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The White House finally made official what we have known for a long time: President Obama is against the public option. How do we know this? Because Obama, for the first time ever, released his own official health care reform proposal — and it does not contain a public option.
You can’t claim to support an idea if you are unwilling to make it part of your own proposal. Since the package is designed to pass using reconciliation, the fact that Joe Lieberman, Blanche Lincoln, and Ben Nelson are against the public option is irrelevant. The public option already passed the House, and Sen. Tom Harkin said a public option had the support of a majority of senators, so there is no reason it cannot be passed through budget reconciliation. Joe Lieberman may have played the part of the anti-public option boogeyman before, but now Obama is stepping up to prevent the PO from coming to fruition.
Just to be clear, you can’t “support” something if you make no effort to see that it passes. If you do things that directly harm its chances of becoming law, like not include it in your health care proposal, then you are against it. But don’t worry, even as Obama takes steps to make sure that people don’t have an alternative to the private insurance companies that helped ruin our health care system, he did take steps to make sure you face an even bigger IRS penalty if you refuse to buy the poorly regulated product from the private insurance companies.
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Finally, finally, finally, the tap-dancing has come to an end. Obama was trapped between his promises to the public and his private deals with lobbyists and he had to choose. Now he owns it. …and Rahm sails off into the sunset…
Well this seems appropriate.
What else is Obama hiding from his supporters? Invasion of Iran?
I guess Obama figures that one term is sufficient to guarantee those fat bribes from PhRMA and the insurance industry.
Against the PO (that he campaigned for), for mandates (that he campaigned against), for excise taxes (that he campaigned against). The man is a snake, and can’t be trusted.
I am calling this “the Obama two step”
We seemingly make progress on getting Congress to hear we want- by a large majority – a public option.
Latest version – PO in reconciliation was/is gaining momentum.
Then Obama comes along and takes two steps backwards to appease the medical insurance oligarchy.
I am so sickened by him, I can not believe he is the same man I worked so hard to elect.
John Boehner
It’s still blasted as a government takeover even after he left out the public option. This is a case in point of the stupidity of surrendering in advance on a policy because the GOP will attack it (and the pointlessness of “bipartisanship”).
You’re 1/2 right, Jon. Yes, Obama’s against the “Public option” as he is against Dorgan’s Amendment to DRAMATICALLY reduce prescription costs (who could possibly be against this?), as he is to fighting for the middle class instead of our corrupt moneycenter banks. He’s clear what he’s really against is “change”.
But, lest we not get too depressed, while we now accept that Obama officially against “CHANGE”, he is all for “HOPE”. His hope is Dems will get clobbered in Nov. & he’ll have two years of quiet as President, when everyone can like him because he’s a nice guy, but not expect him to do anything.
Shame on me, I voted for him!
Above analysis accepted, but can anyone give stupid-ol’-me some simple reasons as to why Obama is against the public-option? It’s just some (Rahm brokered) deal with big-pharma, and that trumps all the obvious polling of his base??
things for you folks to expect:
just received a new premium for a tufts health care policy for my family of 3 healthy members with no pre-conditions:
it has increased from about 1700.00 / month to 1923.00 / month.
the plan has high copy and deductibles, with no dental or eye coverage, other than annual checkup for our child.
and we in massachusetts are mandated to buy this corporate products, or face a hefty fine or jail time!
this robbery called health care is literally making me SICK!
Obama is doing a magnificent job assuring that he will be the most despised and reviled president in history, not to mention a war criminal and big fan of murdering innocent women and children.
What a great guy!
KILL THIS BILL!
Strawman.
IMPEACH Obama.
Now I’m waiting for the next Obama kool-aid drinker to come out and try to say somehow he really is for the public option, you know, more of that playing chess bullshit. We have elected the second Clinton administration, even though we expressly voted against it by not choosing Hillary. Obama is worse than Clinton, and that’s saying alot. WE ARE SCREWED PEOPLE!!!
…not that we haven’t known Obama was against the PO for many, many months now.
I’m sure he’ll still claim to prefer the PO, but he’ll argue that there just aren’t the votes to pass it. Same song, second verse.
Obama did promise change – little did we know that the change was to do the opposite of what he campaigned for except in the case of Afghanistan.
So now you see the problem, people: government tends to view the public as a public relations problem. Your job is to make us into a real problem.
Did he promise to ramp up troops and mercs in Afghanistan while doing a mini-shock-and-awe?
Well, that’s clearly one in the win column.
