History in the making. Thanks Jane

At last, somebody stood up. Now let’s see if the pro-choice people in Congress will follow. Kill this bill!

Better late than never?

There’s almost nothing better for my evening than imagining the ‘pallorous’ shade of Rahm Emanuel right now.

he’s probably laughing… and calling them ret***s

they won’t do it — the women d’s will cave

It’s not over til the pro-choice ladies sing. Or cave.

Or stand the fuck up.

Remember when Barbara Boxer led the women House members across the Capitol to protest the Senate Judiciary Committee’s treatment of Anita Hill? This weekend could be another threshold moment like that one.

Or not.

I dunno…

If my wife is pushed too far, she has the courage to walk in front of a freight train. To put her hand in a lion’s mouth. To tell me words that chill my soul. From my perspective, women are about survival, which means this thing has gotten dangerous now. To bring down decades of work and struggle for the sake of one man’s reputation may be too much. Pelosi may have jumped the shark.

Ostensibly apolitical these days, but GOD, I hope so.

Go girls, go!

(out the door!)

We’ve got your back. You’ve got ours.

I’d like this letter a whole lot more if it were addressed to All Members of Congress who respect women.

Somehow, I doubt Louise Slaughter is going to walk out.
What a horrible week this has been. With more to come!!!

Thanks Jane.

About effing time the made some noise. Maybe this will shame NARAL and PP into doing something.

We all know Democrats have no balls– we’re about to find out if they have ovaries.

As I mentioned this morning, abortion would not be an issue in the “Plan B” alternative that the White House was contemplating three weeks ago, which would evidently expand existing programs — Medicaid and SCHIP. It would cover half the people at a quarter of the price, but it would not include the politically toxic mandate that threatens to trigger nationwide opposition in the form of 2010 ballot amendments. Because it creates no new infrastructure for the purpose of funneling money to private insurance companies, there is no need for either Bart Stupak’s or Ben Nelson’s language dealing with abortion — which satisfies the concerns of both pro-choice and anti-choice members of Congress.

Exactly. Plan B is actually better than Plan A. I heard Nancy brag about nixing Plan B. Why? It’s a much more sensible bill, more bang for the buck. There is nothing liberal about forking over taxpayer money to the private insurance industry even if saying “generous subsidies” feels good.

There were 41 members of Congress who signed Diana DeGette’s letter

And their signatures on a letter are meaningless, as we’ve seen this past week with HCR. This letter is like hauling off and giving someone a dirty look. Waste of time..

This weekend could be another threshold moment like that one.

Or not.

yep – can’t be put any more plainly or better than that.

I’ll refrain from stating which outcome my money is on.

With this news coming late on a Friday night, and the vote scheduled for Sunday, is there sufficient opportunity for this travesty to be made known and proper pressure applied?

This administration as much as the last one, and the always vicious congress, persuade me further that any woman who loves children makes sure they don’t have to live here and now and aborts all of her fetuses.

Thomas Hardy: The death of a child is never really to be regretted, considering how much he has escaped.”

My money is on “no”. Nancy will promise some pretty bauble and they’ll cave like a WalMart tent.

It’s not a matter of balls, ovaries, or spines; it’s like everything else in this shithole country. Money, power, influence.

It’s stunning listening to “progressive” radio and how Ed Schultz, Bill Press, Randi Rhodes all think this farce is the greatest piece of social legislation since Medicare. At one time all said they were for single payer but were willing to abandon this in favor of a strong public option which they were then willing to abandon in favor of anything and now they are singing the praises of this abomination.

Stupak clearly has female issues from childhood abuse, or perhaps a guilt complex from being complicit in the death of his own son with his own gun.
F—Stupak and the religious anything. He is just the same as a member of the republican right wing klan.
Women politicians stand up for your rights!

http://www.richmonk31.blogspot.com

Medical malfeasance cost my daughter her life. Yes, she will escape living in this goddamn miserable country but, her suffering was beyond what anyone could compassionately call “regretable.”

I agree Bailey. If this is enough of a deal changer that “Pro-choice members of the House are in revolt tonight, threatening to kill the health care…” then why isn’t it a deal changer for the men also? Or is it, even though the letter from NOW apparently went only to the women?

