Rahm Emanuel is meeting with Harry Reid to tell him what the White House wants in the final Senate bill. It’s Reid’s call, and no matter what happens, he gets to wear it. But maybe people will finally disabuse themselves of the “Obama wants a public option” fantasy:. Here’s Rahm last night on the News Hour:
JUDY WOODRUFF: One of the differences is public option. A lot of unhappiness about that, not only among Republicans, but a number of Democrats. Is it, in essence, dead?
(CROSSTALK)
RAHM EMANUEL: No, I wouldn’t say that at all. The president, as you know, in…
(CROSSTALK)
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, it’s not in this version that came out.
RAHM EMANUEL: No, it isn’t in this version. The House will have their version.
The president believes that it’s important to bringing the type of competition. He spoke to it in the joint session. But, as he said in that joint session, he believes strongly in it. He believes strongly because of what it achieves in the sense of keeping the competition that insurance companies need, so the prices don’t continue to jump and out of control, that, if there are other ways to achieve that goal, as you know, Senator Snowe has the idea of a trigger, that, in case that price isn’t achieved or that competition isn’t achieved, there be a trigger that then the option, a public option, would come available.
Some — Senator Carper has a different idea.
So the President “believes” in it, but the bill that his Chief of Staff negotiated just doesn’t happen to have one. And he’s never twisted one Senate arm to vote for one in Committee — just Jay Rockefeller’s arm to vote for the Finance Committee bill that didn’t have one. Oh I forgot — he supposedly called Maria Cantwell and said nice things about the public option. That’s great. Maria Cantwell already supports one.
And the “trigger” idea that Rahm’s been pushing since January? Well that’s Olympia Snowe’s idea now. But since bipartisanship is now the fetish to end all fetishes, giving her unprecedented power to decide what will be in the final bill looks more like an opportunity to lay off responsibility for the things the White House doesn’t want to take the hit for than anything else.
Stu Rothenberg said today that Reid “is seen as Obama’s guy in the Senate and he is.” The question is — is Reid willing to sacrifice the approval of the Democratic base in Nevada to give Rahm and Obama what they want?
80 Comments
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About FDL Action
Advanced search
Don’t tase us, Rahm.
Yeah right.
The Rahm-o-nator is dying to pay his corporate masters back. How is this not obvious to EVERYONE with a brain?
They don’t call her President Snowe for nuthin.
She’s in the room. Harkin, JayRock, Schumer, Wyden: not.
The insurers and pharma unquestionably have more dollars to lavish on our elected officials, BUT, the number of votes at the ballot box that they have is miniscule compared to us. This is the message we need to convey. The idea that we simply have no place to go other than the Democrats needs to be corrected. The interent has empowered us to draft our own candidates and support them. It has empowered us to competitively fund raise. It has given activism real power. We voted these weasels in and we can vote them out. That is the message that needs to hit them like a tidal wave in the coming weeks.
hey Jane,
in the unlikely event you haven’t seen it yet:
Harry Hears a Who
This site’s changed me! Before finding Jane I’d decided, “IF the Dems don’t enact a STRONG Healthcare Bill WITH a STRONG P.O. I will NEVER AGAIN vote for another Dem at ANY level for any office again.”
But, Jane (& Jon) have convinced me of the failings of my decision. So I’ve modified it:
“IF the Dems don’t enact a STRONG Healthcare Bill WITH a STRONG P.O. I will NEVER AGAIN vote in a general election for a Dem at ANY level for ANY office, AND I will financially support and actively work to elect a primary opponent to unseat any Democrat who doesn’t agressively argue to achieve a STRONG Healthcare Bill WITH a STRONG P.O.”
also noted
quel surprise, that Senator Collins wants to horn in on all that Empress Snowe love. am concerned she will be employed in the Triggers faction
It amazes me that Harkin is not in the room. Would Teddy Kennedy have been excluded too? It was after all, his committee.
I suspect if Obama had even tried to keep Kennedy out of the room, there would have been seven kinds of hell to pay.
Rockefeller today:
I am just a poor boy though my story’s seldom told
Ive squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
WOW WOW WOW!