Yup, he’s not going to risk hanging around like he did after his getting the Dems to back NAFTA helped give Congress to the Republicans in 1994. That time out, he was able to pin the blame on everyone but himself. Don’t think that’ll work now.
Always look to the simplest explanation for motivation. In this case it’s money. Obama is the new Billy Tauzin.
There’s a lot of that sentiment going around at my house lately.
cut your umblical cords to the corporate machinery!
stop buying corporate products of all kinds!
start growing your food for yourself and neighbors!
start investing in your local economy!
THE simplest explanation why ALL incumbent Democrat in Congress (& the White House) deserves to be defeated at the earliest opportunity is, with overwhelming majorities in the House & the Senate, they have chosen to NOT pass the Dorgan Amendment. Who could possibly be against the Dorgan Amendment except PHARMA & corrupt, grubby politicians bought by PHARMA?
If Dems cared one hoot about their constituents they’d pass this, by itself via Reconciliation, this week! They don’t and they won’t. Enough said?
Obama is against the public option because he was selected for a simple reason: weaken if not outright kill Social Security and Medicare so that working people have no time to worry about what’s being done to them and their kids’ future, they’ll be too busy trying to make ends meet and not fall off the cliff into the economic black hole that is the future. All this talk about robust GDP growth is bullshit. Numbers are being manipulated, war profiteers are raking in obscene profits, financial institutions and hedge funds are still creating securitized packets of debt that are then traded as real things, and the rest of us are literally fucked.
The Wall Street interests and insurance company moneymen who bundled Obama’s contributions stayed well in the background while their mouthpiece called for “Change” and said it enough times so that people who were actually beginning to see the government of this country for what it is had the wool pulled over their eyes again.
The only change that’s coming out of this administration, which is just an interregnum until the next fascist GOP administration, is that people will be fined by a government agency if they don’t buy a private product, a product that has no checks on its costs, and one that a majority of the people don’t want. There will be no fundamental changes to the banking system; Glass-Steagall will not be reinstated; no Fairness Doctrine; no rescinding of onerous executive orders that erode individual and civil rights; no band-aid, not even a little one, for the wound that is suppurating on our body politic as more and more money infects the system and people see their dreams dissipate while craven greed is worshipped and a survival of the fittest mentality takes over, even as the Origin of the Species is attacked from all sides and the Flintstones becomes accepted science in the great republic of Texas.
Nope he’s the new Bill Clinton who’s made more than 100 million since he left the Presidency.
That’s quite the haul. Obama should be able to top that, tho.
Once politicians learned (over the past 8 years) that they can get away with murder, war crimes and theft on a scale of TRILLIONS of dollars, and that you can make a deal with the next President so that, even though he’s from the other party and was elected partially on a promise to clean up DC, he will “look forward and not backward”, they realized that they can get away with ANYTHING.
America am broken. You’re welcome!
Apologies for the OT, but when I click the “read more” or “comments” link to this post, it takes me to a preview page, and tells me that I am not allowed to read previews.
Apparently, clicking on those links appends this code to the “link” or “comment” URLs:
I can get to this page just fine by cutting the extraneous code from the URL bar, but not everyone might know to do that, so you might wish to check it out.
Fuck Obama. Case closed.
this is ugly.
as pointed out above, he drops the PO and still gets charged by Goopers with backing a massive public takeover of health care.
he didnt learn a thing.
Time to start pooling our funds to pay for health care. time to organize our own clinics, send our kids to med and nursing school with a promise to come back to the neighborhood. Time to make the entire country our neighborhood. Time to start ignoring the bastards who think they own us.
The Democratic deserves to be destroyed and relegated to the dustbin of history. At least the people know exactly what to expect from Republicans. With Democrats either through duplicity or timidity they have proven they are incapable of governing.
You people are nuts. What, you would rather have President McCain and Vice President Palin? Majority Leader McConnell and Speaker Boehner? Pull your heads out of the sky and join the rest of us down here in the real world. You don’t like it, work to get it better, but don’t just take your ball and go home. Life is hard. It always has been. Big deal. That’s no reason to run off and hide under the bed.
For those of us that live in California, there’s a new movement to get single payer.
http://www.healthcareforall.org/
Some change. Well, actually, it IS change. More help for the corporations.
Fuck.
I am beginning to think big O is delusional. Who does he think is going to vote for this turkey of a bill?
Progressive must stop playing NICE.
The answer to our problems lies with HOOVER OBAMA.
We must develop actors like Obama.
Progressives need candidates that can lie like Obama.
What I mean?