Is this Dennis’s way out of his agreement to give away his vote for a ride on a 747? How about all the other male members of what used to be the Progressive caucus?

Step up to the plate guys.

One day they will wake up in bed, look at who they slept with,
and realize that it’s not going to end well.
But by then it will be too late for the rest of us.

THIS JUST IN!

Health Care Marries Income Taxes.

It’s morning but I feel the same way. The new book about Obama tells a story of Emanuel saying he was gonna kill Bo.

As far as the women in Congress are concerned we’ll see tomorrow just who fits where in the grand scheme of things.

That’ll be the day. Those folks like the cocktail weenies way too much.

Thanks Jane.

Good morning all.

TaosJohn,
My loving and loved wife has been pushed to far with the events of the past week. She has been, all of her adult life, an outspoken advocate for Womens Rights. She went off in the last few days and called out NARAL and PP, groups she has fervently supported in the past, in emails and phone calls. Her language, while not vulgar, was caustic and unmistakably angry at the total lack of truth to cause displayed in the silence by these two groups over the House actions.

As her partner, friend and fellow advocate I too am deeply dismayed by the craven, naked and wholesale nature of the sellout of Womens Rights represented in the Stupak Language. It is more than anything grossly offensive that it has come from Democrats. I have refrained from comment the last few days because I am not as adept at checking myself as my wife is. (try not to get the mods after me)

It is difficult to accept the now obvious fact that the Party we have supported so strongly for so many years has abandoned us all so completely.

Nancy Pelosi needed Stupak to pass the house bill back in November. This current quagmire would not exist if she had not let her own hubris and ego get in the way.

Pelosi could have avoided this land mine by scaling back the sweeping restructuring and starting with consensus reforms which would have had Republican and popular support, in which case the issue of abortion would have been irrelevant.

Hopefully this will be the issue (as predicted by many all along) that will force congress to finally heed the will of the people and START OVER.

Recommended morning reading:
A Way Out of Soviet-Style Health Care
Solzhenitsyn’s prophetic warning about the depersonalization of medicine.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111273624979544.html

Damn it. I wish I could believe that they’ll do the right thing but I can’t. History instructs me otherwise and makes me think they’ll cave. One interesting if not altogether surprising point: Zero mention of Stupak’s ban all choice for poor women amendment vote at Kos or any other website/blog that is promoting passage this abominable insurance company welfare act.

I’ve been thinking about what we can do to eventually, and effectively, neutralize the Capitalist Party. Folks who are registered as Dem or Independent could re-register as Greens, become active and make it a viable 3rd party. I think we now know that trying to change the Dem Party from the inside, or outside, is an exercise in futility. Just a thought but we’ve got to do something.

Ah! But it will never be too late for them. Lots of money? Good insurance? No problem! Your rights and choices will be protected. Just like the Republicans: Rights aren’t rights, they are privileges for those who can afford them.

Last I heard, even Stupid’s buddies were admitting he was wrong. Why is Nancy currying his favor now when she could tell him to go fuck himself for the same endgame?

Laughable. You give us Milton Friedman???

Look ye upon his works and despair.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=17627

Women politicians stand up for your rights!

THEIR rights aren’t in jeopardy. Never have been, never will be. It’s our rights they will be trading away.

There can only be one answer for your question: she’s utterly desperate for the votes.

You have to admit–this is one of the most fascinating political battles of our lifetime.

If a woman stands up, shows the lily livered Democrat “men” what REAL fortitude looks like, and kills this monstrosity of a sellout, imagine the celebration.

C’MON LADIES!! SHOW US WHAT REAL BRAVERY LOOKS LIKE!!

Freidman?! You gotta be shittin’ me. I shouldn’t be surprised that a libertarian would advocate Freidman’s ideas though.

Corporate GroupThink.

I can’t afford it, but I’ll find a way to donate money to every member that walks out in protest of this deal.

Strong speech and simultaneous results is exactly what we need, and one of the first things that you should support as a democrat. No one should have to give up their rights to get healthcare.

Stupak deserves to have his name become the new Santorum.

Milton Friedman, like Jim Jones and Pol Pot, should not be blamed
for poor implementation of his ideas.