I must be naive–I think you are all jumping the gun cracking on these folks–let’s see what they do before we write them all out as sell outs. I listened to Senator Conrad, the favorite whipping boy for Progressives, throughout the hearings and found him to be (in my opinion–and I may be hoodwinked) a reasonable, thoughtful man who was honestly trying to pass health care reform. Is it possible that somebody can have a difference of opinion without being a corporate shill? I’m all for the public option and I’m glad so many of you have worked so hard to achieve it but let’s at least wait for Obama and Reid to fail us before we destroy them with friendly fire.
Stu Rothenberg said today that Reid “is seen as Obama’s guy in the Senate and he is.
Evidently, then, Obama doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.
Harry Reid couldn’t pass a bill stating that today is in fact Wednesday, October 14, 2009.
Loo Hoo,
Schumer was on MSNBC this am arguing, make that coherently arguing against this (smack smack Harry). further, it would be like Reid to argue that placing them under regulatory harness would eliminate the need for PO or other reforms
this is just a threat – like they suggested taxing benefits as a means to threaten Labor to play ball – and there’s a post up over at the Silo as to just how well that’s worked out for them :
” The question is — is Reid willing to sacrifice the approval of the Democratic base in Nevada to give Rahm and Obama what they want?
No, that isn’t a question at all.
Harry Reid will, via the sheer force of his own massive incompetence and his own long-proven ineptitude, give the R’s everything that they need to unseat his wimpy ass in 2010.
Good riddance. *spit*
So-what does one do?
I read one poster here rebuked yesteday(?) for suggesting contacting reps-WH, Reid…
Short of waiting for the televized yet danceable revolution-what else is there to do?
Jane, Jane, Jane, don’t you know that any criticism of Obama is irrefutable proof of racism on your part?
You better watch what you write or else Jimmy Carter will bring the hammer down on you.
Hear hear!
I’m thinking it’s a reaction to the Price Waterhouse Coopers report.
CALL
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(702) 388-5020
Tell him, “You must bring a bill to the floor of the Senate that has the strongest possible public option. No triggers, co-ops or delays. Democrats must vote together to stop a filibuster.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(415) 556-4862
Tell her, “You must lobby Democrats to support a robust public insurance option tied to Medicare rates, +5%”
The White House
(202) 456-1414 or comment line 456-1111
Tell President Obama, “You must use your power to pressure Democrats in the House and Senate to pass a strong public option. No triggers, co-ops or delays.”
Bugsger…here is what to do:
CALL
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(702) 388-5020
Tell him, “You must bring a bill to the floor of the Senate that has the strongest possible public option. No triggers, co-ops or delays.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(415) 556-4862
Tell her, “You must lobby Democrats to support a robust public insurance option tied to Medicare rates, +5%”
The White House
(202) 456-1414 or comment line 456-1111
Tell President Obama, “You must use your power to pressure Democrats in the House and Senate to pass a strong public option. No triggers, co-ops or delays.”
That was one of my yellow dog Democrat grandfather’s two favorite insults, the other was that someone isn’t smart enough to pour piss out of a boot.
Don’t know if either apply to Obama. He knows what he wants and it doesn’t include a public option. All the tepid statements to the effect that he does want a PO are simply intended to mute criticism until it is too late to do anything.
Grassroot bipartisanship, – join the teabaggers against Obama’s economic policies, precisely because the center, if you’ll notice, is a very small, exclusive space and at best only 1/10% occupy it. Pressure from both sides against the ‘Royalist’ center.
I agree, but what’s the plan? I don’t think it will be done with blogs.
I agree, but what’s the plan? I don’t think it can be done by blogs alone.
And given that Harry chose to put up the shitty FISA bill first, based upon the notion (evidently his own) by reason of ‘first in time, first in line’, do we expect that he will follow his own dumb-ass rule and put up the HELP bill first?
Of course not – what the hell am I thinking? He’s already making noise about reconciling the two Senate bills, and only *then* putting up a mongrel bill for a vote.
join the teabaggers
Um, no.