Progressive candidate need to act like Tea Party candidates to get elected and once they get to Congress transform into a Progressive.
We can’t let Obama, Rahm, Ben Nelson, Max Baucus, have all the fun acting like Dems.
Every seat in congress should be in play, any body can talk like a GOPER just say cutting taxes will solve all problems, and u hate Obama, and you can receive votes from GOPers.
This has been a one way street to long. A lot of Dems get to act like Dems.
Progressive have been treated like door mats to long, it is time for us to organize and create candidates like Obama who talk like Tea Party people but govern like FDR.
Time for civil disobedience. Tell Obama he can shove his mandates and giveaways to the corporations where the sun don’t shine. Anyone that’s paying attention can’t help but loathe the way Obama has favored the corporations over the interests of the people.
Maybe we need to spend some of those funds on pitchforks and torches.
Fuck my gut feelings of 2008 about him are coming true… fuck fuck… my black neighbor and I talked about him and she said “he is just too Slick and she didn’t trust him one bit”.
YOU are the hero of your own life. Come fly with eagles!
Be SUPER sensitive about where every penny is and where it is going. Don’t forget to terminate the automatic “straws” in/out of your accounts and leave off going to the race tracks and playing the lottos.
Further, don’t let this happen to your home, family, friends or your spiritual community:
“New Mexico’s state legislature, which was considering a bill to move general funds into community banks and credit unions, adjourned for the year without passing the bill through the Senate. As a result, the bill will likely be shelved until next year.” — Huffington Post, “Bill To Move New Mexico’s Money Tripped Up [Sabotaged ?] In State Senate” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/19/bill-to-move-new-mexicos_n_469612.html)
For you East Coasties, counties are very powerful entities ringing DC to the extent they are almost more powerful than the States in some regards. This generally is not necessarily the news as you move West.
Run over to MoveYourMoney.Info and see all the options of where you can put your money and DO it. I want to hear about it from Rehoboth, DE to Harpers Ferry, WV, from Gettysburg, PA to Richmond, VA, from DC metro to NYC metro to Boston metro.
For the West Coasties and folks in between, force the issue with the cities after you put your house, family, friends and spiritual communities in order.
Then, the other quasi-government and government structures from city/county to the states will be forced to get in line with the ripple effect washing up on the Fed.
The time is of the essence!
Absouloutlyfucking right on..
Hello [Edited by Moderator]!
Enough of the stupid crap,
We are working developing plans to get rid of all the rats in the DEM party like Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson, Max Baucus, Obam, Rahm, etc.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WAS BUILT BY PROGRESSIVES FOR PROGRESSIVES! PERIOD.
We are going to take our BALL and THROW it at the rats like Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincolm, Max Baucus, Obama, Rahm etc. we are not going home.
We are about to do some HOUSE CLEANING.
If you want to be a bLUE DOG go start a BLUE DOG party.
My guess is that Obama throwing his liberal base under the insurance and pharma industries’ bus should entitle both Obama and Rahm to seven or eight figure CEO positions when Obama’s first and only term expires. What a phony that guy Obama turned out to be!!!
I think that’s a very good idea. Towns could set up their own clinics, hire a doctor (and probably provide housing) and have rates that they could actually pay.
I am on Medicare and have a supplemental for drugs. In getting my taxes ready for the accountant realized that I am paying more for the drugs than the cost of coverage. Might as well not have it at all.
“You don’t like it, work to get it better . . . ”
__________________
I think that’s precisely the point. We DID work to “get better” that which we didn’t like. By working for, contributing to, and voting for Obama. The depth of feeling you’re seeing now is born of betrayal.
I can only admire your willingness to bend over, and stay bent over. Most inspiring. Really.
Yes.
1923 a month is OBSCENE. In Canada, our top tax bracket is around 45%, at 100,000. So let’s say even if you paid that for the full amount (you don’t) you would pay 45,000 in taxes. You guys would need a top tax bracket of 21% just to break even with us (45000 – (12 * 2000)).
You need to come to reality. The Democrats are in charge, not the Republicans, though they are doing a good job of losing control because they’re providing such junk legislation despite their promises. A lot of Democrats will get Coakleyed because people are tired of being lied to and knifed in the back.
Bullshit.
This is a Good Cop/Bad Cop scheme that Obama and Reid hatched last Friday when Reid announced there would be a reconciliation vote on the public option AT THE SAME TIME AS HE WAS HANGING OUT WITH OBAMA IN NV. The Republicans can either give their vote to the Good Cop after the health care summit, or they’ll give Obama and Reid the excuse to jam the public option down their throats.
