Moral equivalency alert. Steve Pearlstein in the Post (I refuse to link):

The public option is nothing more than a political litmus test imposed on the debate by left-wing politicians and pundits who don’t want to be bothered with the real-life dynamics of the health-care market. It is the Maginot Line of health-care policy, and just like those stubborn French generals, liberal Democrats have vowed to defend it even if it means losing the war.

…
The public option has become for the left what “death panels” have become for the right — an easily understood metaphor that can be used to wage an ideological war over the issue of Big Government, and mostly a sideshow.

What a putz that Pearlstein is.

even though the only thing at stake is our lives, somehow i’m still able to enjoy the political theater. rahm has it coming out of his ears. remember folks, this guy was the 1st appointment. thank god obama got him in there early, to set the tone. the tone sounds like this:

coooooooooorrrrrrrppppppppppppoorate buuuuuuuuullllllshhhhhiiiiiittttttttt.

I love that TradMed is framing this as Dems “going it alone,” “ramming through a bill,” and “leaving the GOP out” when anyone who pays any attention at all knows that the GOP abandoned health reform in, like, 1949.

The fishing trip must have got just a little hot via some heated phone calls. Hell, Rahm even went on record – the Times changed the story later this even it had spoken about a White House official and then 2 hours later or so the official became Rahm. So I would suggest that Rahm is in full CYA mode because the shit was and is hitting the fan.

What a putz that Pearlstein is.

Is there anyone at the WaPoo these days who isn’t?

Well, Eugene Robinson, but he’s not a reporter.

But hey, good job Rahm, enjoy it while your deals all turn to shit and Billy Tauzin feeds you to the dogs.

Shit Jane – I spit out my drink reading this line:-)) This is so true – hell ‘Tiny Dancer’ ain’t going to have an ass left after everyone gets done chewing on it.

I’m glad to see that others view the filthy-mouthed turd Rahm with as much disgust as I do.

First, he loses a winnable 2004 election cycle as head of DCCC, then he trashes Howard Dean when Dean shows him how to do it in 2006 and 2008. Is there ANYbody who doesn’t think the little shit was behind the snub of Dr. Dean at the DNC replacement announcement?

Emanuel is like a festering boil on the backside of the Administration; the sooner it is lanced (read:fired, unceremoniously), the sooner we will all feel cleaner.

I feel dirty just writing about him for this long… Ewww!

I’m tired of his BS too, even when that blonde knucklehead dragged his brother into the health care debate, he should have fired back, but instead forced on progressives who want radical change instead of “what’s politically possible”.

Any serious progressive cause that will make it politically unpopular to undo later in this country will take at least (2) 8 years terms by the Dems and a filtering out of Blue Dogs in the House and Senate during midterms.

You’re right, Jane. The left and Obama must prepare for the Republican/Insurance Industry fall offensive after the August recess. I have a feeling that birthers, death panels, and killing granny will seem quaint by October.

General Jane, draw up the counter-offensive plans for your troops.

Standing by…

March on Washington September 13 for meaningful healthcare reform. Pass it on.

Many were shocked when Obama chose Rahm. I kept wondering if this was a obtuse way to take Rahm out

Jane “Dems to go it alone on Health care”

Not quite “alone” 76% of the American people right behind them.
Thanks for all your pushing Jane

Tried to get folks to contact the MSM before the rally for Health Care Reform in Washington when congress was still in session, a week before the Town Hall crazies started getting all of the air time.

Not one damn minute of coverage on that Thursday, Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews etc all too dizzy covering the Obama beer summit.

Chris matthews had the hardballs the next week as he was giving endless coverage to the “crazies” at the Town Hall meetings to ask “where is the other side”

Well Chris you missed the rally. I guess these folks were just too well behaved.

Hopefully Maddow, Matthews, etc will get their heads on straight and give this rally some air time. Maybe folks should start screaming or hold the rally in Iran so they get MSM coverage

Get the word out on the September 13th Washington march for meaningful healthcare reform.

The corporate media is abysmal. Hardly an honest 4th Estate and without a legitimate 4th Estate democracy cannot long endure. May the internet and the peoples journalism replace the rich celebrities who are so compromised in their efforts to protect their wealth, power and priviledge.