Which Side Are You On?

The Wall Street Journal link was enough for me. That rag has lost every ounce of credibility since Rupert Murdoch bought it. They would have never published anything by Milton Friedman before that.

His ideas suck, big time.

Because, in my mind, we are talking about Democrats ripping a plank that has been a unifier for years from the Party Platform we are left with no other option to but to seek representation elswhere. This is not an optional issue. This is what defined the Party for decades. It is who we are. To now be told “not really” is so vile I have been physically sickened by it. Who or what is the next disposable issue/cause?

We sent these people our grocery money last cycle.

NO.
MORE.

LMAO! Okay, I think my snark detector is coming back.

Whatever is left on the table he dems have has a reduced sale tag on it. When Pelosi and Reid are through there will be nothing left to sell, trade or give away.
How many stay at home voters in the mid term election will be so disenchanted that it will be Massachusetts all over the blue states.
They are in a political straight jacket the more they do the tighter it gets.
Send coat hangar to your critters at least a word or picture.
It is so interesting that part of the reason for religious wars is to save oppressed Muslim women. So over the top it has to boggle the worlds mind.

You betcha. Consumers should be in control, not a third party payer, be it an insurance company or the federal government.

I agree that we need a viable third party but I’m not sure the Greens are the right one. I would favor a whole new party representing progressive ideas. On the other hand, it’s painfully obvious that the one party model we currently have is hopelessly broken and corrupted by money.

Nice strawman. I don’t want to derail this thread, people are rightly outraged by Pelosi’s betrayal and I am too, but I suggest you read the article I linked with an eye towards the similarities between what the bankers did to Latvia and what they’ve done to America. Wake up.

One of the problems with the recent invasion by lower life forms
is that what would in the past clearly have been identifiable as snark is now
not much different from some of the “serious” comments.

You betcha.

Thanks for your input….Sarah

Stupak deserves to have his name become the new Santorum.

Stupak stood his ground and won a concession. I don’t like his ground and I don’t approve of the concession he won, but I have to respect his determination and wish that we had such determination among congressional progressives.

We will now see what the prochoice contingent is made of.

I finally had to turn off Ed, Randy and Press a while ago. The silence is peaceful, as I found myself screaming at the radio! I just feel that they have been told to push for this to save Obama. They seldom talk about his other crimes…continued spying, detentions, torture centers. It’s all about politics , and it always has been.

Did you read it or just dimiss it out of hand.

Americans prize their freedom and individualism above all else. Who should command the country’s medical resources? Millions of individuals, or central government planning and political discretion?

I choose the consumer.

Women could be free to choose abortion on demand with out interference from the state if third party payers were removed or restricted in their control of our health care dollars.

Under Freidman consumers are never in control. In Freidman’s world corporations are the be-all to end-all. Methinks you’d best read about the Chicago Boys who implemented his ideas perfectly in Chile, Poland and Russia et al. Those countries paid a huge price for adopting his economic theories. I’ll bet you want a return to the gold standard as well.

Right? Too true. Subtlety is out the window and nerves are too raw to recognize it right away.

ROFLMAO! Good one.

Taking over the Green Party would be a lot easier than taking over the Dim Party. I was thinking more of using what infrastructure they have and improving and expanding it. Renaming it shouldn’t be a problem.

Did you read it or just dimiss it out of hand.

I dismissed it out of hand. For the same reason I dismiss things written by Pat Buchanan, C Everett Koop, David Duke and many others. I have no stomach for ideologues. They don’t want “debate” they want to push a specific point of view, and in all the cited authors, a long discredited point of view. Unregulated capitalism of the variety that Friedman advocates has been tried and it failed. Miserably. Wake up. Why do you think we are in a recession?

Americans prize their freedom and individualism above all else. Who should command the country’s medical resources? Millions of individuals, or central government planning and political discretion?

And as a result, we have the world 37th best healthcare system at twice of cost of any other.

Truly but I advocated abandoning the Democratic Party. Sorry I wasn’t clear.

Done. I’m out.

?

iF and when this bill passes…democrats aught to reconsider the ‘BIG TENT’ party platform. Because Pro-lifer assholes like Bart STUPID are dictating the democrat’s agenda.

