Does Obama really want activists to back off re: health care?

By GottaLaff

This reminds me of a scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where Gene Wilder feebly tries to warn one of the kids of impending danger:

Mike Teevee: Look at me, I'll be be the first person in the world to be sent by television!
Mrs. Teevee: Mike, get away from that thing!
Willy Wonka: [unenthusiastically] Stop. Don't. Come back.

Now compare and contrast:

The Washington Post's Ceci Connolly reported over the weekend that the White House is aware of the pressure Democratic lawmakers are under from progressive organizations on health care, and the president is on the members' side. [...]

But I'm not sure if the story should be taken at face value. There are plenty of progressive organizations and institutions -- MoveOn.org, Democracy for America, Service Employees International Union, Progressive Change Campaign Committee -- pressuring Democratic members on meaningful reform. If the White House wanted the groups to pull back, the White House would ask the groups to pull back.

Instead, we're hearing that lawmakers -- who'd prefer not to receive the pressure -- received supportive comments from a sympathetic president about those mean ol' activist groups leaning on members to do the right thing. [...]

[T]here's very little evidence to suggest the White House is doing anything to pressure those applying the pressure, beyond saying nice things to members of Congress about how awful it must be to feel so much pressure.

Think about this way: freshman Sen. Kay Hagan (D) of North Carolina was against a public option. MoveOn started leaning on her pretty aggressively, and soon after, Hagan reversed course. Maybe the timing was coincidental, maybe not.

But aside from reassuring support on a conference call, why would Obama seriously want MoveOn and its allies from helping him achieve his goal?

Stop. Don't....