Make them change their minds by attacking (showing displeasure, if not disgust) instead of excusing Obama and so driving his favorability ratings down. Between the 60% who want a public option and 60% approval for Obama – something doesn’t add up.
Not only no – hell no!!
guffaw !
Reid goes full metal Heathers on Schumer
in between attempts to wrest the PO and the WH stink off his shoulders
oh, it’s on !
It won’t just be the DFH’s at FDL that are upset with Reid if he leaves the PO out of the Senate’s health insurance reform bill. It will be tens of millions of citizens, several hundred thousand of them voters in Nevada.
Nevada has had tremendous growth over the past fifteen years. Infrastructure and government services have not kept up. There’s still enormous deference to gaming and hospitality industry, the employer side, but not enough consideration for those who make those industries work behind the scenes.
Service employees also have unions, who have common cause with opposing the too little-too late approach Obama, Rahm and Reid are advocating across the board, not just in health care reform. Mr. Reid is likely to be on the hot seat in 2010 because of it. He should be.
Harry Reid’s management of the Senate’s business is lethargic at best. His willingness and his ability to get past or around GOP obstructionism is, for example, holding up hundreds of appointments. The top lawyer for the Labor Department was added to the list this week; as NY state’s labor commissioner, the GOP didn’t like her advocating for the interests of, um, labor. Even if Obama means all he has said, he couldn’t implement it without the right staff.
It’s time for Harry to throw in the towel and let a new fighter into the ring, one who recognizes that Rahm the Promoter’s primary interest is promoting himself, not his fighter’s career. Which means it’s past time for the Senate to insist on more than congeniality from the White House. Harry should bow out before the next S.Ct. nominee comes up.
You got to be freaking kidding me. If it were not for the noise that this group of activist spurred, assholes like Conrad and Baucus would already have the whole deal sold down the river. You need to wake up.
Reid goes full metal Heathers on Schumer
heh – I like that.
“He would rather say anything so it wasn’t up to him,” Reid said
Because gawd know that all progressives would feel so much better if we left it all in the capable hands of Harry The Punching Bag.
agreed about the demographics eoh. multitudes of whom are now suffering layoffs, cutbacks, toxic mortgages, etc. Vegas was U.S. fastest growing city for something like 7 years running – keep thinking of the firefighter and teacher friends we have who moved there during the period
Joining teabaggers may in the end prove less painful than waking up one morning finding out that you’ve been thoroughly analised.
did you see Rockefeller is punchin’ on him as well?
who knew Wednesday was Bukkake day in the Senate, all this time I thought it was chimichangas
Welcome to Weasel World, with talk show thrill rides.
If I ran my business that way…waiting for somebody to fail… and then saying something…basically being passive aggressive, I would be broke.
How many people die each month as we give these racketeers slack? Conrad, Baucus, Nelson, Lincoln don’t think they are bad people. They do not think they are doing the medical industry business. They have convinced themselves that they are better and smarter than the voters. Why shouldn’t they? Voters hate politicians but love their own politicians. So they vote them in. Baucus won 73% of the vote last November. Why wouldn’t he feel he deserves to follow his gut?
The economy will completely tank soon. We can’t wait to get something we have deserved for 60 years.
If POTUS really wanted the public option he should have the balls to say he will veto anything that doesn’t contain it. Fact of the matter is Obama is more worried about protecting the insurance companies than he is getting Americans some GOOD health care at an AFFORDABLE cost. POTUS and his boy Rham know exactly what they are doing.
Yup. They’re being laid off across the country, as are librarians, school teachers, county clerks, helpers, assistants, everybody who makes local government run. These are the people who make a difference, who open up possibilities for everyone in their community. At their best, they model productive, cooperative behavior, especially for kids, which can mean a lot of bad choices are avoided, and can mean improved outcomes when they aren’t.
Americans needs substantially improved access to health care, which requires fundamental, not incremental reform of the health insurance industry. That’s at the heart of a lot of other civic rights and social obligations. Leaving health care alone because the folks in Westchester, McLean and La Jolla like things the way they are, is leadersheep, not leadership.
