Stephen Farrell

Stephen Farrell,Gulfnews:Obama speech Wednesday to Congress offers details, tries to build momentum for health overhaul

Reaching for a game-changer, President Barack Obama is beset by conflicting goals in a prime-time address Wednesday expected to detail just how he wants to expand health care coverage and lower medical costs while signaling to a deeply divided Congress that he’s ready to deal.

And show the public he’s in control.

Even as Obama prepared to speak to lawmakers and a live television audience, the leader of the influential Senate Finance Committee raced to broker a bipartisan agreement on the president’s top domestic priority.

The White House set a high bar for the rare presidential address to a joint session of Congress, acknowledging the huge stakes and creating big expectations about the level of specificity Obama would provide. The president has stressed repeatedly the broad goals for the sweeping health care overhaul he seeks, but has left the details to lawmakers. Through a hot summer of angry debate, he lost his grip on the process.

Aiming to reclaim it at a pivotal moment and open a final push for a bill, Obama said, “We do intend to get something done this year.”