IMHO these few days will demonstrate the wisdom of Obama keeping his blackberry

Right now Howard Dean is the President's best friend.

Everyone else is to invested in getting "something done".

The TARP program is a perfect example. Started under Bush it provided necessary emergency assistance.

Now everytime a TARP company gets a bonus the President is forced to respond.

If this bill is passed then the President becomes wedded to the Health Care Industry.


Every bonus of an insurance CEO will be tied to the President.

Every denial of a claim and every action by the HC industry will be tied to the President.

Better to step away from it and push through reconciliation some expansion of medicare.


Also the President appears to be outmanouvered by Lieberman. If he lets Lieberman accomplish his goals then expect increased intransigence by the Republicans.

I hope he's using it and continues to resist the "bubble," and is paying close attention to what his supporters are saying -- the good, the bad and the hopeful. :)

We all perceive things differently, for different reasons, but to me he sure looked exhausted -- emotionally and mentally beaten up -- in yesterday's speech. Understandably so, but I just didn't feel that he was truly pleased whatsoever.

Then again, who could be with Baucus just over his right shoulder?

:(

come out today with the piece he's written and elaborated on his "kill the bill".

"Dean says there are some good provisions in the Bill.."

"To be clear, I'm not giving up on health-care reform. The legislation does have some good points, such as expanding Medicaid and permanently increasing the federal government's contribution to it. It invests critical dollars in public health, wellness and prevention programs; extends the life of the Medicare trust fund; and allows young Americans to stay on their parents' health-care plans until they turn 27. Small businesses struggling with rising health-care costs will receive a tax credit, and primary-care physicians will see increases in their Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Improvements can still be made in the Senate, and I hope that Senate Democrats will work on this bill as it moves to conference. If lawmakers are interested in ensuring that government affordability credits are spent on health-care benefits rather than insurers' salaries, they need to require state-based exchanges, which act as prudent purchasers and select only the most efficient insurers. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) offered this amendment during the Finance Committee markup, and Democrats should include it in the final legislation. A stripped-down version of the current bill that included these provisions would be worth passing."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=64643&mesg_id=64998

but was pleasantly surprised to find his - stop the bill and expand medicare through reconciliation - is the same as mine.


Hopefully the President is getting a wide range of opinion on his blackberry.