She’s really starting to bug me

uh Madame Secretary, you may want to check with Nancy Keegan on what that portends

I’ve heard that privately, Sebelius tells people how horrible this whole thing is, how she hates being the pitch man and that this isn’t what she got into politics for.

This is beyond irritating. I just listened to the eulogy that Teddy gave for Bobby. In it he quotes from a speech Bobby gave in which he said:

Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.

Where is the moral courage? If the Secretary for Health and Human Services isn’t willing to stand up and do the right thing, then who on earth will??? What is the matter with these people?!? Where does this excess of cowardice come from? Why do people confronted with an immoral task (whether selling bad policy to the public or torturing a fellow human being) refuse to say, “No. I won’t. I resign. Do your own damn dirty work.” I am sick to death of public officials who throw up their hands as if there is nothing they can do. They have the power to do the right thing. The fact that they don’t is entirely their own.

Yeah you know the first thing I thought when I heard Kennedy had died was “gee, I hope they demagogue this to jam through Rahm’s piece of shit bill and screw the middle class so Wellpoint can be the new AIG. What a fitting legacy that would be.”

I had a similar feeling — only I though “gee I hope that the public option advocates demagogue this to their advantage, despite the fact that Teddy was a lifelong supporter of single payer, and only wound up ’supporting’ a (completely undefined) ‘public option’ when he was too ill to be an effective advocate for genuine health care reform.!”

I’ve heard that privately, Sebelius tells people how horrible this whole thing is, how she hates being the pitch man and that this isn’t what she got into politics for.

So what did she get into politics for then? Has she not been paying attention since Clinton became President? Is she another one of those DLC types that are afraid of getting their hands dirty?

Yeah you know the first thing I thought when I heard Kennedy had died was “gee, I hope they demagogue this to jam through Rahm’s piece of shit bill and screw the middle class so Wellpoint can be the new AIG. What a fitting legacy that would be.” … She’s really starting to bug me.

Yeah, I can sense that.

But if she demagogues on the toilet and no one is listening, does she make a sound?

…’ve heard that privately, Sebelius tells people how horrible this whole thing is, how she hates being the pitch man and that this isn’t what she got into politics for.

so what was her idea of the job? Chief Lobbyist Liaison?

“I am sick to death of public officials who throw up their hands as if there is nothing they can do. They have the power to do the right thing. The fact that they don’t is entirely their own.”

Even worse are the ones who don’t resign, then turn around and try to make money off it by writing a book a few years later.

It would be ironic if health reform failed by one vote in the Senate because Kennedy didn’t have the integrity to resign months ago so that a new Senator would already be in place.

Hate to say this folks, but let’s keep it real. He cared more about holding on to the trappings of office than in performing the duties of that office, and that was horribly selfish.

We’re hearing all kinds of talk this week about what a great man he was. This simple fact belies all that b.s. He cared more about himself than the Senate or health care or anything else.

John Harwood on CNBC reporting that 20 democrats in the House have switched to no on the healthcare bill due to the town hall meetings.

She’s less harmful where she is than she would be in the Senate, where she would be standing shoulder to shoulder with Johnson, Conrad, Baucus, Nelson, and the other Big Square State Democratic Senators, and that’s where she was headed. She’d be useless on ACES, too — Kansas is in the top ten for both natural gas and oil production.

Y’all are being a little tough on her, I think. It may be that she’s annoyed at having to try and pitch a product that doesn’t exist, or is at the whims of the Chief of Staff’s latest brilliant maneuverings. She successfully took on the health insurance racket in Kansas as Insurance Commissioner.

Maybe her frustration is, she agreed to take HHS to work with Obama to pass big, progressive change. If (IF!!) the President actually wants to honor his friend in a manner befitting his (Teddy’s) progressive legacy, he’ll get off the mat and actually start boxing and agitating for as progressive a piece of health care reform as we can get.

He’s on vacation. Give him a break.

Kathleen,

“Give me one reason to stay here and I’ll turn this thing around.”

At least he’s not taking a month off like your hero Georgie Bush.

“I’ve heard that privately, Sebelius tells people how horrible this whole thing is, how she hates being the pitch man and that this isn’t what she got into politics for.”

Well here’s an idea, Kathy: Why not go public about your distaste with the process? Oh yeah. That whole power thing is much more intoxicating than mere flirtations with…um…The Truth.