“The Republican leadership,” Mr. Emanuel said, “has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama’s health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face every day.”

is rahm or Obama the moron here since this is old news, WAY old news..where the HELL have these two been?

the republicans said it loud and clear, this is their goal, they believe they will defeat Obama if they defeat health care reform

they even said that if we get it through we will have a permanent majority so where is the revelation?…they have made it clear and known, they didn’t even speak in code.

that’s the first point

the second point is this, I need to repost the quote;

“The Republican leadership,” Mr. Emanuel said, “has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama’s health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face every day.”

the republicans entire purpose, as they’ve stated time and again, is to reduce government services down to where it can be drowned in a bath tub

they do NOT want successful programs, THAT IS THEIR VERY PURPOSE

this point is brutal but true and here are the effective ramifications for democrats;

whatever program we devise, no matter how productive, WILL be undermined by republicans, THAT IS THEIR PURPOSE

ONLY when we start making that point in every democratic appearance the republicans will be forced into changing their direction since the public will understand the republicans are their to destroy their government

the republican party has indeed been highjacked by the economic libertarians, (not the social libertarians), they are now one and the same

Good morning, everyone.

The Democrats should be happy that Republicans refuse to take part in this.

For one, they don’t need any Republicans. They have all the votes they need right in their own party.

For two, if health care reform is as great and wonderful as Obama says it is, then the Democrats will get all the credit and the GOP won’t see the sun shine for decades.

So why all the fuss? Screw ‘em!

Out of touch and clueless. He must be an acolyte of Broder.

Nice work-in of the Home Alone poster. We recently watched that for the first time with The Peanut, and it was a huge hit. Classic stuff.

How many times does Rahm need to be taught the lesson that the GOP just isn’t that into him?

enjoy it while your deals all turn to shit and Billy Tauzin feeds you to the dogs.

I’m reminded of the scene in Silent Running where one of the drones is patiently tapping his foot, waiting.

Hope everyone has seen Barney Franks take down of one of the crazies. A thing of beauty.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..62682.html

Jane you were great onb Rachel’s show!

Rahm wanted to do his own K Street Project? In return for cutting off money to Rs, he would sell reform out? So much for change and hope.

Political goals vs real solutions to real problems people face daily.

Clear framing of the scene in our country.

and how many times to democratic politicians need to be pointed out, the republican purpose is REMOVING government programs not devising effective ones?

they want everything privitised, simple….they want no parks, no schools, they only want you having police protection if you can afford it, they do not want to spend money keeping your house from burning down, they do not want to cut into profits keeping their corporate cancer out of your kids air, they do not want you retiring because that cuts into the supply of labor effectively raising wages, they do not want effective government

period

they have been highjacked by the economic libertarians

Remember those long-ago inflatable clowns (an unfortunate metaphor in this case) with sand weighting the bottom? You could punch ‘em and knock ‘em down, but they always righted themselves. Froomkin is now writing for HuffPost.

Tbogg has the Barney Frank video up as well.

The Republicans are the tools of the real villains in this battle — the Ponzi scheme known as The Insurance Industry. Someone in Congress needs to hammer that point home. The Insurance Industry = Bernie Maddoff.

that was great stuff, thanx for posting the link, off to work all

I thought that at first but it didn’t take long to dissuade me of that.

FDL should front page TBOGG’s post on it.

If it’s true that most Americans want genuine change from the health care status quo to something far better for them, then Republicans have made a major strategic blunder — as has Rahm and the president. No amount of money will be able to reverse polarity.

Pearlstein is just pleasing his corporate masters. he’s an ignorant shill. nothing more. Pushing out Rahm’s talking points, cause Rahm looks really bad now. Rahm is spinning about Rahm now.

Didn’t take long for the first troll to show up this mornin’. Funny how this guy shows up primarily on Jane’s posts.

Medicare for all with a robust private option.

That surfaced while Howard Dean was doing FDL book salon yesterday. Many of us liked that language a lot!

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.

Namaste

Let’s hope this is the beginning of the end of Rahm. Sure he’ll land on his toes with a nice cushy lobbying position with big pharma, or some other anti-American corporation.

There is a closing comment at the end of Morning Swim that makes a great deal of sense. It is worth considering.

I was wondering if he did it…sort of, to keep Rahm’s grubby fingers OFF the Speaker position. He said several times he was gunning for Pelosi; We would have had even bigger trouble if he was the speaker, believe me.

If Government Healthcare is such a horrible idea, Republics in the House and Senate should have already declined their Government Healthcare. They should be asked at every opportunity if they have declined yet, and if not, why not.

Marches on Washington are so sixties. We need to create a network of just about everyone and have national demonstrations, that is demonstrations everywhere. Nothing less will do the trick.

March on Washington on September 13 for healthcare reform. Pass it along through all the sites everyone visits today. Medicare for all. It’s a winner.

Bone up on your history of Germany between 1918 and 1933 since last night? Wouldn’t want ya to make a fool of yourself or anything.