I understand why FireDogLake is doing this – to hold Obama accountable if he doesn’t include the public option. But my question is how will FDL treat the inevitable moment when Obama gets to enact his real plan all along – the public option. Will you claim you made him do it? I guess so…
Is this the last “Big LIe” or does he have yet one more sell out that he is going to dump on us?
I always thought that the repubs had the corner on hypocrisy but this pathetic little man has them all beat.
Several years ago before I qualified for Medicare a nurse friend recommended that I visit a local “Christian Health Clinic” which was open one night a week, staffed by doctors, nurses, and others who donated their time. I was hesitant, being agnostic but she reassured me that I could politely decline the religious aspects.
It was a BIG help. They were able to write prescriptions that one of the local hospital pharmacies filled for one tenth of cost. It got me through a couple years until I received better coverage.
So, there are sometimes options available. Not enough, certainly but perhaps something to build on.
Aha! The old triple double cross! Damn clever that.
I was there:
- Tom
Seriously, what do you think?
But he forgot to take into account the threat of terrorists. Imagine, if you will, the rush of terrorists wanting to come to this country to get “socialist” medical care…the best medical care in the entire planet and world. No of course he cannot have a public option on health care, gosh Osama Bin Ladin at Walter Reed…the horrors.
He kept the capitalist coup in Honduras pretty quiet.
We been ‘Rahmboozled’ by the “effing r*******” radical centrist corporate sellouts……,
[Mod Note: It's not a nice word to use, no matter if it is a quote.]
Not quite: if you live in Quebec your top marginal rate will be 48 to 49 percent, and don’t forget the 13 percent VAT and no mortgage or property tax deductions against earned income. Your basic point is still correct, though. You get more value in public goods and health here per dollar than you do in the US.
I am a 62 year old Viet Nam vet. I have experienced a lot in my life including prison. I worked hard for Obama, and gave till it hurt. His betrayal is the most painful experience of my life. I have never felt more used. I have never felt more impotent. I fell hook, line, and sinker for LIES, LIES, LIES. I don’t see any way out. Our government is now completely owned by corperate assholes. Costa Rica anyone?
Dan Pfeiffer said today the Pres. supports the public option (which even your grandma knows means he supports a reconciliation vote on it.) Jon Walker and FDL are the ones who are trying to claim there’s some double/triple-crossing going on. So what if he didn’t put in his proposal which are just the things he wants to debate with the Republicans at the summit? You guys really wanted to hear what the Republicans thought about the public option? There’s only one detail I care about now: what time have they scheduled the reconciliation vote on the public option for? I’d like to know so I can tune in to CSPAN and hear those 50+ aye’s.
Sorry Jon, but whether you are correct or not, your conclusion is a non sequiter and does not follow the rules of logic.
Very Reaganesque of him.
My only response to this is; I think people have been working for close to 10 years to get actual representation in our government (since the 2000 SCOTUS decision for Florida) and after 10 years, the democrats took the house, senate and the Presidency…and then what, I can’t tell much difference between Obama and Bush to be perfectly honest..(spying, torture, bogus wars, economic fraud, etc). So if after 10 years, the democrats get this, how many more ’10′ years until we actually a congress that represents the will of the American people? How many more do I have left. I think the keep your chin up crap is just crap anymore, we’re screwed and until we get a mass of people agreeing on ‘something’, we’re gonna just blow like leaves in the wind while our country goes downhill…
I am going to withhold judgment until after all the Kabuki is done, the votes counted and the bill signed.
And if, as anticipated, ObamaRahma simply caves again and no PO occurs…..will you say, “Ooops, I was wrong”?
Sure. If that happens (chances are about 1 in 4), I’ll say I was wrong, looks like we won’t have the great bill with the public option. Just the good bill without it.
Good luck. Most countries Americans might be tempted to immigrate to have financial self-sufficiency thresholds most of us could never meet. Anyway, if you were sufficiently affluent to make the cut, you’d be able to afford insurance and anything else you need right here, so why move?
I’m afraid most of us are stuck right where we are.
Yes, this is the only immediate practical step that will rid the country of its subserviance to corporations.
The aim is to defund large economic concerns and to place limits on their business practices by means of local ballot initiatives. People should for instance withdraw their savings and other accounts from corrupt big banks into community FDIC insured banks. Also private for profit insurers should be made to compete with statewide tax funded insurance plans.
There are many ways that people can rid themselves of the subjugation from corporate dictates and defunding them is an especially effective means of doing so.