As soon as I heard the corporate media begin to annoint her as a “rising star” in the Democratic party I knew she was a sham.

Nice try, [Comment edited by Moderator: regulars are expected to know, but in case you forgot, name calling is explicitly disallowed on this site. Please don’t go down this road anymore. It can be avoided by simply not feeding the trolls.]

Give him a break? He’s been AWOL for the past month. He doesn’t need a break. He needs to kick in and actually fight for a plan that Democrats can support. He needs to twist the arms of the Blue Cross Dogs until they’re purple. I’m sick of the namsy pamsy politicking he’s doing. Stop wasting time!

Wow, what a vocabulary!!

Maybe we should take it easy on our new friend. He’s probably still just a little PO’d that his first name choice was taken – “Negrot.”

Racists can get a little teste, as we know all too well.

Obama has been taking a vacation from serving the interests of the middle and working classes since his innaugaration. He’s been a busy beaver, however, in protecting the interests of the financial sector and entrenched interests of those that hold real power in D.C.. His greatest legacy might well be “Cash for Clunkers.”

Think positive. In Obama’s eulogy for Kennedy he is going to come out for a single payer health care system and will also announce the prosecution of the insurance companies for murder and conspiracy. Simultaneously all health insurance CEOs will be arrested and taken to Guantánamo.

Please go back to Kansas. There’s this guy with a balloon, and three farm hands that will give you what you want when you want it. The people of this country have no use for you now. You came in and day one you broadcasted to the world that you are a tool taking bribes for the health care lobby. I hope you don’t mind if we collectively as that you go to hell?
How can you sleep at night? Oh yes, you have health care don’t you? Free too, isn’t it? Best in the world you think?
So why don’t we get the same coverage as you you worthless pile of obstructionist politician?

Is she another one of those DLC types that are afraid of getting their hands dirty?

But of course She is!

If he twists too hard on this one bill, he alienates the blue dogs and
he can forget about the rest of his agenda.

Maybe Kathleen needs to be told that this is not now about politics – it’s about DOING. If she just wants to indulge in the campaigning and partying, etc. she should not have accepted the position. She sounds whiny and perhaps unqualified to me.

What is the matter with these people?!?

What is the matter with us? We’re mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore, but we do. What, you ask, can we do? Are we as helpless as we like to think we are? Are there alternatives? It’s not a subject that gets much traction here or anyplace else.

You don’t need to expose yourself any further. The game is up.

When one does not hit “Reply”, how will we know to whom the message is addressed? ;)

Moderatated! Ha!

Well I’d love to hear more.

And if he loses on this one, he can kiss the rest of his agenda good-bye.

Indeed!

[Comment edited by Moderator: regulars are expected to know, but in case you forgot, name calling is explicitly disallowed on this site. Please don’t go down this road anymore. It can be avoided by simply not feeding the trolls.]

Excuse me, but isn’t referring to people as “trolls” also name-calling?

He hasn’t even said what he prefers. Bad strategy. Leaving it to Congress
and taking the blame is not a wise move.

Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.

Thank you so much for this. It says better than anything I could have dreamed up to capture what is bedrock (and largely missing) from American politics. I’ve just switched my email signature to include this.

It is descriptive and accurate.

It’s off topic. I’m not sure this is the time or the place, though I’m not sure what the proper time and place is. If the feeling is to go into it here (no place measures feelings) I’d be delighted. What I have in mind is difficult, not easy. It requires lots of people getting on the same page.

The person in question is a notorious troll and extremely offensive.

Tell us more.

Please write a diary!!

With all due respect, the voters voted for change. WE did the right thing. It’s those we elected that are NOT delivering on all their pretty promises. Elected officials won’t do the right thing until we shame them into it. I am taking my end of the bargain here very seriously, shaming them every chance I get.

No he doesn’t. That’s the same weak-ass Democrat rationalizing we always hear. Health care is the biggest thing and he can’t afford to pass a terrible bill that gives the health insurers new customers but doesn’t force them to cut costs. That’s insane. You cannot have individual mandates without any mandates on these insurers. You will have lost a generation of voters for what? A bunch of corporate Blue Cross Dogs who can never be counted on to support their party? Legislation that accomplishes nothing? Seems to me the leadership of the Dems needs to learn how to negotiate. You’re supposed to actually gain something from negotiations.