TINY DANCER vs OUR TIGER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3ppoX4bVTQ

Great point. I’ll add that to my list with comment 48 at the Morning Swim.

Robert Reich called for a march on Washington yesterday. National demonstrations are also a good idea but the comment of “so sixties” demonstrates a shallow understanding of history. Worked for the Civil Rights movement, the labor movement, the anti-war movement. Still has it’s place.

During the height of the GREAT DEPRESSION
only 16 pukes voted for SS

i dont think any voted for the GI Bill

here’s the problem with that;

they make enough money, they get enough health care contributions, that it would behoove them to deny their own coverage and make that point.

if pressured I am pretty sure that’s the route they will take and then they will use that as a tool for their own cause

No, actually, I didn’t.

May I ask what capitalist cesspool you work in? Just curious. Whatever it is you do, I assume that you refuse to take a salary for it, being that it would be so darn capitalist and all.

we are in a depression tagain hough they don’t want to use the word since it would cause panic

the reason is we don’t really have enough democrats, we have a bunch of people calling themselves democrats who are really republicans.

that’s the problem

and when you say “as great as obama says it is”, obama is following our lead not the reverse

as most people know, (except for those who are tools of corporate media and their propaganda machine), almost every “commons” is run FAR more efficiently and effectively then the same service provided privately

for instance, blackwater

now, water is provided by the government yet private industry has no problem gaining profit selling water

same thing with public school vs private

the same thing will be true for health care

Bone up is right….

Again, it is amazing that one who will need health care for a long time, especially if there is a preexisting condition, cannot bring sensible dialogue to the table. The potential is there but the will and the manners are not.

Barney Frank takes on Repuke loser:

video attached………..

Nothing wrong with capitalism, if properly regulated. Capitalism in its current form, however, is a cesspool. I’ll just refer you to Capital, Volumes 1-3.

Mornin’, I leave the place in good hands. Get some.

You may be right about shallow. Times change. I’m not sure why. We lost the war in Vietnam. If they didn’t beat us on the ground, we might still be there just like we don’t seem inclined to leave Iraq and Afghanistan. Wonder what it will take. I’m saying we need a new process and new capabilities. We can talk about that and march on Washington at the same time.

Have a good day.

First, Rahm is trying to blame the GOP for obstructing reform but this is a red herring. According to the latest WSJ/NBC poll a plurality of the public (47%)is now opposed to a public option. I think it more accurate than the 76%s number constantly cited here.

Rahm is using the GOP to keep the anger of the base off of him and the Blue Dogs. But the GOP is irrelevant in this debate. They do not have the votes to stop a bill and everyone knows it.

Obama, Rahm, Blue Dogs all struck a deal with Big Pharma,and that deal DOES NOT INCLUDE a public option.

According to Bloomberg:

“Two firms that received $343.3 million to handle advertising for Barack Obama’s White House run last year have profited from his top priority as president by taking on his push for health-care overhaul.

One is AKPD Message and Media, the Chicago-based firm headed by David Axelrod until he left last Dec. 31 to serve as a senior adviser to the president. Axelrod was Obama’s top campaign strategist and is now helping sell the health-care plan. The other firm is Washington-based GMMB Campaign Group, where partner Jim Margolis was also an Obama strategist.”

AKPD still owes Axelrod $2 million and Axelrod’s son still works there.

Ahhh, the Chicago Way.

But don’t worry, it’s really the GOPs fault the public option is in peril.

Anyone interested in buying a bridge?

agreed

yup, capitolism is fine so long as it’s regulated and so long as it has to compete against the far more efficient model from government when “a commons” is being provided

what most “concervatives” and libertarians refuse to recognize, “regulations” are the form we use to force industry into paying their own bills, they are usually written because an industry created issues they refused to pay to address, for instance industry poured their cancer in my kids air and refused to clean up their crap, thus the “epa”

anyway, off to work

We should be over the $100K mark now. I just upped the ante beyond it.

Seems that we poured water on Rahmbo. Hope he reacts like a certain witch in the Wizzard of Oz.

Has anybody read Greg Palast on the issue? He says its already a done deal. http://www.gregpalast.com

Have a good day too.

I just watched the Barney Franks video. I think he needs to apologize to dining room tables…

1. once the conservadems kill off the Public Option, they’re going to push for employer and consumer opt-outs.
2. after the WH caves on that, they’re going to demand further insurance deregulation, allegedly to ensure that Big Insurance can “compete” against the piddlin’ little optional co-ops.
3. when they got that, they’ll put in a provision that’ll make it possible for deregulated Big Insurance to buy the co-ops.
4. in the end, they’ll end up limiting healthcare reform to an annual voucher plus a tax credit, that’ll have the net effect of increasing coverage by a few percentage points without touching cost containment

This will pass with zero rethug support, the president will sign it into law, and the dems will call that a victory. A year from now, the rethugs will take credit for it in the mid-terms.

