Looks like the progressive caucus is going to let us down......

http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/08/04/letter-from-a-progressive-caucus-staffer-dont-really-like-firedog-lake/

Here's the kicker in this letter from a CPC staffer:

"i don't think progressive are willing to vote against an imperfect bill if said bill reduces the number of uninsured. additionally, politically speaking we have limited leverage, because we know if the president loses this one, we lose and any hope of meaningful progressive legislation will be thwarted for the rest of this term."

DEAR PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS: YOU SHOULD BE LOYAL TO THE **PEOPLE** FIRST, NOT THE PRESIDENT.

Read more about this stupid staffer's letter of capitulation above. The CPC can pound their chests all they want....but they haven't been able to deliver on anything yet because of this stupid concept of "loyalty" (see the war supplemental bills).

But, that's just a guess.

If we lose everything on health care, the rest of the agenda is meaningless. That actually IS being loyal to the people, unless "the people" are one-issue voters.

The insurance companies.

And that's exactly what will happen. Any healthcare plan without a public option WILL fail anyway....and there will be no more discussion of health care reform because we will have "tried" to "reform" health care and failed.

Are you willing to trade-in everything else on the progressive agenda for health care, essentially making yourself a single-issue voter? If that's your choice, that's fine, but not every progressive is willing to do that. Thus, for an organization, it would be suicidal to do that.

If there's no public option...that's what it's gonna be. And it's failing miserably in Massachusetts.

That is NOT what I'm saying at all and you know it.

There is no excuse for not getting a decent health care reform. The progressives are being pressured, I would imagine.

Not only would it affect health care, it would affect jobs and the economy, as well. Health insurance is one of the main factors for our poor economy, draining the funds from businesses and bankrupting individuals. Supporting health care reform is far from being a 'single issue voter'.

Servitude is the chief characteristic of our citizenry.

You sure got guts, I'll grant you that.

If we don't pass the shitty health care "reform" bill nothing else will pass.

Maybe we deserve it for capitulating so much to the lobbyists and Republicans.

And thank goodness more of them put that ahead of loyalty to a nonexistent utopia.

Im not surprised by anything these spineless not so progressives do anymore.

"...Despite threats from almost 60 progressive House Democrats -- who outnumber the Blue Dogs -- Pelosi defended the compromise, saying it was similar to one backed by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Pelosi predicted that the liberal wing would fall in line because the legislation is so important to them.

"Are you asking me, 'Are the progressives going to take down universal, quality, affordable health care for all Americans?' I don't think so," Pelosi told reporters Friday, breaking into laughter at the question.

California Rep. Lynn Woolsey, who co-chairs the caucus, told The Hill newspaper she was outraged at the thought of Pelosi laughing at the progressives..."

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/notepad/2009/08/progressives-slam-pelosi-on-he.html

http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/08/03/pelosi-laughs-at-house-progressives-and-you-should-too/

I had my hopes so high for the progressives, I spent hours calling them. Then I read this and got totally bummed.

if they thought no bill was better than a bad one, I'd be ok with that.

I also trust them if they decide that preventing a huge defeat for Obama is better for progressives.

Then again, this isn't over and that was just one staffer anyway.

This legislation is roughly the "lowest common denominator" kinda stuff. If it passes, we get about the absolute minimum a progressive could think of. One has to believe it creates the "framework" for future improvements, and that the "public option" will become like medicare, something that can't be touched. One can even imagine it becoming so competetive that small business loves it and the GOP can't get rid of it anymore than SS, medicare, or cash for clunkers. My concern is that it will do something quite the opposite. It will leave the impression that "it's all taken care of" and we'll move on, leaving this to the healthcare industry to slowly erode until everyone starts claiming it's this huge failure because they sucked the life out of any meaningful change.

The administration knows they have progressives over a barrel, and I suspect they love it.

insurance....and Romneycare is failing in Mass.

If there is no public option....this will be just like Romneycare.

Without the right public option, it may not be worth it. If it limits the public option in ways that will undermine it, progressives should hold out for a better deal.

If it passes, it enables us, little by little, to create a humane and affordable system.

As I have said before, the concern is we get some sort of NCLB type bill that looks good but in the end doesn't live up to the hype and the result is that folks decide it was all a mistake.

Guess who wins when Progressives cave.

But since it is such a horrible bill (mandates and small business penalty), the Republicans will blame it on us. And rightfully so. It won't matter that they wrote the fucking thing, if we are the ones who vote for it while they vote against the bill they wrote.

I see the state of the Republic party today. I see them campaign and think, "boy are those guys stupid."

Then I see our party passing a law the Republics wrote to be hated and wonder, "you mean we're even stupider than they are?"

I can't wait to hear the story of how Republicans managed to write Obama's signature piece of legislation in a House of Representatives that is completely dominated by the Democratic Party...

This is a strange one.

The Republican message on this is that the Democrats want to put government between you and your doctor. Yet the rules and limits being put on doctors are being inserted to "cut costs" and thereby placate the Blue Dogs and their Republican allies.

If there were no Republicans in Congress, or if half the Blue Dogs were Liberal Democrats, then HR3200 would put the doctors in charge of healthcare. And it'd be single-payer, for that matter.

All the negative stuff in HR3200, all the stuff the Republicans are going to use to beat up the Democrats in 2010, was written by the fucking Republicans and their Blue Dog bitches! Health care reform as written is going to KILL us in 2010. Republicans voting against the bill must be secretly praying for its passage so they can hammer us with it.

From a purely political standpoint, we would be much better off letting the Republicans and Blue Dogs kill real healthcare reform. Then we could use THAT to hammer THEM.

Anybody who thinks we are going to get a perfect bill is pie in the sky.

I fail to see how engaging in wild speculation helps... unless these ranting screeds are being sent to your Representative, Senators, and the WH.

I'm going to start planning my move to Cuba when they lift the ban on travel - maybe I can become a resident there and get some decent health care. I guess I should start learning to speak spanish now...

:dem:

-Laelth

These guys didn't become elected officials by being idiots.

Voting against a reform bill which;
a) creates a public plan
b) creates a health insurance exchange
c) establishes a system of affordability credits which makes coverage affordable
d) eliminates preexisting condition exclusions and recission.

... is fundamentally stupid. There is no door #2.

I don't think anyone believed they would vote against the bill.