Well I’m certainly curious, I hope you let me know when you feel its the right time and place. You can’t even give us a Cliff’s notes version like – national strike, march on Washington, etc.?

It is descriptive and accurate.

But it hurts my feelings and damages my self-esteem.

Yes, that’s probably the best option. But let us know when you do so we can be sure to check it out.

LOL

I’m delighted to hear it barbara and very happy to share it. Teddy has been my Senator for 25 years. He is one of the few politicians in my lifetime that I have truly admired. All of us die eventually, but I find the loss of Teddy especially hard to take, because there is no one left in the Senate that believes in social justice and is willing to fight for it, the way Teddy did. Those were the values of my parents’ generation, the same generation as Joe and Jack and Bobby and Teddy. We seem to be losing not just that generation, but also their sense of purpose in trying to make the world a better place for everyone. Moral courage. Where has it gone?

Rarely is there a bill passed by either party that isn’t watered down and vote traded to get it passed. That’s Washington.

You know who would love it? The man they wouldn’t choose for any position. Howard Dean – he loves a good fight but that’s what they don’t want. A good fight. Why not?

No it isn’t. I seem to remember Repugs passing tax cut after tax cut on reconciliation with only 51 votes. And you can’t tell me that tax cuts positively affect the deficit. What did they do when the Senate parliamentarian wouldn’t agree with their assessment? They fired him and found someone who would. I’m sick of Democrats pretending they can’t fight and hold on to the things we believe in when the other side does it all the time. We have no excuses. We have the votes. It’s time to raise the will.

Peterr has a new post up on the front page: “Kennedy: “Have Some Positive Impact on People’s Lives””

Exactly. Her alleged whining rings pretty hollow.

It’s time for Obama to say that he will veto any bill that doesn’t contain the public option.

It skipped a generation with the love affair with Raygon and his trickle down on economic theory of greed is good. We have to fight to take it back.

Moral courage. Where has it gone?

I want so much to believe moral courage is still present, though heavily camouflaged by faux bi-partisanship, faux consensus, faux moderation.

I think its apparent disappearance in politics is rooted in campaign finance (UPDATE) and job security.

Paul Wellstone was my senator. He got on some people’s last nerve. But even his detractors conceded that they respected him. Why? Because he didn’t game the system. He said what was on his mind, what he felt, what he believed was morally right. He was more abrasive than Ted Kennedy, but they were more alike than different, IMO.

I thought (and continue to hope) that Barack Obama might be that kind of person. That he is prepared to be a one-term president, if necessary, in order to unequivocally do the right thing(s).

Moral courage, in order to be effective in American politics, must also be accompanied by high visibility. And the Mobius factor here is humongous. The higher the visibility, the more cautious “they” become in most (though not all) cases.

I’m rambling. This is a huge issue to me. Thanks for reminding us.

The Village is out to use Teddy Kennedy’s death to destroy the public option:

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo…..option.php

Stephanopoulos: Kennedy Would Have Agreed To Ditch The Public Option

funny. Teddy has been alive until a few days ago and NEVER gave any indication of that.

Insurance scum peddlying lies.

Problem is that they can only use reconciliation on parts of the bill.
You can’t use it for the whole enchilida.

Tom Wells
Chris Dodd needs to take this on and refute it loud, clear and repeatedly

Well, Kathleen, I know exactly what Teddy would do!

Chris Dodd? The man has no credibility after the Fannie Mae fiasco and the sweetheart loans from Countrywide.

What did they do when the Senate parliamentarian wouldn’t agree with their assessment? They fired him and found someone who would.

Twice, IIRC.

Reid plumps for public option, in private?

Chris Dodd? The man has no credibility after the Fannie Mae fiasco and the sweetheart loans from Countrywide.

Yup, none whatosever. Complete tool.

You haven’t been reading some of the most recent info. They are more confident now that they can do it and they believe that if all else fails they can override the Byrd rule which makes your point moot. Again, there is a way if they will just find the damn will.

These politicians always tailor there message to whatever group that is providing the fundraising money. Can’t trust em.

It keeps being referred to as the ” nuclear option”.