Which parts about it do you see as particularly good?
So Obama put foward his personal health care proposal and it does not have a public option. Are you saying this is a sign he actually supports one because that does not sound like support to me.
That crowd has already swept the PO off the table. It’s not what “the adults” discuss anymore, according to them. They’d rather distort the insurance companies’ profits downward and the the number of people “saved” by the Senate bill upward — all the while claiming that we who oppose this trash are being selfish, hysterical assholes. Nice people, aren’t they?
Or as Herman’s Hermits put it – “second verse, same as the first…”
With all this duplicity, can’t we just impeach Obama? I think Joe Biden would probably be much less of a liar…
Heh, I was working from Manitoba rates. But yeah, there is the GST sorry HST cough cough whatever) and I don’t do the mortgage thing (equity loan is tax deductible), so I was compensating by saying the 45% was across all income, not graduated.
Robert Gibbs and David Axelrod must be drinking a lot knowing that they will be remembered as the guys who got HOOVER OBAMA elected.
Obama and the Blue Dogs are and have always been on a mention to destroy the Progressive Movement.
The GOP was all but destroyed after Bush, here come Obama and the Blue Dogs thru the back door, to destroy the Progressive Movement.
PROGRESSIVE need to stop being nice.
What has Obama done for Progressives? Nothing.
torture by Bush O-kay
NO Drug Importation for americans
More war O-kay
Tax on Union health care plans O-kay
No public option for americans
Loss Governorship in VA (demoralize the Dem base)
Loss Governorship in NJ (demoralize the Dem Base)
Loss MASS Senate seat held by a REAL DEM TED KENNEDY (demoralize the Dem Base)
the list goes on and on, Obama has sold progressives out at every turn.
Now it is time for Progressives to destroy BLUE DOGS.
Evan Bayh quit know political career was over
Blanche Lincoln un-employed soon
Ben Nelson un-employed soon
Max Baucus un-employed soon
Obama un-employed soon
It is open season on Blue Dogs
Progressive Built the Democratic Party
Blue dogs need to start their own party, they will be leaving the Dem party soon.
I thought it was built to defend slavery.
Candidate Obama: YES to public option, and NO to private insurance mandates.
President Obama: NO to public option, and YES to private insurance mandates –with a severe penalty for non-compliance.
So, who can we vote for in 2012?
Took a little over one year to get here with Barry. Three more years to go.
Well…he said he was for change.
Turns out it was chump change and the Americans who voted for him were the chumps.
Yes we can? Not exactly. More like we can bend over and then can beat it.
Now that WashingtonDC is exporting “government in a box” to Asia while USA is going broke and borrowing into dollar oblivion while Americans are lucky if they still have a living wage job maybe we can export Americans with our “government in a box”. Just like real Empires do. Of course with Iraq we proved we do Empire on the shoddy side. Doing a bang up job in Afghanistan. Can’t wait for the conquest of Iran.
That should work out swell until the world is tired of American Empire.
Wait– it already is?
WashingtonDC needs to be cleaned out and it cannot happen too soon.
Demolition required for the CIA,Pentagon and corporate/K Street sub regimes? Total.
When WashingtonDC says “you can’t do that!” we reply in full voice “yes we can and here we come!” watch the rats run. Run rats run.
I wonder if President McCain would’ve been much different from President Obama…at least we would have gotten what we voted for….
I won’t comply with a mandate. Luckily for me, my precious children are raised and my spouse is my ex. But I will go to jail, rot there, or cross into Canada with my own saved up health care/old age money, and stay there to plead for citizenship. I’ll be John the Savage no matter what they do to me, short of waterboarding (and that stuff).
Still, I’m glad I’m just a gnat, for now. Don’t want ‘em lying in wait for me at the Canadian border.
Seriously. Disobey.
Oh yeah, and remember Mr. Olbermann and his sworn oath to not buy medical insurance if HCR passes without the (strong, I foolishly presumed) public option. He already acts like he kinda forgot.
Where do you see a “good bill” here? What is good about it, that more than compensates for the bad? How can you call feudalism “good”?
If you live in a big city and already live marginally there’s really no question of it: you can neither afford these bloated premiums nor can you afford the fines. For many it won’t even be a question of civil disobedience, but necessity. All that while local and state governments are raising taxes to pay off their own pension and healthcare obligations. Not a recipe for social cohesion among the working people. Of course, this is part of the strategy all along. Divide and conquer. Already a done deal on the right, but coming to a “Democratic stronghold” near you soon.