I used to be a rabid dem, now I’m just rabid.

: )

I used to be a rabid dem, now I’m just rabid.

Ah! Now it makes sense. I’ve never been a member of either, (or any), party. I have a Treebeard philosophy.

MSNBC reporting that Stupak will have a presser at 11:00 A.M. today.

And that maybe Nancy doesn’t need the Stupak-group support.

and that is all they’re reporting….

I am asking women to take a stand. Why? Because the men will never stand up for women. When will women finally get that! When push comes to shove, the men stick together like glue. Look what just happened with Kucinich. So much for being progressive. He caved just like the rest of them. I was actually starting to have some respect for him. My mistake.

Lots of consternation and head scratching about the fake memo that supposedly came from the Democrats but was actually full of Republican talking points. How transparent can they be? You “leak” and unsourced document to Politico that makes Democrats look bad and they publish it, no questions asked. WaPo would have done the same thing, just like any number of publications. The GOP doesn’t need to put out fake documents to make the Democrats look bad and the WTF? moment from the media is charmingly puerile. They must be scratching fleas because nothing is easier than baiting and hooking our intrepid Villager media corps.

And that maybe Nancy doesn’t need the Stupak-group support.

This has been another episode of To Little To Late, brought to you by Palpable Desperation.

And why is that. Medicare and Medicaid are the world’s largest insurance companies.

It’s time for a new party. The People’s Party.

And that maybe Nancy doesn’t need the Stupak-group support.

She’ll still give him his vote on his amendment. Watch.

I haven’t taken the time to read the comments so sorry if I repeat:

AN OPEN LETTER TO EVERY MAN IN CONGRESS

Who are you? Yes, who are you? What are you to all the women in your family and in the world that you can stand by and let this pass?

In the immortal words of Joe Welch…Have you no shame? At long last have you no shame?

Joel

Michael Moore on Bart STUPID; “He has no Uterus, He has no Brain.” I’m sick and tired of White privileged men like Bart STUPID telling women what they can or can’t do with their bodies.

I agree. But i also think the amendment will FAIL.

And guess what? The Booster Club wing of DKos is screaming PUMA!

It’d be funny if it wasn’t so sad.

Health care costs are less within Medicare than any private plan. I’m done with your libertarian horseshit. xin loi

Thank you for saying what I as a man have been thinking! They talk like ‘the women are angry’, where the fuck are the angry men???

And guess what? The Booster Club wing of DKos is screaming PUMA!

How typically predictable of them.

Right on.

Medicare and Medicaid are the world’s largest insurance companies.

And they’re the most efficient part of the U.S. healthcare system, except for the VA health system, which is fully run by the government.

I am most definately a PUMA.

There was a comment at Great Orange Wasteland, which I think is snark. Hey, the Boner is orange! He could be a kossak.

Next we will have the House Subcommittee on Jane-like Activities.

The News Organizations are so far behind this story.

MSNBC, for example, has Luke Russert doing the weekend duty, and he doesn’t have a clue.

I also notice they are progressive bashing over there. “progressives enable Stupak” and so forth. Yeah. Right. Progressives should fold then we wouldn’t have to kiss rich, privileged misogynist ass. The awful progressives are MAKING us do it. Time to delete the Daily Kos link I think.

where the fuck are the angry men???

Here.

I don’t think anyone but FDL and the Hill has coverage, it’s like radio silence…

I don’t even read Cheers & Jeers anymore. Usually just went for the Puppy Pic of the Day anyhow.

And here.

Now you owe all clueless people everywhere an apology for putting that child in their catagory.

it’s like radio silence…

gee – imagine that.

Cheers, but I mean where in congress? Are there NONE that stand with dem women now when it counts? It’s disgusting.

But ‘Moneybomb!”??? WTF?

I agree. But i also think the amendment will FAIL.

I hope you’re right and that would be the most important aspect of all of this but it still wouldn’t address the fact that Pelosi has sold us out yet again in order to win the approval of anti choice crusader. Maybe a stronger Speaker would have emailed him a copy of the party platform and told him to STFU.

wonder if Stupak is going to ‘fess up to the deal what’s been done.

from a strategic standpoint, he would be best served by keeping his mouth *shut*.

hopefully he’s not that bright.