Yet another way I’m starting to conclude that Obama is a fraud is that he hired this tepid corporate red-state centrist as his Secretary of HHS rather than a fire-breathing liberal who’s not only a doctor but has done fantastic work rebuilding the Democratic Party and exemplifying its traditional values like, for instance…say…oh, I don’t know — what about HOWARD DEAN?

For God’s sake, this is all B.S. and kabuki. Obama doesn’t want serious health care reform, not if it means he’s going to get his hair mussed by the insurance and drug companies and the Republican Party.

That is exactly what I was thinking. If they don’t fucking know what Teddy would do they’ve not been paying much attention.

Should have been Dr. Dean in the first place. Not insurance, hospital lobbyist, pharmaceutical shill Daschle who is no help at all for a public option.

Absolutely should have been Dr. Dean. Sebelius, Rahm, the “dog swallowed mah vocal cords” Surgeon General have no desire to do anything than promote the insurance company dominance of medicine.

Dean has the medical, political, and economic background to understand the public option and push for a bill that FDL would like to see happen.

Right, if health care reform doesn’t pass it’s Ted Kennedy’s fault – becuase he was excessively selfish.

What planet do you spend most of your time on?

Good idea

To change the “subject” slightly, Neil, I find it, shall we say “ironic”, that a politician asked that question.

I’ve heard that privately, Sebelius tells people how horrible this whole thing is, how she hates being the pitch man and that this isn’t what she got into politics for.

If that were true the only principled thing for her to do is say so publicly. So:

1) The report is wrong.
or
2)She has no principles.

In either case she is a disaster.

By Repugs. I dont care what they think since they did it several times themselves.

I do know Kennedy didn’t go on the Sunday gabfests and say the public option had no support from the White House. That’s right, Sebelius, I’m talking about you.

Hey everyone, I started a fundraising page for the Democrats in the Senate supporting the public option and want to use it to pressure them and the wavering ones to pass the HELP bill. If you can contribute or know someone who can please pass this along:

http://www.actblue.com/page/helpusall

Right, if health care reform doesn’t pass it’s Ted Kennedy’s fault – becuase he was excessively selfish.

What planet do you spend most of your time on?

That’s not what I said! Sheesh, you just twisted that into something it wasn’t.

Have you heard the tale about the pompous, angry twit of a woman who backed into a rotating airplane propeller, realworld?

Well it … disaster.

The same may well yet be said of the DC “spin”.

Lots of folks in DC aren’t really looking where they are “going”.

Consequences await.

DW

LOL : ) Perfect retort, absolutely perfect.

I’ve heard that privately, Sebelius tells people how horrible this whole thing is, how she hates being the pitch man and that this isn’t what she got into politics for.

She’s really starting to bug me.

It’s occurring to me now that one thing no one picked up on during the campaign while “evaluating” Obama was his skill [or lack thereof] in picking staff.

Look at the huge number of his picks that have been DISASTERS — from Rahm to Geithner, to the brief bromance with Judd Gregg.

I don’t know if “bi-partisanship” clouds his thinking, if he’s just that stupid, or if he just doesn’t care.

I’ve thought that BIDEN, who was also a close friend of Kennedy’s, ought to take this on.

Biden ought to march into Obama’s office, show some “moral courage,” and say, “I’m fighting for this in Kennedy’s name, and if you don’t like it, I quit.”

LOL : ) Perfect retort, absolutely perfect.

It was kind of derivative, don’t you think?

You know, I always assume that when people put things up in our comments that aren’t true, they genuinely believe them. But not only are you saying things that aren’t true now, you know they aren’t true.

This is what you yourself said:

Especially during the last decade, Kennedy has been more concerned with maintaining his position as the #1 liberal in good standing at Versailles on the Potomac than he has been in actually fighting for progressive politics. That meant throwing over progressive principles in the name of bipartisanship and “a record of legislative achievement”. (No Child Left Behind is probably the most notorious example.)

And Kennedy’s silence when single payer was “taken off the table” (and when his own HELP Committee was sidelined in favor of the Baucus caucus) in deference to Obama made it nearly impossible for real health care reform to happen — his insistence upon retaining his seat (and, more crucially, his chairmanship of HELP) despite the fact that he was too ill to be effective was a truer measure of his character than all the saccharin laced tributes we’ll be hearing for the next week….