Please tell me that I’m wrong.

We’re over $100,000, as of right now we’re at $100,915.

that makes sense..hoping he does himself in with his meddling

There is no separation between today’s capitalism and the federal government. They are so incestuous, so entrenched and interconnected that they are indistinguishable from one another. Obama, Rahm and Axelrod have been swimming in it for years. Now that they are in DC, the pretense has been dropped and in laid bare for all who wish to see.

Are the Dems just repeatedly hitting the snooze alarm? it’s time to get up and go to work. And is Rahm from another planet? For a guy who is supposed to be super-smart, he keeps missing the bus.

Maybe we need a new book: “Democrocracy for Dummies”, or maybe “Democrats ARE Duumiies”. ????

And someone should note that “Blue dogs” are only spray-painted in order tp attract attention, just like women who dye their hair bright purple.

WooHoo!

Yes it is Republicans fault..blue dogs are just Republican sepeage, overflow. It’s time for Dems to scrape the stinkin’ combined ‘blue’ dog shit off it’s heel.

Really think the Pro Health Care Reform Rally should be held in Iran so that we get 24 hour 7 days a week coverage by our MSM. If the rally is to well behaved the MSM will ignore

No agenda there…hmmm

March into the hallways of congress instead of down those streets.

Actually the U.S. wasn’t defeated on the ground in Viet Nam. The public no longer supported the war and the politicians were forced to negotiate an exit strategy. South Vietnam eventually fell (some would say the country was finally united) because they didn’t have the support of their people.

wh looking into role for bill and hillary to help unite party around dem health bill?
http://www.politico.com/playbook/

Thanks for that link. Another way to look at it:
* The U.S. will spend $3.6T (i.e., $3600B) on pharamaceuticals over the next decade.
* $.6T of that (i.e., $600B) is the corporate welfare they got with Medicare Part D.
* Of that they’ve agreed to give up “up to 80 billion but no more.”
* They fully intend to keep the other $520B of their handout.

They claim that they need this money for research and development of major new drugs, which is of course partly true. But why does all of this research and development have to be paid for by the USA? These drugs are sold all over the world at far lower prices. We should at least demand uniform prices throughout the developed world.

We don’t need the Triangulator in Chief to unite the party but then the source is politico.

Time to sick Big Dog on the DFHs?

They have the money.
We have the conviction.
They believe in concentrated wealth and power.
We invest power in the people.
They have high-paid lobbyists.
We are a million individual voices demanding meaningful change.
They have a vision of ever-expanding profits.
We have a vision of health care for all.
They control the mainstream media.
We are a million individual voices demanding meaningful change.
They buy Congressional influence.
We pay for that influence with our lives.
They hire operatives to manipulate public opinion.
We expose their dirty tricks.
They make secret deals with Big Pharma.
We fight for greater transparency.
They just want to be able to declare victory.
We are a million individual voices demanding meaningful change.
They count votes.
We count lives.
They have lost their way.
We are proud Progressives.

Big pharma spends far more on pr and advertising than they do on research. When in Europe this summer I never say 1 commercial by a drug company. How many do we see on a daily basis in the States? It’s a great way for big pharma to co-opt the corporate media. A steady cash cow.

Would it be know as HillBillyCare if this is true?

Rahm recruited moderate Dems. They are NOT going anywhere if a watered down bill passes. It WILL be a victory for Obama. Clinton told you how this is going down…but you won’t listen. Obama played the progressive to get nominated by he is a ‘machine pol’ in every sense of the word. He will do what it takes to keep his majority in Congress.

Rahm recruited moderate Dems. They are NOT going anywhere if a watered down bill passes. It WILL be a victory for Obama. Clinton told you how this is going down…but you won’t listen. Obama played the progressive to get nominated by he is a ’machine pol’ in every sense of the word. He will do what it takes to keep his majority in Congress.

Has there been any posting at FDL regarding this nonsense by Paul Begala, which Bill Maher praises at 9:18 into this video.

Morning Jane, great job on Rachel last night, you make us proud! Just rec’d the latest AMA News with a cover pic of Henry Waxman and the headline “Health Reform Bill Retools Public Plan to Encourage Doctor Participation”. From my perspective as an administrator, negotiating the pmt rates with docs is better policy than baseing it on Medicare rates (which really suck for our primary care docs).

Lets keep bracing our Dems backbones – the pushback on Rahmbo’s trial balloon to deflate the public option has really worked. It is up to us to make them give us the real deal in healthcare reform.

