Democrats: “Who Will Rid Us of This Meddlesome Public Option?” - Jane Hamsher/FDL

Democrats: “Who Will Rid Us of This Meddlesome Public Option?”
By: Jane Hamsher Saturday February 20, 2010 11:19 am

<snip>

The “60 vote” bar on the public option was always a sham. But now that it’s gone, nobody wants to be Joe Lieberman and play the role of spoiler so PhRMA can have their deal.

Ezra Klein reports:



I totally support the efforts of the PCCC, DFA, CREDO and MoveOn to force the issue on the public option. There is absolutely zero reason not to include it in a health care bill passed through reconciliation, and everyone in Congress needs to be reminded of that fact. The last of the rationalizations for ditching the public option have been peeled off the pundit apologists, who now stand naked and exposed atop their piles of selectively chosen factoids and statistics. (And therein lies the danger of laundering “tips” fed to you by “anonymous sources” who keep their hands clean while you affix your name — you ultimately have to own it.)

But the bottom line is that the health care bill that the White House drafted, the one they pushed through the Senate, the only one they ever wanted, is dead. There is not enough graft and payola in the world to get the Blue Dogs to line up for Martha Coakley duty. The only thing that MIGHT get their support is the cover of GOP votes, but there’s a lot more political hay to be made in GOP-leaning districts by opposing the wildly unpopular White House bill. Americans still want health care reform. They just don’t trust this bill, for good reason — and they’re not going to.

And what’s more, everyone knows it. Ezra says the White House is sticking to its guns, and a public option won’t be in the bill that they unveil on Monday. And that’s because there is no “Plan B.” There never was. Nobody thought it through. The administration is now consumed with the “blame game,” pointing fingers and fighting over who will walk the plank for the failure of “health insurance reform.”

Health care reform can still be achieved, but it’s going to have to be in a series of smaller steps that don’t involve sacrificing cost control to well-funded corporate lobbies trying to bribe their way into profitability. But it will be a while until everyone comes to grips with that fact.

In the mean time, as someone who watched health care reform step-by-step along the way, this is Rahm’s fuckup. He did this. And Obama deserves his share of the blame because he empowered Rahm. Any attempt to offload responsibility to Axelrod, Gibbs, or Jarrett is a ludicrous exercise in irrational denial.

**********************************************************

Update: Jon Walker adds: “What a strange ‘Democracy’ we live in that an idea is too popular for any to stand against yet it might bring down the whole party and health care reform because many so deeply hate their supporters.”

<snip>

Link: http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/02/20/democrats-who-will-rid-us-of-this-meddlesome-public-option/

Mister Walker... you said one hell of a mouthful there...

:shrug:

:yourock:

:hi:

people don't like her, but I don't know why.

But I will say that I her business, there is incentive for getting attention.

:hi:

:toast:

Why don't you actually spend a moment considering the content of her message instead of immediately disregarding what she said? :shrug:

It's a good match!

See:

http://www.pnhp.org/search/google/public%20option?query=public%20option&cx=015249405663905105964%3Aebn8t4lcngk&cof=FORID%3A11&sitesearch=#928

The "public option" as it came to be manifested in the legislative proposals was so wussied down and devoid of the prerequisites for out-of-the-gate success (like being pre-populated, for starters) that simply putting it back into the legislation and passing it as-is will be a disaster: it's so hobbled that it will not produce the results it needs to produce in order to be successful, and this above all else will paint the entire HCR effort as a failure, regardless of any positive outcomes from the rest of the reforms, because the PO is touted as such a "big deal" by opponents and allies alike. Now... it WOULD be a big deal if they would just craft a PO that would actually WORK, something that really IS more like Medicare for All.

"PO" is a trigger word for progressive bliss, and the fact that it's an ever-scrawnier pig-in-a-poke concerns almost no one.

He would much rather piss off the people than the big health insurance cartel.

Cannot believe anything she writes or says anymore. She lost all credibility when she started to attack our President.

People don't like to eat Liver/Brussel Sprouts either...

But you know what ?

They're still good for you.

:shrug:

And you might learn one day that subjecting a President to criticism is part of a democracy. Unwavering adoration strips you of your principles.

and never criticizing the White House, whoever's in it, have an inverse relationship. I'm glad Hamsher has the integrity to call things according how she sees 'em, them not what "team" she's on. Kinda thought that's what "progressive" meant.

Here constant criticism of our President hurts the process and in turn hurts all Americans.

I'm all ears.

:shrug:

or Jane Hamsher then don't click on the link to read the OP.
Freedom of speech is Americans discussing/debating the pros & cons of anything we damn well please. We don't need your permission. BTW Obama's not 4 ~ he's a grown man & President ~ he doesn't need mollycoddling.

Here I thought we still lived in a Democracy. You know, where citizens are free to criticize elected officials and their policy positions.

Bad, bad Jane for "attacking the President".

:silly:

Please don't presume to speak for all of DU. Democratic party is a big tent. We don't goosestep. We aren't Repukes.

Because she figured out that she could team up with Republicans to hold our government's feet to the fire, just like the corporate bipartisanship that they always advocate when it suits them.

:shrug:

Liar Dog Fake

:wtf:

:banghead:

:shrug:

that the quote in her headline is fake. Or maybe you can tell me who said it?

"Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" - Oral History

"Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" - King Henry II (played by Peter O'Toole) in the movie "Becket" (1964).

:shrug:

Reminder... A PLAY ON THE PHRASE...

To make her point.

You're new to this... aren't you?

:shrug:

That was just a play on a phrase too.

Looks like this needs another :kick:

Dogs bark, but the caravan passes on.

drug provisions. She's just gone downhill from there.

He will continue to be well rewarded and well regarded in the halls of power for a long time.

please go to the nearest white courtesy phone.