It directly contradicts what you yourself wrote here yesterday:

Trying to pretend that Kennedy spent his last months fighting for a “public option” is “shameless and craven”. Kennedy was, ultimately, a deal-maker, and with a President who was making backroom deals with PhRMA, AHA, and AHIP, and who didn’t want single payer on the table, Kennedy simply had neither the time nor the energy to effectively act as an advocate for the policy that he favored — and the result is the truly awful bill that emerged from his committee.

The HELP committee bill is not something that Ted Kennedy would ever have allowed to happen had he not been sick — it is, in fact, a reflection of how sick he really was for the past six months.

I don’t know when your personal sense of rage became worth sacrificing your credibility for, but you’re now talking out of both sides of your mouth in such a way as to cast a shadow over everything you have ever wrote or done.

I don’t think there is anything else that people can reasonably conclude other than that you are willing to lie and distort the facts based on whatever it is you think you need to “prove” at a given moment.

It is truly sad to see someone whose work you once respected devolve into McCarthey-esque tactics in the service of their own personal vendettas.

I’m in complete agreement with what you wrote, except that in my case Obama’s decision to continue Bush’s “when in doubt, bail it out” Wall Street policies put me in the negative column earlier on.

Obama went from Daschle, life-long political prostitute for the health care for profit industries, to Selibus, so recently Republican, but never publicly paused to consider Dean, who pushed the 50 state strategy that got him in office. This in-spite of the fact that Dean is an obvious expert, being an MD, and a somewhat conservative Democrat (just not nearly conservative enough apparently) with a proven ability to get things done. So we can assume that getting it done was probably not the goal and Selibus is just the one to not do it.

The question is: What will Kathleen Sebelius do?

Sadly, the answer probably is “nothing”.

I’m not contradicting myself — everyone acknowledges that Kennedy was into “deal making”, and this is especially true once he gave up his pursuit of the White House.

I don’t worship at the altar of Teddy Kennedy — and found the relentless praise of him excessive. At the same time, I find it extremely distateful to watch others try to exploit his death to achieve their personal agendas (especially when its not something that Kennedy stood for.) That’s not inconsistency, its complexity.

You, on the other hand, criticize others for doing precisely what you did yesterday — and doing so has obviously hit a nerve.

I feel the Sebelius nomination is my greatest dissapointment in this administration.
I guess Rahm felt Dr. Dean was to liberal. It’s a shame, really. If Dean were SHS we wouldn’t even be debating this. We would be celebrating already!

I was on a conference call (a very, very large conference call) with other media people last week, with Sebelius and others talking about swine flu. She was not impressive in any way.

Although I was surprised when Dean was passed over by the WH and horrified at the Dashle pick, perhaps this can turn out alright. Seems to me Dean is highly effective via DFA pushing from the outside for the public option and patiently explaining and pushing back against all the talk show meme nonsense surrounding this critical issue. I’m not sure your assumption that it would all be fini had Dean been appointed Health Secretary is correct. Personally I’d love to see him tapped as Surgeon General after the health care bill passes.

I’ve heard that privately, Sebelius tells people how horrible this whole thing is, how she hates being the pitch man and that this isn’t what she got into politics for.

So what did she get into politics for then? Has she not been paying attention since Clinton became President? Is she another one of those DLC types that are afraid of getting their hands dirty?

One would also imagine that, having been a Democratic, pro-choice governor in a very red state, she would have already developed a thick skin and a proper perspective on the political savagery and character assasination that right wing types throw about. Surely she knows that these tactics are born of desperation and the lack of substantial counter arguments? We don’t need a weakling as HHS Secretary!

No — you explicitly stated here that Kennedy never would have put his name on a public option. He did, overtly and publicly. Then you stated that if he did so, it was only because he was sick, and was never something he would have done had he been healthy, due to his lifelong commitment to universal health care.

Then out of your other mouth, on another site, you said he had been violating and selling out that commitment for a decade because he wanted to be a “deal maker.” It goes beyond making no sense — in one place or another, if not both, you’re saying something even you do not believe.

You’ve been consumed with hatred of everyone who did not follow you down the path of Hillary Clinton worship during the primaries. It blinds you to any reason or sense of consistency. If you think Ted Kennedy needs to be discredited for not recognizing your righteous brilliance at the time, you’ll gladly say one thing. If a few minutes later you need to be over here attacking others for insufficiently following your lead and demonizing Barack Obama, it apparently justifies saying the exact opposite.