Can someone tell me why we need another march on Washington? They are totally ignored by the MSM. What we need is a national STRIKE. Getting to Washington costs money. I used to go all the time to participate in rallies, but I can’t afford to anymore. Anyone else? So.. getting to DC costs us money- A NATIONAL STRIKE costs them money and it would get lots of attention. They only understand money and the consequences of an effective strike would hit them where they live. IMHO, another march just gets brushed off and costs everyone else hard earned dollars.

Was Emanuel the same “senior White House advisor” taunting progressives with that “Waterloo” quote in todays Washington Post piece, the same one who finds it “mystifying” why the public option is such a big deal to them?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..id=topnews

Oops! Bad link to that Begala article. Here is the correct link.

Wendell Potter is on NPR’s Diane Rehm show. Talking about how lobbyist are shaping the healthcare “debate.”

Sorry I had to run yesterday, some people responded to me after – apologies. CitSue raises a good question, why march? Much more effective have been progressives waking up to the power of their collective money, not just in donations to campaigns but in support or withholding of support for advertisers. This is how you win, and you are winning. So what if the media isn’t on your side and then produces phony, rigged polls that reflect their meme? It reminds me of the Senate Finance Committee – the Senate is majority Dem, but they set up the SFC 3 Repub, 3 Dem. That doesn’t reflect the popular vote, now does it? Media polls ask 100 Repubs and 100 Dems and say gee, it’s even. Conveniently forgetting that only 30% of the voters admit to being Repub. Anyway, I like the national strike idea better, for the handful of people that actually have money to spend, don’t! It’s working slowly but effectively in Iran.

Instant health care reform, remove “65 and older” from the Medicare regs. The simplicity of that solution seems to elude everyone in DC.

A strike could threaten one’s job. In today’s fragile economy that’s not particularly appealing.

Support of the people is funny. No one, and that includes our democracy, measures or cares about the support of the people. Maybe at the extremes, but not for day to day governance. We have that very problem with healthcare. We don’t have the support of the people in Iraq or Afghanistan but we are there for the foreseeable future. When we leave, as we surely shall, we can attribute it to a failure of people support. We need better devices to measure what the people want. Just yesterday Sean Hannity said 80% of the country is conservative and 20% considers itself liberal. On this blog we’d reverse the numbers. Everyone believes what they choose to believe.

The different percentages you cited were the result of asking a different question. The 76% figure came from asking if people should have the option to choose a public plan. The lower figure came from asking if insurance companies should have to compete with the government. Something along those lines. It shouldn’t be too hard for you to google up the analysis of the phrasing. Fact remains, large majority does want the choice of a public option.

Health care reform is in peril because of republicans. They are perfectly happy with the way it is and don’t want change, unless perhaps it could be made even more skewed and screwed-up. You can’t argue — they’ve yet to present a plan.

I don’t think these newly minted blue dogs have thought through their political futures very well. Many were elected on the strength of Obama’s coattails. As such, if they damage him by bucking health care reform, they are damaging themselves.

I know that many pundits say that Obama is not on the ballot in 2010. While literally true, it is beside the point. The 2010 election will be, for all practical purposes, a referendum on Obama. If he isn’t politically strong, these blue dog pups are going to be beaten.

Would be interesting to know just which of these Blue Dogs did ride in on Obama’s coattails.

Okay… perhaps not a walk out. Maybe just a shopping strike. Not one thin dime sort of thing. Spend NO MONEY for maybe three days, over perhaps the Labor Day Weekend?

Good question. In prior elections, Rahm Emanuel in his capacity as head of the DCCC was a big patron of Blue Dogs, even solicitiing Republicans to cross over to run against progressives in the primaries.

honestly, i like a spend-free labor day weekend idea alot. labor is completely behind the public option despite the fact most of them enjoy excellent health plans. let’s honor that decency by sitting on our wallets that weekend and reminding big business that we mean business too.

A smart retailer would just close his doors for three days knowing that after the strike there will be a rush to buy the stuff that wasn’t bought during the strike.

Wendell Potter, former executive at Cigna, on the Diane Rehm show on NPR. Norm Ornstein is trying to take him down on Potter suggesting that if it were not for the lobbyists single payer might actually have entered the “acceptable” debate. Always loyal to his AEI.

Here is what I want to see every weeknight on MSNBC:

HARDBALL with Jane Hamsher

Pres. Obama has never been for single payer, period – although he has said that starting over that would be the best way. So I don’t agree that lobbyists are the only reason that’s off the table. That was Clinton’s proposal, which had failed miserably 15 years ago.