Any proverbial fire lobbed at Senate Majority Leader Reid is not friendly fire. Just for the record.
” hospitality industry”
Hmmm . . Just exactly what is this “hospitality industry?” Hotels? Is it a growth industry? Are politicians really in deference to it?
I don’t see your evidence that Obama’s done anything to abandon the public option. I am one of the naive people who still believes that Obama and 51+ Democrats strongly believe in the public option, and that they will therefore pass it with reconciliation. I am not at all concerned that the WH hasn’t been jumping up and down in public proclaiming this (although many Senators like Schumer pretty much have) because this is a difficult inside, not public, negotiation. I know you are much more cynical and I absolutely appreciate your perspective (you may be right), but I urge you to have a little patience. You don’t want it to seem like your constant criticism of Obama from the left is for the mere pursuit of a market niche, instead of a pursuit for the truth. Plus, what will be your stance once the White House’s noble but naive attempt at token bipartisanship fails and they revert to what was always the real plan, passing a public option through reconciliation?
…Bukkake day
ya know – you really shouldn’t know what that means…. *g*
Oh, Harry. So pathetic.
That’s the best place I can think of to start. Apparently, we need to show the Democrats that we’ll vote for the cutest candidate since it doesn’t seem to matter if it’s the D’s or the R’s in majority — we’re getting Republican policies either way.
I think you are right in your assessment. Obama has weaseled on the PO from the start. It has really been nothing short of a betrayal to all those foot soldiers that walked neighborhoods, made phone calls and raised money for his campaign. We feel the betrayal deeper. We need to let him know that we can’t be spun and he won’t be forgiven. We won’t be there for him and the turn coat Dems if they don’t deliver.
Exactly! Wait until the decision has been made, the milk spilt, water under the bridge and only then make noise? Seriously?
Beyond that, Obama has made his decisions. It’s obvious from the lack of arm-twisting of “centrists” to the phrasing by Rahm and Obama himself that he prefers to have a Public Option to the courting of Snowe to giving Baucus and his Finance Committee the nod as official carrier of WH back room deals…Obama may even like the concept of a PO, but he’s not willing to fight for it.
I blame that Hamsher woman :D
oh and p.s. – would that Harry could be half that bitchy with Lieberweasel
Don’t stop there! I’ve written and called both my Senator’s offices and my rep’s. All Democrats. Maria Cantwell is one! And, if she supports a Public Option, why did she vote YEA on a bill that has that does NOT include one?
Hmmm. Interested observers might take a peek at the site for the Cornell School of Hotel Management, the Harvard and Wharton for the hospitality industry. The industry is big bidness, it’s global, it contributes a significant percentage to the economies of states like Nevada, Hawaii, Florida and California, etc.
Its employees are often members of service unions, which the past eight years would have been two strikes against them so far as gubmint is concerned. Yes, I would say the gubmint has been kind to the Hilton’s, the Marriott’s and the big names in Las Vegas night life. But this time around, Mr. Reid should be a little more concerned with what the service employee’s unions think rather than what the beneficiaries of licenses issued by the Gaming Commission think, if he wants to keep his job as a government employee.
I’m not sure that Stu Rothenberg is a good source to quote.
The “Obama is a polarizing figure” is a definite Village view, which tends to focus on about 70,000 crazies. And it is one that plays into the “public option is left wing” narrative. And “Reid is Obama’s guy in the Senate”. Well isn’t any majority leader when the President is in the same party? Tell me the sky is blue.
Sam Stein’s analysis was much better than the quotes you put up. It’s in the Congress’s lap and there might be only five in the room (and Queen Olympia might report every move back to Mitch) but there are at least 51 Senators who want to vote for a bill with a public option. And if Schumer is on the warpath, and Rockefeller, and Harkin, there are some heavyweights who are going to push for the public option. Dodd is going to be talking to these guys between meetings of the Reid committee.
There’s nothing left to do but keep making those phone calls to the Progressive Caucus and to your Senators, especially if their names are Reid, Dodd, Baucus, Snowe, Nelson (either one), Carper, Landrieu, or Lincoln. And most especially if Conrad is your Senator.
