom of Solomon to forge a compromise, and warned that healthcare could become what Social Security reform was to President Bush's second term.

To pass healthcare reform, Obama will need Republican allies. But some potential GOP partners say Obama is using the crisis to rush through a partisan liberal wish list.

“I don't think there's any question that they are trying to use this economic crisis to put in place a massive expansion of the size of government in the area of healthcare and education,” said Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who recently withdrew as Obama's nominee for Commerce secretary. “They're using this as a stalking horse, this severe economic situation.”

Gregg pulled out of consideration, saying the job would have obliged him to support a more broadly liberal agenda than he had expected.

Nevertheless, he held out hope that Democrats and Republicans could find some common ground, such as on curbing entitlement costs. Gregg said Republicans also liked Obama's decision to leave a sizable reserve of U.S. troops in Iraq.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the senior Republican on the Finance Committee, who has worked with Democrats on healthcare reform, said Obama needs to focus on the economy.

“He's got to use a rifle shot on the economy,” he said. “He's emphasizing [other issues] to too great of an extent so people don't think he's serious about the economy.

”He's biting off too much, considering how bad the economy is," Grassley added, noting that the stock market has fallen significantly since Obama won the election on a platform to reform healthcare and fight global warming.