It has nothing to do with health care, or Hillary Clinton, or Ted Kennedy, or even Barack Obama. It’s all about your sense of personal rage, of wanting people to acknowledge how “right” you were at the time, and you have perverted your considerable intellect in its service.

You flatter yourself that you’ve hit a “nerve.” Grow up and get over it, Paul. I hated the primary wars at the time and am even less interested in having them fought here now. The way that you and others are sneeringly draping yourselves in the mantle of the true keepers of the Single Payer flame in order to make your bitterness look honorable fools nobody, and it has no place in an honest discussion of health care.

…referred to as the “nuclear option?”

By Repugs. I dont care what they think since they did it several times themselves.

Correct me, please, but doesn’t the “nuclear option” refer to voting out the 60-votes-to-break-a-filibuster rule itself via a valid parliamentary manuever, rather than getting around the Byrd Amendment on reconciliation?

Just asking!

clue time Jane.

Hillary didn’t support single payer — and this is about single payer vs the ‘public option’, not about Hillary.

You put it well.

doubt that very seriously

I put this in the wrong thread, but here we go:

Oh, when I heard Sebelius say at the DLC summerfest a couple of years ago that we now had all these CEO governors and what we needed was more CEO governors, as an MBA, I pretty knew she wasn’t on the left-wing side of the spectrum.

We know what Kennedy WANTED. He told us for forty years and proposed as much two years ago. He WANTED improved and enhanced Medicare for All. And, if liberals and progressives WANT to honor him, they should join Weiner in supporting improved and enhanced Medicare for All. You don’t honor one by making their political compromise the cause of your advocacy, you honor them by making the cause of their life the cause of your advocacy.

In truth, Kennedy helped secure funds for the MA health finance reform from the Bush admin. that mirrors the proposals in Congress and doesn’t have public insurance for anyone over 400% of poverty. So, he may have agreed to the compromise, because he did fly in for the Mitt Romney signing. But we know what Teddy would do if the liberals and progressive activists were backing him up. He’d push his own Medicare for All bill, because that is what he wanted.

“The way that you and others are sneeringly draping yourselves in the mantle of the true keepers of the Single Payer flame in order to make your bitterness look honorable fools nobody, and it has no place in an honest discussion of health care.”

Uh, who are the “others”? I supported Hillary in the primary, and the moment she didn’t come out for single payer, I found my way to her staff and told them repeatedly every way from Sunday, that she had effed up, and that as a health policy expert(particularly of OECD countries) she knew better. I contend then and now she lost the primary because she did not take up the mantle for Medicare for All. But you know what. one reason I supported her, was because there was no way in hell the progressive activists and blogosphere would blindly follow her where ever she wanted to go on health care, as I knew they would with Obama. No way single payer would have been dismissed out of hand, secret deals would have been blamed on her Chief of Staff, or lack of Presidential leadership would have been ignored by progressives because they had a healthy sense of skepticism toward her. So if you think every Clinton advocate who supports single payer is doing so out of spite, well, you are deluding yourself. And, the so-called primary wars were not “wars” they were legitimate differences of opinion on who was better to serve and who had the more liberal, or for some, progressive agenda.

I don’t understand the history for this comment of yours, but it makes me uneasy.

I am commenting late. I am confused by Teddy. So admiring still but I wonder what the deal was with him backing an Obama who has shunned single payer people, NEVER inviting them to any roundtables, and I honestly wonder where Teddy stood. Did he feel single payer was not practical? I loved hearing the old Charlie Rose interview where he said he wanted universal single payer, this during the Dem primaries while discussing John Edwards.

I know it is not the week maybe to put such a cold focus on a national leader as Teddy, but I appreciate the freedom at FDL to utter and fret honestly.

So much compromising (?) or faux compromising when the fix is in in The Senate and House, so much social and political cronyism with lobbyists and the corporate and military elites.

Obama’s speech so elegant and passionate. Please walk the walk, Barack.

