Obama Apologizes To Democrats For ‘Letting Them Down’

Acknowledges political costs of botched health care roll-out ahead of midterm elections

  • Share
  • Read Later
Carolyn Kaster/ AP

President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about his signature health care law, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington.

Facing open revolt from members of his own party over the disastrous roll-out of his signature health care law, President Barack Obama apologized to congressional Democrats Thursday for “letting them down.”

“There is no doubt that our failure to roll out the [health care law] smoothly has put a burden on Democrats whether they’re running or not,” Obama said during a lengthy news conference at the White House, when asked about the political consequences of the error-filled insurance enrollement website and the unfulfilled promise that people can keep their health insurance if they like it.

Obama said he makes no apologies for making health care the center of his first-term legislative agenda. “But I do make apologies for not executing better over the last several months,” he said.

“I feel deeply responsible for making it harder for them, rather than easier for them, to continue to promote the core values that I think led them to support this thing in the first place,” Obama added. “When we don’t do a good job on the roll out we are letting them down. And I don’t like doing that.”