I wonder how well Grayson’s Moneybomb is gonna work out.

I wanna know how any forced birther got elected as a Dem.

re: Moneybomb!

Sucker born every minute, no doubt. Seen DU lately?

*shiver*

good question – one would think that a little issue like that might have come up before now…

I wanna know how any forced birther got elected as a Dem.

Rahm Emanuel. He was a huge fan of “Democrats” pretending to be Republican and though his method has been long since discredited, it has apparently become conventional wisdom, sorta like trickle down economics. In DC, failure = wild success.

I gottcha. Kinda what my rant upthread was all about. I thought, prior to this this week, that it was impossible for me to be any more dissapointed with my former Party. Alas….

There are still a few good folk, like paleo (whose back I have). I’m hanging around to watch the vindication — and to see how many of the people currently Booster Clubbing this bill wind up eating their words a year from now.

Right here, friend. Right here.

C’MON LADIES. SHOW US SOME REAL SPINE!! EMBARRASS YOUR MALE “COLLEAGUES”!!!

Just like how he got us DFHs blamed for the Dems losing Congress in 1994 when his shoving NAFTA down our throats was what demoralized union voters that year.

I imagine that by 2012 there really will be no difference between the parties.

Well, we’re in good company. I’m also truly shocked.

Yeah, I’m going to miss Dark Syde but seriously, they are passing around the kool aide over there and not brooking any dissent

Damned underpants Gnomes! Time to wash clothes. See you guys later. :-)

A secret group of Congress members secretly opposed to restricting a woman’s right to choose. What a frigging joke this has all become.

“I imagine that by 2012 there really will be no difference between the parties.”

The absence of religious loonies amongst the Dems is about the only thing that sets them apart.

No kidding, I am through with anything with an (R) or a (D) or incumbent after his/her name.

Bart Stupak = The Wicker Man (symbolically, of course)

Seein’s how Equinox is at 12:32 EDT an’ all.

I call them the Capitalist Party now. Not enough difference between the 2 to matter.

and I’m through with any politician with an RC after his/her name, unless they prove they aren’t church first.

The absence of religious loonies amongst the Dems is about the only thing that sets them apart.

Unfortunately that is not the case. (see: Stupak, Bart AND company)

and what is Stupak?

I also notice they are progressive bashing over there. “progressives enable Stupak” and so forth.

A person who posts under the name “thereisnospoon”, raised that hypothesis in a comment last week, namely, that progressive intransigence forces Pelosi to make more concessions to the Blue Dogs in order to the necessary votes. It’s brilliant logic once you acknowledge that the Democratic leaders can’t make concessions to the progressives, because they’ve bargained away drug reimportantion, the public option, single-payer, and taxing the rich. But they won’t acknowledge that’s what the Dem leadership has done, and even though the NYTimes has broken that story, nobody’s touching it except HuffPo and an occasional reference at FDL.

Bart Stupak = The Wicker Man (symbolically, of course)

Frankly, I admire his tenacity and wish we had some of that on our side.

Hi Elliott!

I parted company with that outfit 30 years ago and am much happier for it.

Stupak is part of the C Street crowd. Bunch of looney fundies.

Got this from a commenter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, wish I would have thought of it:

I think the people who do not want to allow abortions in the health care bill
should be required to pay EXTRA TAXES to pay for the costs of the
unwanted kids once they’re born.

Progressive Caucus needs to consider countering Stupak with this kind of language, or something better in an amendment.

*waving*

you and your dear wife are heroes to me.

It doesn’t take a lot of courage to stand up for something when one has nothing to lose by doing so.

I’ve asked a lot of forced birthers how many unwanted children they’ve adopted. I’ve yet to personally meet one who had an answer other than “None.”

Yes. And the slogan should be:

PEOPLE vs. BIG CORPORATIONS. WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?

Old,

Please don’t give up on ALL the dems. I think our only hope to slow the march of corporate fascism is to get more progressive dems into office.

A military metaphor if you don’t mind, we need to fight a delaying action until we gain reinforcements like the internet, changing demographics, other countries offering examples of what could be, the lunatic right, etc. Global warming will do something one way or the other.