KO doesn’t have to buy insurance – it’s included in his contract, so it’s part of his pay.
You must be a BLUE DOG?
The modern Dem party is control by progressives.
Blue Dogs are no longer welcome in the DEM party.
Watch and see how many we wipe out in November.
You guys are way too critical of Obama. He’s delivering on Change. It’s just that he’s Changing everything he said he stood for.
mikesong — I’m waiting to hear what it is you admire about the health insurance bill.
Hate to sound like a broken record… but Nader warned people about the corrupt duopoly 10 years ago. We need a third party to hurt the Dems. It’s the only way they’ll respect the left.
from your keyboard to the gods’ ears.
Elvis said it best—”A little less conversation, a little more action.”
Sean Connery also said something relevant in The Untouchables–’WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO?”
Start by reading the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Then do what comes naturally.
And, peterboy, what is it you find so appealing about the health insurance bill? I’m fascinated at those who defend Obama’s duplicitousness and yet refuse to speak to the actual bill itself.
we elected another lobbyist. Sucks to be us, heh?
Michael Moore if he’d allow it, Howard Dean after a review so nit-pickingly thorough that it leaves a rash over 101% of his body, Ralph Nader? Obama was pretty. He talked good. He made Republicans look even more old, stammering and stupid, and we loved that more than anything.
We won’t be had like that ever again.
But remember, our Enemy includes the “runfastandwin” acolytes singing “lalala” with their fingers in their ears, who exist in appalling numbers. Their way of thinking is what the Ruling Class counts on, and not in vain.
“You can’t claim to support an idea if you are unwilling to make it part of your own proposal. ” ; absolutely correct. And Gibbs mea culpa about Obama being concerned with the ‘number of votes’ is so much bovine excrement that it has increased
global warming from all the methane it has given off.
And those that are still on the ‘well, be thankful it isn’t McCain’ just don’t get it.
And those who think this is some master chess move by Obama and Reid need to share what they are smoking with the rest of us. If Obama was ANY sort of skilled chess player ,this kabuki would have been over long ago.
As I have said before, Obama is first bitch for his corporate pimps.
I like the idea of a People’s Health Clinic. In the end, under the fascist corporatists it may take citizen control of the basics of life.
Nobody here is running away and hiding from anything. Personally, I would love to see the Dems lose the House and Senate in November through the defeat of most of the Blue Dogs and New Democrats. To clean house, so to speak, and get the Party’s attention. Then Obama has two years to win back progressive voters and accomplish things beneficial to the people instead of his corporate friends. If he doesn’t, I would support a presidential primary challenge by Dr. Dean. And if Obama is defeated in 2012, so what – I see little difference between a Siamese or a Tabby cat if I’m an average mouse. Maybe things need to get much worse under another GOPer president before people wake up and realize the real problem with this country is that big business and corporations have taken over the government and are milking the electorate of every dime they can before moving on to China and India.
I totally agree with your post.
Obama lied to get elected period.
Sad, but true.
Actually, at this point I think we may have been better off if McCain/Palin had won. The effective result of the Obama victory has been to evicerate most of the progressive opposition to the far majority of Bush policies that Obama has continued or even expanded.
At least if the Repubs had won, more people would still be outraged over the things they were outraged about the day before Obama was inaugurated. Since then, there is far too much blind faith in the corporate whore that is Obama.
We are escalating in Afghanistan, and we seem to be moving all the heavy machinery needed for our bombing of Iran (installing missle defenses in bordering countries, moving our anti-missle aegis cruisers to the gulf, ratchetting up the global PR campaign, etc). I fail to see what would have been so different under McCain/Palin. Well, other than more progressive opposition.
You may get your wish if Caribou Barbie wins in 2012.
Do you read any history? The only successful third party movements in the US, since it’s beginning, have been the Republican Party(supplanting Whigs) and the Bull Moose Party(for one election). Third parties can’t work in the US because the rules are rigged against them. A much more plausible effort is to take over the Democratic Party. This happened once before in 1972 with the McGovern nomination and it could happen again if enough people abandon their Obama delusions.
I have contacted both my Senator’s DC offices to let them know I supported a PO through reconciliation and, even as a life time Democratic voter, I would work to get them voted out if they did not support the PO.
I fired off an email to the WH and went to call, only to find that the Comments switchboard is gone for the evening.
Damn.
I voted for this man because I believed that he was essentially one of the good guys who operated out of love, compassion and a sense of universal responsibility for others.
Damn again.