Jane has provided background on NV Labor – the largest and most influential wrt Reid’s politial fortunes is the Culinary Workers Union which has had a recent rapprochement with the AFL-CIO, they refused to come out for him until he introduced EFCA on the Floor – but apparently are still telling him PO and no taxing of benefits – or no go
wonder how many or the percentage of the service employees you mentioned belong to SEIU, as Mr Stern et al weren’t part of the Labor broadside unleashed on Rahm/Reid in major newspapers today
Just remember, my progressive friends… a public option with a trigger that guarantees it will never come into effect is still a public option!
It all depends on what “is” is, you see.
How many times do you pound your head on a wall before you try something else? Reid knows he’s got a high paying job waiting for him just like everyone else who has been in washington that long. Like all of them he doesn’t give a fuck about an election. THIRD PARTY THIRD PARTY THIRD PARTY.That will scare the fuck out of all of them.Does your head hurt yet?
On third party. There are 50 state. 210 media markets. 435 congressional districts, 3080 counties and 192,480 precincts.
It takes roughly 175,000 votes to elect a House member.
It takes around 7 million to 10 million votes to elect a Senator in California, depending on whether it is a presidential year. Other states require fewer voters down to the around 150,000 for Wyoming.
Given those numbers, how fast can you get that third party organized.
Sen. Reid is not going to jump under the bus just to make Rahm happy. Nobody wants be left holding the bag when and if voters find out they have been sold to the health insurance companies.
so why doesn’t he just declare his support with the majority of his caucus, why all this ‘PO in some form’ language ?
what we’re seeing is the panic setting in at the realization that he is indeed holding the bag – and all that talk about shutting down the various factions and contingencies that Rahm cooed in his ear lies in rags at his feet – he either comes out for a robust PO or he’s toast
It looks like Harry Reid is already under the bus, the bus that the people of Nevada are using to run over him and push him out come Nov 2010.
If he wants to change the game, he’ll do the right thing, the moral thing, and the politically smart thing. He’ll lead in order to bring to the floor of the United States Senate a bill that includes a strong public option that must be made available to all Americans.
Otherwise, he’s fired for sure.
The opinions on this subject is NOT jumping the gun. Obama and Rahm have already made deals with the medical industrial complex and PhRMA to have NO PUBLIC OPTION that will affect the industry’s anticipated increased profits. ObaRahma made the mistake of looking back at what happened to Clinton and HIS/HER healthcare debacle and decided that is what lost the Dems their majorities in congress. ObaRahma decided that they wanted to keep the medical industrial complex money from going to Republicans, ergo the deal with the Insurance Companies and PhRMA.. What they did NOT look at was the fact that Clinton lost the House and Senate in ‘94 because of NAFTA–THAT IS WHAT INFURIATED AND TURNED THE BASE OFF CLINTON and he lost his majorities. The fix is in and Obama sold the Public Option up the river. Only a very large and very loud public outcry and joining FDS’s POP will have any affect on the individual pols who would be afraid of losing in 2010 and therefore feel forced to support a PO despite ObaRahma’s backroom deals.
don’t know much about triggerin’ Rahm, he try
Nevermind what the consequences would be just for Harry Reid and the Democrats in Nevada.
I know damn well there are internal polling numbers that show how the huge amount of air that goes out of the *entire* Democratic Party’s balloon if a final bill is passed without a public option. And surely Rahm Emanuel is aware of those numbers.
The political engine and “base” of the guy Rahm works for will redefine the term “opt out” if they get screwed on this deal. 15%-20% of Obama’s supporters will become apathetic and another 15%-20% will be rightously pissed! Not just among the Netroots (although let’s face it, Netroots lifted Barack Obama on their collective back in the early and mid campaign) but among organized labor and the rank and file of that 77% of the American people who favor a public option.
Get your head out of your ass, Rahm. A bill without a Public Option is the political obituary to this Administration. IS THAT what you want signed?
