As the word turns...

The words are beginning to have a hollow ring. Despite vows by some Democrats to press forward with efforts to establish sweeping health care changes, reality seems to be wilting the resolve of some.

Even President Obama, a great believer in words as the length of his State of the Union address will attest, couldn’t do much to resurrect what once was one of his highest domestic priorities.

During the address, the president said, “I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people. I know that with all the lobbying and horse-trading, this process left most Americans wondering what’s in it for them.”

Well, there’s a good reason why a lot of Americans are not very informed about legislative efforts. That’s because the Democrats retreated behind closed doors in attempts to rush through a plan that would have absolutely zero bipartisanship behind it. Congressional Democrats and Obama strategists were scheming to pass a bill using sheer force and a tenuous majority.

Then along came Scott Brown, whose election in Massachusetts broke the Democrats’ filibuster-proof 60-vote alliance in the Senate. That’s when strong words began to fail health care zealots. It was if a speeding race car suddenly had run out of fuel. The Democratic momentum gradually coasted to a stop.

But proponents still are trying to talk a good game. After the State of the Union address, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said, “We’re going to move forward on health reform. We’re going to do health care reform this year."

But other Democrats, perhaps sensing the mood of the electorate, have cooled the rhetoric somewhat. They’re considering the possibility of retreat with a less ambitious agenda with a series of individual initiatives or maybe even a smaller bill.

And by Friday, the president finally was willing to include Republicans in the plans. At a meeting of House Republicans in Baltimore, Obama called for “constructive debate” with the GOP.

Obama said he’s willing to listen to Republican ideas about health care — as well as proposed energy policy that has proved to be divisive.

Following the meeting, Republican leaders weren’t necessarily buying the president’s words either 

“I welcome the president’s decision to now focus on the economy,” said Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan in a statement after the event. Camp is the ranking Republican on the House’s tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. 

But he also expressed reservations. “However, a sprinkling here and there of a few poll-tested proposals won’t provide enough help or get small businesses hiring again — especially if the president also continues his job-killing push for a $1-trillion government takeover of health care and a new national energy tax called cap-and-trade.”

Of course, Washington politicians, regardless of the party, would be lost without their verbiage. We can expect to hear a lot more as this election year rolls along.

But it’s clear the president’s nicely turned phrases are growing a little stale after being exposed to a year’s worth of reality.

Now it’s becoming clear that other words, those of the American people, can have an impact when conveyed in a stern and unified way.

That’s why this may be the best chance in a long time to get the attention of all those professional politicians who face the possibility of being former officeholders. They should be welcoming input from their constituents.

So, to use an old rallying cry with a twist, write on, brothers and sisters, write on.