I’ve been thinking about the possibility of a third party too. I think the only way it could have a real impact is if real progressives (we probably should come up with a different name, as many blindly loyal Dems call themselves progressive too) join with some other larger groups. If a third party achieves only a few percentage points of support, it will once again only serve as the Democrats’ scapegoat (as it did in the election of 2000). If a third party had higher numbers (Ross Perot numbers but with a progressive agenda) no one could ignore it.

If we go into a full blown depression next year I don’t think we’ll have a problem getting folks who are really on the left to unite. The phonies will want to stick with the status quo.

The economy will do more than anything else. The banksters and the Villagers are only fooling themselves. Actually, I think they’re going after all the money they can because they know the economy is only at the beginning of going down the shitter.

I cannot bring myself to villify Stupak, since his idiocy stands as the last hope that this abomination of a bill will be defeated. That it has come down to this, merely demonstrates how shameful the entire legislative process has become and how little the word of our elected representatives is worth. As much as I disagree with him, I must admire his dogged determination in standing by his principles. It appears he is the only democrat left who has any.

It would truly be an event worth celebrating if a handful of women yes votes would find their principles and walk out. Sadly, they will surely cave in for some “we’ll fix it tomorrow’ promise that will NEVER materialize.

Thanks for doing that Marcia, and for being here.

First they came for the late-term abortions, and I did nothing. They came for the health of the mother, and I did not stand up. They came and came at the abortion providers and I did nothing. Now they come for the insurance to pay for the abortion procedure and still I do nothing (except sign a secret letter). Soon, they will come for Roe v. Wade itself. It will be too late to do anything.

Why, exactly, do our members of Congress call themselves Democrats if they won’t stand up for women?

Can’t rely just on lefties, IMO. Not enough numbers, and too easy for the media megaphone to dismiss us as extremists from one end of the poltical spectrum.

I think we need to make common cause with some of the Tea party types (the more rational ones, and there are some like that), on issues of govt accountability and honesty, people vs. corporations, and maybe a few others, like upholding the Second Amendment as well as the First.

Couldn’t agree more with that. This is the endgame. Grab all the capital, and take it to Asia, where the corporate market opportunites of the future clearly are.

I don’t see Stupak as any less vulnerable than most of the Democrats who caved.

I imagine there are a lot of disaffected folks out here across the political spectrum. The last thing I want is a narrow ideology driven party. The world is changing too fast to cling to dogma.

I think there should be a new party called The Spoiler Party, straight up – “We’re up in your electorate, dems, fucking up your party unity”.

My ass.

“… if they won’t stand up for women?”

Women shouldn’t feel bad. The democrats have clearly demonstrated that they won’t stand up for anybody or anything.

The democrats stand for nothing.

I understand his district is very safe for him. So many filing dates have passed that even if we can field candidates this year and win our numbers in Congress won’t be much different.

Funny you should mention that. I was thinking the same thing, and of using the same name: “The People’s Party.” Then I thought of all the old Maoist slogans I used to hear in the 60s and thought of show up at Tea Party with a sign that read something like “Death to the Fascist Insect that Preys on the Lives of the People.”

I wonder how they’d react?

And the bill is finally dead. Pelosi, with the passing of the Stupak amendment, will deal the death nail to the HCR legislation. This will ensure progressives will not vote for this bill. Progressives and Liberals in the House have given up too much already, so their cover for voting for this bill was weak, at best. If they vote for this bill with the Stupak amendment attached to it, and if Obama lets this bill go forward with the Stupak amendment, they can look forward to a new majority in Congress beginning January, and a Republican president in 2012. Why is it Democrats are champions at pulling defeat from the jaws of victory. They’ve done it again. Conservatives are clowns at producing legislation, but are great at process, Democrats are clowns at process, but produce great legislation, not that this current HCR bill is great, but it is better than nothing.

I read or heard somewhere last week that he has a challenger and is now seen as somewhat vulnerable. In fact, IIRC, Michael Moore said something about that on Countdown, and said that he (Moore) is one of the people that are working hard to unseat Stupak.