If Obama lets genuine reform and the Public Option slip through his fingers, we’ll have a new crop of ugly heartless human-rights-killing teabaggers taking over in November. Glenn Beck is already on steroids and waiting in the wings to attack on behalf of the rich greedy insurance companies.
Dammit.
We don’t need that. Wake up Obama! We’re dying out here……
But notice how talking heads equate “progressive” with “Obama.” How many people know it ain’t the case?
Watch them do this. Obama = progressive liberal wing of the party = Obama. “He’s always caving to the progressives.” The only people who know otherwise are us.
Inspirer of Better Germans glen beck called for the eradication of “progressive ideas” and has made it clear in so many words that progressive = communist = obama.
Those that know which side of the bread their butter is on?
Obama is the wrecking ball elites are using to destroy the progressive movement.
Progressives are way to nice.
You just don’t lose a 32 point political advantage over the GOP unless you work at it.
This is great. I’d much rather fight for this than head all alone for Canada to save only myself.
Bingo!
The thing is, Obama was supposed to use our huge majority in both houses to accomlish these things. With a republican majority, he’ll have an actual EXCUSE for getting nothing done except what they want. Dump Obama now, is all I’m suggesting.
“I continue to believe that a public option within the basket of insurance choices would help improve quality and bring down costs.” – Barack Obama, September 2009
What has changed, Mr. President?
Progressives are to nice.
Carly, it is going to be critical that we control the definition of progressive. THE MSM must not have the power to define who is progressive and who is not.
Harry Reid could help progressives a lot, he needs to make the senate vote up or down on the Public Option so americans can see who is progressives and who is not.
Progressives must push back and push back hard against the MSM OBAMA is a progressive campaign.
I’m saving this. Too perfect! Promise not to ever use it like it was mine. :D
101% agree. Had to say it. Gonna go about my knitting now, g’nite.
Mikesong, “good Bill without it”??? Have you not read any of Jon’s posts on the Bill? Are you kidding? This Bill is GARBAGE! If it’s so good, why doesn’t it include the Dorgan Amendment? The best way to describe it is, it’s the WORST Bill they could pass & still pretend it’s the best they can do. Unbelievable!
Why not start a party called the Social Democrats of America? Progressives in the US are tantamount to UK Tories (ie Obama). That’s what people on this site advocate anyway–a W European welfare state. Which works pretty well over there.
I’d rather be called a Social Democrat than a liberal or progressive. I mean, my true feelings are socialist–but we can compromise! The Green Party is a Social Democratic party. The US Dems are right wing.
Well, the Corporate Stooge in Chief has spoken.
Now, bend over and stop complaining, or he won’t use any lube.
Cheer up, the bill wont pass and Obama will be out of office in two years and 9 months. It will take some time but we can come back in 2016 and fight like hell for a single payor plan.
Good = huge subsidies, serious regulations, cutting hundreds of billions of waste, etc. But a national exchange is really important (I know, it’s not in the proposal, but I expect it to be in the final bill.) Without a national exchange, the bill is just decent. With one and a public option, it’s great. The only thing that sucks is the individual mandate, but it’s not the worst thing ever.
Jon, you are aware Pfeiffer said he still supports a public option? AFTER Reid announced it would be voted on (which he said at the same time as he was hanging with O-Man.) I realize it’s not in his proposal, but #1, he never said the proposal contains everything in the final bill, #2, he’s never said anything against the public option recently or suggested we could do without it, #3, he already has the votes and the will for the public option and needn’t put it in his proposal and discuss it anymore.
See my comment at #118. BTW I used to hang at a great bar called Royal Oak in Williamsburg.
Why even talk about a 3rd party? What good would it do?
The UK has 3 major parties and they still went to war in Iraq and Afgahnistan. They also let thier banks run completely amuck just like the US. And frankly, the social fabric in the UK is still pretty torn apart from the Thatcher years.
I think a more productive solution would involve protests and strikes. Use the French as an example, French workers are not shy about shutting down the country when thier elites start getting a little bit too fascist.
I will grant you the point about the Dorgan amendment, I consider that the single worst part of this process. But as long as we can get a national exchange if not a public option, I’m willing to call that a good half of a loaf and take it. The Dorgan amendment should be fairly easy to go back to later, given that it’s simple to explain and popular, had somewhat broad bipartisan support, and it’ll be easier to do it and break the PhRMA deal a year or two after the comprehensive bill goes through.
Beautifully said, Matt. Depressing as hell (because it’s all true), but beautifully said.
I hope you are right regarding the cost cutting. And I hope that cost cutting doesn’t amount to cuts in service.