If one is merely an ideologue they believe what they choose to believe, facts never clutter their world view. One certainly can’t accuse any Republican of being pragmatic.

Really? it would cost them more to close than to weather the strike. i think we need to stop finding fault with this plan or that and step up the action. Let’s try this. Someone could post a you-tube calling for the action and then spread it across the progressive sites. If it got enough diggs and recs we could push it viral.

Something like that would be effective if there was a way to measure the impact. For example, the boycott of Whole Foods, there is a Facebook page with people who are boycotting and the stock took a hit.

Of course they’re not the only reason but spending over 250 million to defeat meaningful healthcare reform hasn’t hurt their efforts.

You cannot measure impact without taking action. Let’s take some damn action.

If people are going to spend the money before or after the three day window instead of the three days of the event, then it’s mute.

“Are the Dems just repeatedly hitting the snooze alarm? it’s time to get up and go to work.”

They’re on break till after Labor Day.

Not really the point. The point is empty shopping malls. The point is to demonstrate that we can deny them their money whenever we choose to.

And Glenn Beck is losing ads……we need something to get the MSM’s gnat-brained attention.

MEET THE PRESS with Rachel Maddow

I agree, it’s not an idea to inflict long-term damage or anything – it’s flexing of muscle. the money muscle. we’ve got and need to learn to use it as the powerful tool it is. I’ll stock in some groceries and enjoy only free entertainment over labor day. How about you? Drivers, fill your tanks on Thursday and make it last.

Not sure that would work, but you are on the right track. We need a painless, but unmistakeable way, to demonstrate we mean business. I once suggested not going to the movies to support the then striking writers. Got no where. I would have done it if just one person said they would join me.

We grudgingly depart from the conventional. Only an extremely self assertive few don’t care what others think. We must first eliminate the fear of being out there alone or being out there in meaningless numbers. A million people march isn’t all that persuasive in a 350 million people country.

We need to formulate a plan that we can easily implement. I THINK THIS IS IT. We need to show our numbers and our muscle financially, without shouting at town hall meetings or painting nazi symbols on everything in sight – and intelligent silent stink bomb for every corporation. If we get the unions on board we can turn it on and off like a spiggot. that would really freak them out.

And in a down economy who would notice the malls are empty? All I’m saying is if you want and expect people to take action, you should have a way to demonstrate the impact if you want to build a bigger movement.

That’s why I’m suggesting something that is measurable.

Ezra Klein says Baucus can break with Grassley because bipartisan isn’t a viable strategy. But will he?

you’re damn right it would. so we know maybe 5 people so far like this idea – CitSue can you make a vid for youtube? i’m sure labor would jump on board. they might use it again later for EFCA.

It might be good in theory, but if you Google “Gas Boycott” you realize that it never works in fact.

We can only make it go somewhere if we commit, not only personally, but universally to create a mechanism to spread this idea across the net. I say a clever you-tube, planted on every progressive site and lots of us lakers to push it out there. Get it to MSM get it to Cenk Uyger at DU etc.

“Facts” are slippery things. My certainty is your nonsense. That’s true even when we talk history. The past isn’t as open and shut as we like to think. When we talk about “what the country wants” no one knows what they are talking about. Obama’s win is a case in point. Some say he is a progressive disappointment. Others say he is doing what he said he would do, being the centrist politician he has always been. I voted for him. He’s better than Bush and I’m sure he’s better than McCain would have been although there’s no way to know that for certain.

It only works if we WORK IT. If we are not committed then we WILL LOSE. What separates the crazies from us? Huh? It’s their dedication to the crazy!

Oh please!

citsue, I’m writing a book about all the things I didn’t do because they were crazy – even though someone else did them and got rich.

Not publishing the book will be another one :).

Here in Oregon, the “Mad As Hell Doctors” are launching a single-payer tour to culminate in D.C.
Maybe it isn’t over yet.

https://madashelldoctorstour.com/Home_Page.html

Pres. Obama has never been for single payer, period – although he has said that starting over that would be the best way. So I don’t agree that lobbyists are the only reason that’s off the table. That was Clinton’s proposal, which had failed miserably 15 years ago.

oh fer crying out loud. what happened to the reality based community?

first – watch this youtube

read the transcript from pnhp:

“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care program.” (applause) “I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, spending 14 percent of its Gross National Product on health care cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that’s what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that’s what I’d like to see. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, and we have to take back the House.”

Obama speaking to the Illinois AFL-CIO, June 30, 2003

second – obama, the dem leadership and most of the large progressive organizations made a top down decision to take single payer off the table.

third – when the clintons had their shot they took single payer off the table too. i’ll hunt up a link if you want.

p.s. please don’t take the above as a criticism of the discussions re taking action.