Not to mention, that if you truly believe in democracy, coming from someplace in the center that can command consensus ain’t a bad place to be.

Put a swastica on it and they’re cool with that.

Gonna hafta measure that out for a sign. I am so stealing that. Thanks.

No, it’s worse than nothing…

.

I don’t see how they could get the stupak ammendment past the parliamentarian. How are they going to argue that preventing abortions saves money?

Connie Saltonstall is on ActBlue

IIRC, that was the banner of the Symbianese Liberation Army, but I won’t tell.

Mary from the Women’s Show on WMNF has been talking to women who are at the anti-war march in the Village today. Sounds like fun.

I’m not adverse to changing a few words. Gives me a chance to be nastier.

Did they get Patty to help put it on banners? *g*

It;’s being reported by some of the pro-birth GOP members that the Stupidk amendment isn’t going in – he’s called off his presser.

Someone on the wrong side will remember it.

In general, I have more faith and trust in ovaries.

It isn’t a deal changer for the men, because it’s not about their personal survival, as it is for so many women.

They may be invested, but they’re not really committed.

Progressives have always been ready and willing to throw women under the bus. Remember the civil rights era… and what happended later to the ERA? We are considered, even by those too polite to say so, as mere chattel.

Did I miss something in the language? Is there a clause that is making abortion illegal? Or is this hooplah simply over taking out federal tax dollars to pay for a woman to have an abortion? No health care “reform’ is ever going to take place if representatives are constantly concerned about appeasing every social/political group. I’d like to see health care reform progress, even without abortion funding.

No, I think it should be the Labor & Women’s Party. With those two demographics, how can one lose?

Our Democratic President Obama, Democratic Speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi) and Democratic Leader (Harry Reid) are trading away women’s lives.

So much for Democrats having any core principles.

Every woman in Congress should MAKE HISTORY AND WALK OUT ! This is your chance to stand up for what is right! Forget politics, forget saving your seat! You must take a chance!

This shouldn’t even need to be said. Still, Marcia Pappas goes on the make a point that also needs making: the Democratic Party will lose its base.

I think they’ve tried to be clever, distributing the blame for this entire fiasco as broadly as possible. That way, so they think, rather than one or two taking it for the team, no one will really be punished as everyone is blamed and no single one of them is targeted.

FDL might have been able to go after one or two – Reid and Lincoln, for example – but FDL does not have to resources to go after all of them, and calling all of them out just sounds like noise.

Having said all that, they’re wrong. They’re damaging what was in ’06 and ’08 the best piece of political capital they had: the Democratic Party brand. It will be a long, long time before I trust any of them again. Our children are learning from us that neoliberalism is no less bullshit than neoconservativism and that politicians who do not stand for anything suck.

I would support a People’s Party with my votes, energy and contributions.

The party’s platform should include a statement about holding the leaders of the party to account for betraying core People’s Party principles.

It;’s being reported by some of the pro-birth GOP members that the Stupidk amendment isn’t going in – he’s called off his presser.

Does this mean Stupak and his blockheads have decided to vote for this stinking POS bill and have given up trying to make it even worse, or have they decided to oppose it because they didn’t get their way?

read this to understand why Stupak cannot be allowed to succeed. It’s not hooplah.
Don’t compromise a woman’s law given right.

Jane,

If you decide that it’s necessary to spend 2010 focusing on holding Democrats to account for their failures, I suggest you consider dividing the efforts with others, including perhaps the PCCC and DFA.

If FDL, the PCCC, DFA and others don’t divide the efforts in a coordinated way, won’t all the groups just end up redundantly targeting the same losers and do so in a way that won’t produce a coherent/effective message?

Also, dividing the efforts would ensure maximum impact from limited resources.

When Murdoch was in the process of buying the Chicago Sun Times a very popular columnist, Mike Royko, said he would leave the paper because it wouldn’t be worth wrapping dead fish in if Murdoch owned it. If Royko were alive today I think he would have a grand time pointing out the hypocrisy of his fellow Chicagoan now in the WH.