Our healthcare cost something like twice as much as most developed nations and doesn’t produce any greater results. I can’t say that I saw anything in the healthcare bill that seriously identified and eliminated significant waste in our system.
“The only thing that sucks is the individual mandate, but it’s not the worst thing ever..”
Yes it is.
The mandate is the ultimate subsidy for the failed business plan that is private insurance. A properly drawn public option offers at least a path to single payer. Placed side by side, a public option whose sole purpose is to provide healthcare will eventually win out over a corporate model whose sole purpose is to make as big a profit as possible.
A mandate without alternative rewards and entrenches the very people who caused the problem in the first place.
Unless there’s a double-dip recession followed by a collapse of the global economy. The perhaps the “rich” companies may not be around or able to afford to pay him off.
If he passes the same lousy PO he had in the House Bill, that won’t make the final bill acceptable. What we need in this bill is Medicare and Medicaid expansion, and cutting out the excise tax, closing the Medicare donut hole immediately, immediate start of all reforms, and funding through taxes on the wealthy. If we don’t get at least those things our reps in Congress need to kill it, and the day afterwards bring forward HR 676 once again. See my analysis here.
Why would they want to break the PHARMA deal if they deliver & PHARMA pays off? It would seem to me they’re ointent is more likely to continually wave the Dorgan Amendment in the faces of PHARMA IF PHARMA doesn’t continually pay up. THAT is the only reasoned explanation why it’s not done, our elected Dem. leaders have decided it holds greater extortion value than it does constituent value. After all, where else can Progressives go?
I’m surprised that anyone would argue national exchange after Jon’s writings. It may be better than nothing, but it’s certainly not worth voting for and certainly not worth arguing for in support of a poorly overseen MANDATE.
Let’s see what’s actually in the bill…
Medicare expansion? Check
Medicaid expansion? Check
Excise tax? Greatly reduced
Close donut hole? Check
Fund through taxes on wealthy? Check
It looks like they’re 5 for 5 by your count, so you can support the bill wholeheartedly!
I am saying that you cannot draw a valid conclusion as to where he stands on the public option based upon what he included in his proposal. You simply can’t validly make that conclusion. Logic doesn’t work that way. Now, you may be correct; on the other hand, it may also be that he is for it, but in the political calculus he did not see it helpful to include it. Indeed, he may be kicking this back to Harry Reid to be included in reconciliation.
It is the logical fallacy of non sequiter.
I can’t decide who you remind me of more:
this guy
or
this guy
Sorry, you must be mistaken. When I contributed 10 times to Obama during the campaign, he said clearly he was a “strong supporter of the public option!?!” I hope you are not suggesting that Obama is full of shit?
Wow, generations, cultures and a planet apart, yet linked in commonality that’s not to be denied!
Nicely crafted, those two and their similarity!!!!
*G*
I agree this guy is a Chicago hoodlum and gangster. We’ve been punked!
No, not exactly but what he did was frame everything in Progressive frames that we chose to believe. He’s been doing all the bad shit from even before he was elected. The tip off was the Wall st. bail-out in Oct. of 08′. That should have been our wake up call but it wasn’t was it? So, the problem is we’ve allowed him to frame what he’s doing with progressive window dressing and it sells to the politically shallow and America is filled with politically shallow fools.
LOL, thanks.
Read any history of the Democratic Party you care to name — at best the Democratic Party was built to co-opt “Progressivism” for the sake of militarism, racism, imperialism, and capital accumulation.
The question for today’s “Progressives” is one of whether or not it can break free of that history.
I have posted on this BLOG and offerred a plan for replacing those DEMS in the house and the senate. I agree with you it the first order of business in my mind. At the same time we must start to look for OBAMA replacement and the survey work must start as soon as possible. It very simple we need a million progressives/liberals/independents giving up 10.00 dollars per month for entire year of 2010. DO THE MATH. I have also suggested that this fund be set up separate and apart for any other entity. At the same time those 13 MILLION OBAMA supporter we need to seek them out and bring them over to our side. It can be done and we must employ a 50 state stragety with a different message for those who are willing to change the country. BY THE WAY WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE TEABAGGER EITHER. We must dispell this notion that OBAMA is on our side period. HE NOT.
Obama wins! Officially, now, the most eloquent worst-President-ever, which is one short step ahead of the W.
No, Obama is another Bush. It’s clearer each day. Obama praised the ideas of Reagan becasue Obama has always secretly admired republican agendas and is currently implementing them.