Each of us has a plan, but the nice thing about the internet is we can walk many paths at the same time. My idea is to create a network of towns by putting the towns checkbooks online. It permits comparisons i.e. per pupil costs, and it provides space for chat. Once a network is established it can turn into anything its members want including a political party. I just don’t know how to create such a site. We need to involve lots of people and we need to engage people who disagree with us. I don’t think there’s a short cut. If a Youtube video may do it, and I’ve never done anything with Youtube videos, I’m willing to try. How do you suggest we start?

Could you be more specific.

He’s in love. And like any pre-adolescent boy shows it by slipping a frog down her back.

well i really like the idea and i’m going to work it in my own way. sometimes i comment on huffpo as ‘chgoborn’ – so i will make an effort to get the idea in circulation. unfortunately i have a lot of work to do today, but i’ll get on it if possible. tomorrow is an OFA conf. call with the President. If i get a chance, count on my bringing up CitSue’s excellent idea on the call.

there’s a diary to rec if you haven’t already:

Mad As Hell Doctors

great for local actions and i hope they are greeted by many supporters when they arrive in deecee.

Oh God, sorry – I’d never heard that howler. Obama as presidential candidate never favored single payer, once he got to the Senate I believe he discovered how impossible it was to pass, regardless of majority. The repubs are fighting the public option tooth & nail b/c it is a first step, at least for small businesses and the uninsured, to get into an exchange upon which will be offered the shiny, lovely precious called the public option plan. They are terrified that will lead to single payer just like they imagine pot leads to heroin.

Yippee!!! Now we know for sure health care “reform” is going down the tubes. Not only that, but the GOP will retake at least one house in Congress in 2010. And, for the first time, we will see Congress try to give everyone a “let them eat cake” bill. Never thought I would see it in my lifetime. The self destructive impulses are just off the charts.

Much better to begin again, have open hearings and bring the public along.

please forgive my crankiness. i’m going to go make some coffee and see if that will help.

p.s. warning more crankiness ahead: i figure obama backed off single payer when he found out how much $$$ support he could get from the insurance industry. but here’s hoping bonkers is right and i’m wrong.

cynic

me too!

That IS a better idea than a march! Cut ‘em off at the knees by not buying anything!

It couldn’t happen nowadays because Union membership has been declining for decades. Republicans (and yes, some Democrats) have been Union busting for a long time. Unions just don’t control enough of the workforce anymore. Did you know the last National STRIKE was in 1952?

“Bipartisan” was always code for “no public plan,” something to keep the thieves stakeholders (AMA, PhRMA, hospitals, device makers, etc.) at the table and their money out of GOP coffers for 2010

wow, wow, and more wow. an undeniable and oh so inconvienent truth. a decoder that now informs everything coming outta 1600.

and look, Gibbs is workin’ that corner again this morning

Thanks for the link “Mad as Hell Doctors.com” https://madashelldoctorstour.com/Home_Page.html

Maybe alot of our energy should ALSO be directed in helping these Docs spread their message! (oh how I wish I could join their Caravan!)

oh and p.s. to She who sees around corners -

saw something early this am about Tauzin already going after him, will look for a link

I’m a Millenial, so maybe I’m just about a million times more naive than everyone else here, but I find this hopeful. We’ve pushed our way past the Republicans, I think, and yes, the fight will be hard, but the first step is made.

And every journey only takes a first step.

Since the dems think they have to sell this with a slogan … and maybe they are right … here goes one: Universal Health Care: To Save Lives And Livelihoods.

Z

Yesterday I had time to work my way through the e-mail maze designed to keep the public away from my three Dem members of Congress. After a message that without a PO, we might as well just hand the key to mint to the Insurance/Pharma/AMA world. But I was so mad I called the politicos’ local offices, and the general response was any solution, with or without a PO, was a good start.

I have lived two places where the co-ops have functioned for years. We always had a co-op as a option at work. They seem to work OK on routine stuff, but when my daughter needed a series of three brain surgeries, forget it. Finally a neurologist made an under-the-table referral to a med school doctor. On the other hand, they were good when you landed in an out-of-network hospital.

But nothing short of a PO is going to induce the insurance companies to become competitive.

get the word out; use the fdl provided zip code event finder, show up, bring everyone you can, carry signs and your cell phone camera to send pics to every local news provider and nat’l too in your area. as jane said, “health care reform with no public option is just another aig/goldman sachs bailout for insurance companies.” it’s time for barack to know it is time to play a little health care reform basketball.