I support single payer because I need to feel the fire in my belly when I fight for justice. I need that to feel spiritually aligned. Fighting for a compromised public option I fear will be a Trojan Horse for MORE health care corporate abuse disconnects my heart from my activism. Single payer activism feeds that passion and gives me hope and inspiration. I call from my list of house reps each night and leave a voice mail about the vote in the fall about Weiner’s bill 676–single payer. I also mention I want full top echelon accountability for the torture depravity. Ralph Nader said that out of 300 million of us, if 1 million really got proactive on single payer those in Congress just might take note. That would be a “change” I could REALLY believe in. Obama has Lucy and the footballed me and the liberals just toooooo many times.

“I support single payer because I need to feel the fire in my belly when I fight for justice.” Yes, agreed.

“Fighting for a compromised public option I fear will be a Trojan Horse for MORE health care corporate abuse disconnects my heart from my activism.” Exactly. Hard to fight for a captive market for the private insurers.

paz3, that’s right. See this post.

masslib and libbyliberal, Thanks for your uncompromising support for Medicare for All. This early Obama supporter thinks that anyone with a lick of common sense, even if they prefer a PO, ought to be out there giving their all for Medicare for All; because you’re not going to get a meaningful PO if you ask for it. You need to ask for something more. It also follows that if you do ask for a meaningful PO, the best you’ll get is a fig-leaf, as in HR 3200, and you’ll probably get no PO at all. Put simply, if you can’t scare the crap out of the insurance boys by building a movement for something that will put them out of business, they’ll never be willing to compromise on something like a meaningful PO that might really hurt them.

This should have been obvious from the very beginning, and should certainly be so now. So why are the progressive organizations wasting their time trying to mobilize progressives around the PO? Are they just too inflexible to change course, or is it that they can’t admit their PO strategy was wrong? Either way, if organizations like Move-on don’t change course now, they’ll never get another dime from me, and, I suspect, from very few others who really believe in Medicare for All.

One more thing, I’m willing to compromise on a good PO, if that’s absolutely necessary. But “I’m from Missouri,” and those who claim it’s not feasible, need to show me that by putting themselves and progressives generally on the line for it, and not just by blowing smoke about its impracticality up my rear end. If Medicare for All can’t be done at that point, I might be willing to go the barricades for the PO as a necessary compromise. But show me, dammit. First things first.

thanks, mass and lets.

I agree lets. And obama is squandering his political capital that came in passion more than philosophy. I once heard someone complaining about her lack of assertiveness. She said I used to beg for crumbs. I am now begging for croutons. I think Obama is leading the progressives to ask and settle for croutons. The structure of single payer works. It is change we can believe in and trust and will bring relief economically and physically to this nation. Obama and Dems are forsaking their real constituency. I will keep calling for single payer. Yeah, maybe I am an ant trying to move that rubber tree plant. But we passionate ones have long memories so Obama and non-reforming self-aggrandizing Dems take note.

libby, As you know I wrote about this:

“Obama and Dems are forsaking their real constituency. I will keep calling for single payer.”

here, in the context of Teddy Kennedy’s death. The Democrats have been abandoning their real constituency since Jimmy Carter was sold the balanced budget (not that he ever acheived that) old timey religion, amidst the now plainly premature, but then, avant garde, rejection of Keynesian principles.
Suddenly, it was more important for Democrats to balance the budget than it was for them to invest in human capital: to pass health care, to rebuild our urban areas, to educate out children, to create economic and social justice. The Carter Administration began that neglect of Roosevelt’s “common man.” It’s now more than 30 years old.

Maybe if lots of people started asking this question it would get us a public option: http://www.cafepress.com/WHATWTD

In other words, if the Party continues to put banks, Wall Street, health insurance companies, military contractors, and other corporate interests, before its duty to its historic constituency, it will be time for a new political Party; a Real Democratic Party, to take the American stage, simply because, without its cause, and without its dream, the Democratic Party isn’t needed, and doesn’t deserve to exist.

So well expressed, lets! Love the last line especially. YES! I always wonder if admirable Carter is doing amends post-presidency for omissions of conscience and courage during his presidency.

Teddy spoke about heart and soul! Why are so many willing to wimpily settle. If Obama is compromised we don’t have to be, out of cronyism with him now. Tough love to Obama.

Yes. Or maybe, what would Teddy WANT? Compromising for Teddy was a pragmatism a wimpy Congress and wimpy ELECTORATE drove him to I bet, and maybe a tad too much Congressional kool-aid (forgive me for saying that this week).