I think that it’s seeing how they are proceeding and how they have acted in the past that convinces so many that Obama and like minded Democrats in congress are simply not pursuing what is in the best interest of the majority of the people. The lack of trust in them is justified based on what they have already done.
The largest ever enormous transfer of public wealth to private banks has left the country in the position financing expenditures through borrowing, with the full acquiecence of Obama.
Obama’s lack of spine in being willing to fight for revamping the way in which the provision of health care is financed is already evident. He has given non-sensical excuses such as that is too late to fundamentally change the system that is already in place because well, it already is in place. Or that we must adopt a system that is uniquely American and holds true to the uniquely American character of free enterprise. Or some other irrational patronizing load of crap.
Obama and not Rahm or Reid is primarily to blame for the debacle that may unfold. He has spared no effort in undermining the public financing of the provision of health care, which has universally been shown to be the most efficient way of doing it.
I agree that the best way to exert pressure is to lobby our representatives using the internet which is a godsend, but we shouldn’t be deluded into thinking that they will our bidding until forced to do so and Obama has already shown that he has no qualms in acting directly against the public’s best interest. We don’t need to wait to be smacked in the face again.
Clinton lost 15 years ago because his administration tried to do it the wrong way and tried to do too much.
If we lose this time, we will have lost because Obama, Reid and the Democratic Party leadership did too little and were too weak, despite all their power, to do what must be done. We will pay for it. And they will pay for it politically much worse than Clinton did.
It’s better to fail after having worked hard and tried to do too much than to fail because you actually did too little.
but only recently. which is why Harry is headed for the undercarriage. and if he’s been aware all along, you can bet he thought voters would be placated with their Hey look, we passed something ! flim flammery
I’d also suggest deluging every White House web site/e-mail address you can get your hands on, letting them know of our displeasure, how hard we worked for his election, how disappointed we are.
[Perhaps someone can post a few. The only one I know is WhiteHouse.gov.]
They’ll come back with some bullshit, but ignore it. The point is to get huge “hits” on the White House, DNC, DSCC, DCCC and any other Democratic Party web site or blog, so that someone’s reaction is, “holy shit. The masses are pissed, they understand what’s going down, and they’re going to blame US for this catastrophe.”
If, when the dust settles after Obama’s “signing ceremony” we’re left with mandates & no cost controls [forget, for now about all the other reforms like pre-existing conditions and portability] rank & file voters are going to be PISSED, and they will identify this robbery + transfer to the insurance companies with Democrats for DECADES to come.
Obama and Rahm need to be disabused of the idea that a pretty signing ceremony is going to outweigh folks’ opening their paychecks and seeing huge deductions for crap health insurance — health insurance that continues its well-founded abuses; health insurance that promises ever-escalating premiums, greater deductibles, less coverage, continued “turn-downs” of needed care.
Is this really how Obama wants to be identified, as friend and protector of insurance companies? ‘Cause that’s all he’s got for now, and “pretty words” aren’t going to fool people out of this reality.
I totally agree, Knoxville.
I have never been able to understand why Obama thinks it’s more “attractive” to voters to be a mealy-mouthed proponent of “bi-partisanship” — bi-partisanship with a gang of skunks who’d rather spray you than come to tea — than a strong fighter.
The “strong fighter” leads, inspires people, gets them to join the fight. [This is how Obama portrayed himself during the campaign, fooling millions, including moi.]
The “bi-partisan weenie” operates behind closed doors, satisfying no one except those with whom he made the whispered deals.
One of the greatest songs ever written and sung.
Li li li!
Don’t know much ’bout bile oily g.
My email to The President:
Dear Mr. President:
I’m concerned about healthcare reform, and the FORM any legislation you will sign might take.
Please insist that final legislation includes a VIBRANT public option, run by the government, that covers ALL people, WITHOUT mandates, starts IMMEDIATELY and provides DIRECT competition to the private insurance sector. In addition, YOUR bill support should also include an end to denial to pre-existing conditions, an end to SHAMEFUL profiteering thru increase in premiums, and repeal of anti trust exemptions that private insurance enjoys.
