It’s About Time! Democrats Will Go It Alone On Health Insurance Reform
This is the best news I’ve heard in a while. The Democrats have decided to go with a Democrat-only bill for health insurance reform. Republicans have made it painfully obvious that they are not interested in any type of reform. Grassley has even said that he will vote against a bill that had everything he wants in it. I knew this would happen eventually, it was just a matter of when. I guess we have to stop worrying about the Baucus committee talks – now it has to be a negotiation between Democrats. Hello again, public option!
Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority’s cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks.
Top Democrats said Tuesday that their go-it-alone view was being shaped by what they saw as Republicans’ purposely strident tone against health care legislation during this month’s Congressional recess, as well as remarks by leading Republicans that current proposals were flawed beyond repair.
The White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said of Republican lawmakers, “Only a handful seem interested in the type of comprehensive reform that so many people believe is necessary to ensure the principles and the goals that the president has laid out.”
Tags: Health Care Reform
I actually believe the walkback on public option was never real, just a clever tactic. It appears to have worked.
I definitely agree John. It accomplished two things: first, it made Republicans show their hand. Grassley and then #2 Senate Republican Kyl said that Republicans wouldn’t vote for any reform bill. They’d already started attacking the co-ops as “government run healthcare.” I think the administration wanted it clear – Republicans were going to say no to any compromise. Second, the administration wanted the grassroots more engaged. It certainly worked – it lit a fire under the Democratic base.
I love the branding. Republicans = craven defenders of a corrupt status quo that only rewards greedy and cruel billionaires.
Democrats = determined to help Seniors and children by fixing a broken system.
I plan on being in Washington September 13th for the rally Reich has called for.I’ll be the one carrying the sign that reads:When a man’s sick,he’ll hurt you.When a man’s family’s sick,he’ll KILL you.
Bob Cesca has an interesting take:
Here are the immediate consequences of the president’s and Secretary Sebelius’s remarks from this past weekend:
1) The netroots are re-activated and are furiously talking policy and mobilizing again.
2) The House progressives have declared an ultimatum in support of the public option.
3) Congressman Weiner has emerged as a terrific spokesman in Congress.
4) The AFL-CIO has drawn a line in sand in support of the public option.
5) The debate has shifted back to policy and away from crazy wingnuts. As long as healthcare reform is about policy, the Democrats win.
6) Complacent, the far-right prematurely tipped their hand on their opposition to co-ops, weakening their position and signaling that no amount of comprise will win their votes.
If this was all by accident, then this White House is supremely lucky. If this was by design, I think we’re dealing with some very smart people in the West Wing.
Welcome insurance people? Not sure why we got this pingback.
pandora,
I do think it’s been a combination of luck and skill. I truly think that the administration didn’t expect progressives to draw a line in the sand. I think the administration thinks the other parts of the bill – end of recission, improved consumer protection, improved Medicare – are very good reforms and thought that this is the core of the bill. Progressives think that without single payer (or the compromise, the public option) it’s just a huge give-away to insurance companies if a personal mandate is included. I think Democrats and the administration were pretty inept in messaging and let the wingnuts dominate the debate without sufficiently hitting back.
They are certainly getting their footing now and it’s due almost entirely because of the progressive base. The progressive base are the ones pushing back, attending townhalls (now outnumbering protestors) and calling their Congresspeople. I certainly think the administration wanted us to mobilize. I’m not sure why it took so long – the public option walkback was really the match that lit the fire, I guess. The administration, smartly, was trying to test the waters to see what they could compromise on and I think they’ve found it.
The administration has certainly been lucky in the stupidity of the opposition. The Republicans, for some reason, decided to let the nuts speak for them. I’m sure the Republicans are trying to tap into the passion but the opponents have really gone overboard with opposition and accusations that didn’t make much sense. For example, “no government health care don’t touch my Medicare” and “government is inept but private insurance can’t compete.”
I find it interesting to see the wingnuts on this blog respond. They were both trying to embrace the protestors and put distance between them at the same time. Their arguments were that armed protestors were exercising their rights, oh they’re your guys, their on their own, oops look away.
Now is the time for Obama and the Congressional Dems to finalize a detailed plan that can then be publicized in order to maximize support. It may be that the Blue Dogs become silent, or drop out with the Repubs. As long as we can still carry the day, so be it!
I think the guns showing up at some town halls opened many eyes as well!
Republicans = craven defenders of a corrupt status quo that only rewards greedy and cruel billionaires.
Like Socialist-Democrat sugar-daddy George Soros?
You want to know how to deal with these people — Barney knows.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/18/frank.heath.care/index.html
Barney Frank might be the most interesting person in American politics right now. Money quotes:”When you ask me that question, I’m going to revert to my ethnic heritage and ask you a question: On what planet do you spend most of your time?” And:”Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table,” Frank said to the woman. “I have no interest in doing it.”
And for all the ConservaTrolls, it seems he had a copy of the bill with him and pointed out the relevant sections that people were wrong about. Only after he answered their questions and they STILL didn’t want to understand did he give up. A reasonable person can only try to educate an unreasonable one for so long. After that, it is like talking to a table.
The GOP isn’t letting nuts speak for them, the Dems are encouraging the rants and legitimate concerns.
I am glad the Dems will go it alone as that means the plan will not have enough votes. To think the Blue Dogs have an interest beyond their own relection is unrealisitic. They know a vote for a plan which is viewed as hurting Medicare, raising taxes on small business and risking existing insurance is pure folly.
They were elected as a Dems who could fit in a GOP leaning district yet now you expect them to ignore that reality?
Wyden/Bennett is looking much better.
Mike Protack
Go Barney!
Exactly Perry. All we need is to get a majority in the House, which I think we have already even with some balky Blue Dogs. I’m not worried about the House bill, I think it’s pretty good. We just have to make sure that all the Democrats stand together against the Republican filibuster. We only need 50 votes to pass the legislation (Biden can break the tie). So, conservadems can vote against if they want as long as they don’t block the bill.
Here’s the video Scott P told us about:
Wow good to know that Protack is unable to count and unable to understand that the Dem’s built this into reconciliation so no chance for a filibuster. If you want to say that you are glad that Democrats are going it alone on the slim chance that health reform provides no benefits and that it will be worse than the statuus quo then that is an acceptable disagreement. Of course when that doesn’t happen and we are not all paying out the nose for healthcare and the economy recovers even faster I guess it will make you look like a complete idiot.
bonny fwaank – dear god, what an incredible embarrasment. but i digress. i’d rather have his relative, sam howard. democrats to go it alone? see, this is the nonsense that drove me away from the dnc, and straight into ‘libertarianism’. turns out, libertarian is what i really am. these ‘carrie nation’ do-gooder dems are so predictable, and pathetically boring. i can almost hear the pelosi screech – like so many fingernails on the chalkboard of life. or whatever. uff!
where is that nemski person? i had scheduled an argument for today and it seems he is nowhere to be found.
CNN Fails to Report Woman Comparing Obama to Hitler is a Lyndon LaRouche Democrat
WeeklyStandard ^ | August 19, 2009 | John McCormack
CNN’s Larry King showed the above video of Barney Frank laying the smack down on a woman at a townhall meeting who compared Obama to Hitler. CNN left out the fact that this woman is a Lyndon LaRouche Democrat. In the full video (via Allahpundit), the woman says, “This policy is already on the way out. It already has been defeated by LaRouche.” She also underscores her crazy LaRouchite beliefs by claiming that the U.S. has “30% real unemployment”. No one disputes that LaRouchites are on the fringe — but it’s indisputable that they are fringe Democrats. They oppose Obamacare…