I agree with you, big biz is scared of this organizing – it negates their advertising. When they start to eat themselves, example big pharma cutting a deal that leaves big insurance twisting in the wind – you know you are winning. No time for slacking now. I know people hate cutting deals with big pharma, but in reality land seniors’ drug costs have gone down already b/c of that deal, ask them if they’ve noticed a savings since June. Small victories can also be sweet.

“health care reform with no public option is just another aig/goldman sachs bailout for insurance companies.”

I don’t even think it’s a bailout. Health insurance companies seem to be doing quite nicely with the profits they already have. If they have mandates without a public option, it will just be another giveaway–corporate welfare to an industry that gives no added value to the customer. They don’t increase the quality of care you get; they only increase the amount you or someone else pays for you for that care. I do not understand why so many people seem to be so attached to having a profit motive involved with life and death matters to our families and friends when they have seen (remember Michael Moore’s “Sicko”), sometimes by personal experience, what happens when some insurance industry bean counter is put in charge of which claims can be paid and which ones won’t.

You’re right about that toes.

hahahahahahaha
NO ONE does snark with the class and hammer of our own Ms. Hamsher!
love it.
just lololol!
and really good “shew” on Maddow too, Jane.
i’m so proud to know ya!

jane and all the pups here,

you need to be thanked again and again and again for your stupendous efforts, no matter where this fight takes us. when i want to assure myself that there’s some decency and intellect left in political discourse, i visit this site.

Agreed. Also don’t forget the excellent organizing efforts re glenn (cry me a river) beck by color of change, and the much-derided OFA (working hard to combat tea-baggers). We have the brains and the numbers. FDL helps us use those advantages to scare the repubs. Jane is awesome on the teevee. Perhaps todays best story? House members are slapping insurance companies with demands for corporate pay and incentive records. HA! Welcome to powerlessness, insurance companies.

Here’s another slogan that older folks may find fits them: Unselfish Seniors for Health Care

Z

Actually, to fine tune it: Unselfish Seniors for Universal Health Care

Z

We have it and we want our children and grandchildren to have it as well.

Z

Just a few suggestions in an effort to further the cause of changing the way health care is delivered.

-As in everything in life one should pay little credence to what is promised by leaders and judge only what they do.

By this standard Obama has no qualms with exacting enormous amounts of money from the public into private hands. Examples, the financial bailout and the deal with pharmaceutical firms to continue to pay exhorbitant fees for drugs within medicare.

He is therefore a true believer in sacrificing the public welfare for the benefit of private firms.

-The issue with delivering health care rests on what aims are hoped to be achieved. If the goal is to provide complete coverage at the least cost, this is a problem whose solution is provided by math and has been calculated. It is a problem of how to most effeciently manage risk.

The solution if one accepts these aims entails, not surprisingly, that everyone who is capable and at risk pays into the largest pool possible, so as to maximally spread risk and maximally reduce cost. This result is rigourous and obvious and has nothing to do do with any given ideology. It rests only in satisfying the given goals.

This notion is simple to understand and should be promoted as the ideal solution. In lieu of this solution then the next best option would be the next smallest pool which is provided by the public financed option currently being proposed.

My point is that Obama is not to be trusted as an advocate for this plan given what he has done to date. All efforts should be devoted to exerting every sort of economic and electoral pressure on our representatives. We should demand that they publicly commit to voting only for legislation that includes a public option based on its demonstrable merits.

It’s not the end of the fight. Not by a long shot. But hey, good job Rahm, enjoy it while your deals all turn to shit and Billy Tauzin feeds you to the dogs.

Ouch!!! Very funny!

keeping your house from burning down,

Isn’t there a trend in California towards private home fire protection, that is to say, you pay XYZ fire department corp. to douse your home with fire retardant, etc.

Hi letsgetitdone, greetings.

Sorry I didn’t respond to your comment, the short answer it that my Diary is no longer there, I think it was deleted but I just do not know if it was, I can’t access it, I did send and email to firedoglake@gmail.com asking them if it was and if I could know what I did wrong.
This is the link
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/7347

I posted the Diary at the Daily Kos where it’d take a whole lot for a Diary to be deleted, it is under my userid ‘tranny’

Until I get the response from the firedog lake administrators, I’ll not know what happened, no response or confirmation that it was deleted, will make me no post anything here, I’d not want to be associated in any form with an outfit which practices censorship without a powerful reason.

I don’t think there was anything outrageous on my Diary.

Thank your for taking the time to comment on my first Diary at FireDog Lake.

Best wishes

Cihuamexica, AKA Dkos Tranny, AKA Aurora

Aurora grajeda
A Proud Kossak

PS
You can contact me from Daily Kos