Should you sign weak reform legislation for healthcare, the Democrat Party will suffer HUGELY in the 2010 elections, and you will have ensured YOU will be a one term president, left with a legacy of having sold out the american people to support the corporate interests who prefer a status quo and an increase in transfer of wealth from taxpayers to the corporations.
Thank you for your consideration regarding the above.
I voted for you, and expect many great things to come from you and your leadership, but I fear if you don’t enact REAL REFORM for healthcare, you will disappoint the american people to such an extent it will destroy the Democrat Party, and your chances for a second term.
Sincerely,
My Name
See my response to your request at #68.
Have left messages with Pelosi, Sci Fi, Boxer (local calls for me).
Similar wording, albeit shorter.
You go ahead and keep right on supporting them Dems.They been screwing you for forty years.Two party system is a scam.Short of public paid elections(never gonna happen)third party only way.Will admit I don’t know election laws but three senators would do it.Until something changes it is obvious we’re all screwed and I can continue to read about all this whining and crying about the same o same o.Name a subject the dems. have followed thru on without pussying out on. Obama is the biggest sellout dem. so far.
I can see Grow-a-Pair Reid, sideling into the back door of the West Wing, tail between his legs, laying down and rolling over to expose his belly in complete supplication to Master Rahm, the Alpha Mutt (or biggest bastard, in his own self-view).
“Roll over, Harry Boy! Beg, Harry Boy! Good dog, Harry…”
In response to Mauimom @ 65
I agree 100%, especially about this ‘bipartisan’ bs.
What did we lose – in terms of getting real health care reform, as well as in terms of our Democratic leaders appearing weak and morally bankrupt – in exchange for Snowe’s committee vote, which wasn’t even needed to get that garbage out of committee?
If I didn’t live in Nevada, I might believe your post had merit. NV is ahead of many of the states I have visited, in both infrastructure and government services. I don’t know why you would lead your post off with vague misleading statements. NV is one of the states that is actually pretty efficent and proactive.
Are you one of those californians who came here to improve things? Reed is an ok senator, but a lousy majority leader. You talk about the unions and the gambling in Nevada, when the casinos/gambling/prostitution are the reason for nv’s success. The unions aren’t going to cut their throat by voting against the casino interest. Additionally in the service industries a large part of which are hispanic, are more likely to be po’ed because obama hasn’t decriminalized illegal immigrants. Get your head out of your arse and find another state to villify.
A strong public option is a must for the Senate Bill to ensure passage with just 51 votes. Reid cannot succumb to Rahm’s pressure or he risks losing in 2010. He was a boxer, but let’s see if he can punch his way out of the corner Rahm is putting him in.
I went to that White House website that asks for personal stories about health insurance problems, and left the following heartbreaking lament:
“I used to be in relatively good health. Then, I learned that someone I supported for President, who while running for office promised unalloyed support for a robust public option, now evaded and avoided delivering on that promise when he had the chance. I learned that his chief of staff had sold the American Public down the road in a behind the scenes backroom deal with Big Medicine, PhRMA, and AHIP. The last straw was when both of them had the chance to require a certain Majority leader to force an up-or-down vote the way Bush and Cheney always did – and the BLEW that chance!
Now I am a Sick, Sick Man, and my insurance company won’t cover my illness. They say relying to my detriment on the Promises of Slick Politicians is a pre-existing condition, one that is entirely my own fault. Coverage Denied!
The ONLY hope for me is a reform bill with a ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION, with NO triggers, NO opt outs, and NO co-ops!
Please, Madame Secretary – can you help me?”
wow. very nice
Sorry Knoxville, Clinton tried to do too little also. He would have been successful if he tried to sell Medicare for All and Obama also would have been successful if he tried to do the same.
Speaking for myself, I criticize Obama because his actions prove that he doesn’t mean anything he says in his pretty speeches and his actions demonstrate no respect for people, the Constitution, and the Rule of Law. I don’t respect anyone who makes secret backdoor deals and then tries to lose to cover-up those deals.
He is anything but noble. He’s a total disaster and I can back-up everything I say.