Do you believe Obama is pushing his intiatives quickly because he has high approval ratings?

As most people who study politics know, the earlier a president attempts a major program, the more likely he is to succeed getting it passed by congress.

Why do you think the phrase "the first hundred days" exists?

If you think THIS is fast, look at how fast the PATRIOT ACT got pushed through. [the most UNpatriotic Law the congress ever passed]

Health care reform has been on his mind for quite some time, I would assume. It is also a hot topic for a campaign promise and something Hillary is skilled in. The stimulus stuff is based on historical precedent. Its called following history. FDR did it, and it helped get us out of the first Republican depression. Other than that, I dont know what to tell you. Republicans had 7 years to mess it up (7 because the first year of Bush we did actually turn a profit (and the 7 years before that under Clinton) - the losses came during his second year and beyond) and Obama is acting to patch it up. Unfortunately, when one guy cuts taxes and raises spending to astronomical highs, the only alternative is to spend enough money to make everything work properly and raise taxes to pay for what Bush started.

That and he wants things passed before people have time to think about it too much.

It is the same reason advertisers use ploys like "Limited Time Only" and "order in the next 5 minutes..". These are proven techniques to get people to make decisions they would not make if they spent more time thinking about what their decision really means.

It is a psychological technique to get people to do what you want without them thinking it through.

Obama did this with the Bailouts. It was an "emergency", and it NEEDED to be passed "RIGHT NOW!"

People didn't read it well enough, and billions are still being used to pay bonuses.

ADD: To those saying things similar to "we need it now...not 5 years from now"

There is a big difference between "No later than early August" and 5 years from now. Congress wants a few more weeks to figure out how to deal with the cost of ObamaCare. Obama doesn't WANT to give them ANY more time. That is just sleezy. If the people who need to authorize the funding want a couple more weeks. They should get it. It is going to take months or years to implement the program anyway. What is a couple more weeks so we don't end up with oversights, like the AIG bonus payments in the bailout?

It's either that or it is because he realizes that if he gives the American people enough time so they actually look at what he wants to do they will drag him out of the white house kicking and screaming. Contact your congress person and tell them to make sure that the health care reform bill does not get passed UNTIL everyone has a chance to read it and make necessary changes if any. ....and it would be nice if they actually got this thousand page plus document on line a couple weeks ahead of the vote so that the rest of us could look at it.

No, it's not the approval ratings, which still remain pretty high (unless you are looking at conservative shills Rasmussen). He is pushing because historically any President who has a friendly Congress only has an average of two years to get new legislation through without having to fight with a Congress that may change balance in the elections two years after they are inaugurated. Democrats all over this country have been complaining because Obama has spent way too much time courting Republicans who aren't going to cooperate with him on general principle. After his remarks yesterday it has become clear he has finally gotten the message. Screw them and their screams of "No!" and get through his initiatives while he can. It's about time.

Yes. And there's no transparency either. Doing something for the sake of doing something is not the best approach unless the solution is sound.

I don't trust any thing like this that must be rushed so fast that no one has time to read the full bill, or can explain them in any logical way when asked for details. His numbers are slowly sinking.

new tactic for the Dem's to push bills thru quickly and make them 1000 pages plus so no one can read them. Obama knows he only has a short time before most pll figure out that he's illegal and we throw him out. what happens then is anybodies guess.

No he is pushing hard and fast while he still has enough idiots behind him to support him. Once the "slow learners" figure out what is going on, it will be the end of his support other than his Media toadies. Then he won't be able to get anything done. So he needs to push his previously failed policies through while enough people are behind him.

He's in a hurry because he has to get as many people dependent on government subsidies as he can before the mid term elections. The democrats campaign will be "re-elect us, because if you elect republicans they will take away your government check!" Obama and the democrats have no incentive to make the economy better, they benefit if more people are out of work.

He's rushing everything because he knows if anyone reads what he is trying to do they would vote against it. His views and policies can't handle the light of day.