There aren’t any federal tax dollars paying for abortion. Anywhere.
The hoopla is about taking out privately-bought insurance policies that might pay for abortions. Because sometime, somewhere, someone might use one cent of federal funding in addition to their own money, and cause the entire world to fall into ruin (or so the pro-birthers would have you believe).

i think that he’s going to throw a screaming tantrum on the floor of the House because he isn’t getting his way. Then he’ll vote no and change his party.

I can live with that. Let ‘im be Mr Pissypants all he wants, as long as he votes no.

Damn.

I’m so fucking over the top angry right now, I can barely be still.

The Democrats, I keep saying, the goddamned Democrats are doing this.

ALL OF THIS.

The only thing keeping me a little under control is the hope, and I know it’s a long shot, but I swear I hope ALL here and eslewhere will join me and make sure this Democratic Party gets the message loud and fucking clear in this election and others to come.

THIS SHIT ENDS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milton Friedman, like Jim Jones and Pol Pot, should not be blamed for poor implementation of his ideas.

Why shouldn’t Friedman be blamed for failing to take into account the way his ideas would be implemented in practice? Unregulated greed doesn’t lead to rational self-interest (i.e. rational selfishness) and freedom.

It leads to a tiny and ridiculously rich minority abusing their economic power over a very large and impoverished majority.

Perhaps if Friedman, like Rand, hadn’t deliberately misunderstood Nietzsche’s views on reason and the irrational, he wouldn’t have tried to sell his bullshit to the very people who were bound to use it in order to abuse it.

allan’s comment was actually snark but a lot of us missed it. That doesn’t take anything away from your comment.

Thanks! Sorry Allan.

A little something for a good eye roll.

The package insert from a Nike watch. Naomi Klein “loved” Nike in No Logo.

Marcia, there was no walk out over the original House bill nor a revolt in even the vote. As we all know 64 Dems voted with Stupak then, votes well beyond just the Stupak block.

My point: we must not let the old History of this bill to be rewritten by what goes down now. The Dems still must be held accountable well after this charade.

Obama and Pelosi allowed Stupak to get come up for a vote in the first place, setting us up for Nelson. The DNC helped set up all this shit when they made their platform at the convention a faith-based big tent way back then.

Hell, like one of the threads today here said, one cannot be penalized for not buying the mandated insurance on religious grounds, but women have to pay it if we refuse to buy insurance on the grounds of our conscience.

This shit has to stop, no matter what happens in this health care bill. The fucking Democratic party is slowly and methodically selling us out.

Sorry, SouthernDragon, that should have been a general response and not solely directed at you.

Nothin’ to be sorry for. I agree.

Heck, I wish it were true. I would align with Stup to kill this awful bill. But Progressives have already folded their cards and climbed in to Rahm’s lap. No balls, nor bargaining power, nothing.

The Progressive Caucus can’t consider anything. They surrendered and are in a coma.

IMO The People’s Party just sounds so old school and hackneyed. Why don’t we just invite and collect all the disaffected groups who are essentially anti-corporatist under the umbrella term of The Alliance?

It sounds strong and WWII’ish and doesn’t immediately turn people off.

The People’s Party sounds like a bunch of commies and we need every pissed off alternative-seeking person we can get.

The Alliance sounds better than the Borg, but how about THE GAIAN INDEPENDENCE & SOCIAL JUSTICE PARTY.

Read its 50 plank platform at:

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/36413

Mason

“A woman’s right to have safe and legal abortion is about to be traded away.”

What a distortion of the truth!! Nothing in this bill will affect the ruling of Roe vs. Wade. The bill may say WHO is responsible for paying for an abortion, but it certainly will not trade or take away a woman’s right to have one.

It may not have an immediate effect but have an effect it will. It gives cover to those groups who want women forced to have babies. And sooner rather than later, the insurance companies will drop all abortion coverage because of the “hassles” they will have in maintaining separate but equal plans

We need to remember not to feed the trolls; it’s hard, sometimes though. Deprived of nourishment, they eventually fade away.

So? If, as you say, insurance companies do drop coverage, that still does not take away the rule of law that a woman has a right to have an abortion, which Marcia Pappas is proclaiming will happen as a result of this bill. Your response only deals with the same thing that I said previously about what the bill may determine: WHO will pay for an abortion – an insurance company or the woman. That is not the same as saying that a right is being traded or taken away.