Democrats In the House: Look Out For Yourself & Buck Obama If You Have To.

"To maintain a strong Presidency, you need to pass this bill." -- President Barack Obama to the Progressive Caucus on March 5th, 2010.

That comment by Obama last month really struck me as self-serving, especially in light of the fact that every Democrat in the House is up for re-election a lttle over seven months. Maintain a strong Presidency? That was his concern as to why Progressives should throw their convictions to the wind?

"To maintain a strong control in the House and Senate, you need to vote against this bill." -- David Zephyr to Democrats in Congress facing the voters in November who oppose this bill.

Last Summer, the Democrats in the House of Representatives went way out on a limb for President Obama, foolishly taking him at his word. They delivered a Health Care Bill with a Public Option and more only to watch from the sidelines as Obama then compromised with Republicans and rightwing Blue Dogs kissing their butts. Susan Collins, Ben Nelson, Bart Stupak and Joe Lieberman are all still scrubbing their butts today with soap and water from that experience.

House Democrats watched as Obama and his staff went back on his promises to the American People as he embraced taxing insurance benefits, as he worked behind the scenes to keep it illegal to import meds from Canada and, worse, as he pretended that he'd never even wanted a Public Option in spite of the reams of videotape of him declaring his support for it.

Hey Democrats in Congress: Learn from Obama. He's set the example for you. Do what you need to in order to get re-elected. Obama can't help you in November. Remember Massachusetts! His "coat tails" may actually trip you up now. Obama's campaining for Coakely was the kiss of death.

Democrats in the House, now facing a hostile public in November, should start being more like Obama and think about themselves first. They already walked out on the plank last Summer for Obama only to have him pull it out from under their feet later, so my advice to them would be to vote against his Insurance Bill and not have that noose wrapped around their necks in November.

Obama certainly has no problem whatsoever compromising with the right wing, sucking up to bigots and conservatives, or going back on so many of his promises, so the Democrats in the House need to think about themselves the same way. Obama knows he's got three more years. They don't have that luxury.

I'd rather have control of the House and Senate than have the White House, especially with the "leadership" that we have there now.

I'd rather have control of the Committees in Congress and subpoena power that comes with that control than worry about Obama's personal poll numbers or how his bi-partisanship romance is coming along.

Democrats can take a page from Barack and Rahm: Triangulate the President. Give him a taste of his own medicine.

Save the House and Senate even if it means bucking Obama. Because I am a Democrat, I say this.

no matter what they do, Democrats will lose many seats in the fall.

All this doom and gloom is rubbish.

is ( IMHO) the #1 way to guarantee you will lose the house and or senate..

It will hurt Obama, but not Democrats facing the voters who hate this bill.

I agree, it's a MUCH better option!

help the uninsured?

.

the bill will subsidize those that can't afford it.

And the damn policies still have high deductibles.

I would love to see a public option. I believe it could force health care corporations to come down on their prices. As I said down thread, let's get this passed and work to fix it before midterms. then it won't matter if dems lose seats in congress. there'll be nothing repukes can do about it.

Starting over or to continue arguing back and forth isn't accomplishing anything, meanwhile people are still dying because they have no health insurance!

Even Canada charges premiums.

But I wouldn't be paying for some suit's multimillion dollar bonus.

afford to use it for health care. Damn high deductibles.

any dem who votes for this watered down health insurance giveaway scam will lose their seat.

if they want to keep their seat, they need to buck the Rahm Emmanuel status quo.

I wont' blame Democrat for doing what they need to do at this point. They were led down a prim rose path and then betrayed.

And I'm not so sure that Massa is as crazy as the media and Rahm won't people to believe anymore.

That includes ALL Dems. Rethugs will say crap no matter what the Dems do. But the HCR bill failing in 1994 did not help any of the Dems THAT time.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

he would have dropped HCR a long time ago and avoided all the aggravation. Your whole premise is foolish.

His own words to the Progressive Caucus: You need to pass this bill in order to keep the presidency strong.

Think about that. They are the ones about to face the voters. What about keeping the Congress strong?

That's called thinking only about himself to me, but I welcome your interpretation of that callous act anyway you wish.

If HCR were not an issue, there would be other issues where he would say the same thing to try to keep our party strong, and that includes the Dems in Congress (yea, think about it). I think you take him too literally and personally.

And callous act? I think you're nuts if you think everything he does is to glorify himself. But have at it. You're just one of many who seem to enjoy tearing down this guy by any means necessary. I'm grateful for the fact that he seems to be standing up for us little guys vs. the last creep in this office.

"To maintain a strong Presidency, you need to pass this bill." -- President Barack Obama to the Progressive Caucus on March 5th, 2010.

his deals with the insyurance companies and pharma companies.

other Americans. But yea, it's always all about him.

in a year when it sinks in what actually goes into effect and tell me how wonderful it is.

Oh, and Obama did such a bang-up job at the beginning explaining the need for HRC and pushing for
it. Ohh wait, it was secret meetings with Insurance and Pharma companies that took up so much of his time that he couldn't.

Tell me, do you only see Obama through those rose-colored glasses or all of life?

how the modifications will only strengthen it. So for you to spout off about how horrible this bill will be before it's even in effect is nonsense. But your glasses or crystal ball must be working well.

However, I understand that the government will subsidize those who can't afford the premiums, so why these people are bitching about the mandate is beyond me:shrug:

Le's get it passed, then fix it while we still can. If we can get this accomplished by midterms, there's nothing pukes can do about it if they do gain the majority in the mid-terms.

You really think Democrats would lose if they reference Obama? They'll certainly lose if they turn on him.

is happy with the other and thus vote against the other as a disapproval, so I believe that's an apple and oranges kind of comparison.

Some priority, huh?

need to go!

The House is up against it in less than 8 months-every single one of them.

The Dems in the House hung on the cross for his bill last summer and then after all of that, he compromised with the insurance cartel down to where this shitty bill is now.

If the bill passes, Republcians will run in order to repeal the bill and stop socialism in America
If the bill fails, they will run on their succesful ability to stop the bill and pledge to stop Socialism in America.

Millons of Americans need this health care bill.
Pass it for them.
Quit playing politics with human life.

to stay put AND we want people to suffer and die because they have no access to health care or continue to lose coverage for it. You must really hate the President.

That's not hate. That's asking a man to honor his word. That's what true friends do.

been sitting on its collective fat ass for over a year now, quivering like jelly at the thought of taking meaningful steps to help the people out with healthcare, to reform the financial system, or to deal with energy. This bunch of yahoo's are thinking ONLY about their jobs. Political gaming and brinksmanship in the Congress has gotten us to a parliamentary mess. Let's distribute the blame fairly. I'd rather lose some of these idiots, for they have outlived their usefulness.

"blocking health care reform is a crime."

The republicans new message push is exactingly the same....as yours the republican oldest trick....Divide the Dems and then Conquer them....How disgusting!!

Telling Democrats "don't fight for health-care or the Public option....don't listen to the president or you WON'T get reelected"...this is the latest republican intimidation using fear tactics...to intimidate to stop Dems in the Houses from voting for health care reform....

Screw the people just look out for yourself....that's a "Reagan-ist" tool & republican selfish philosophy if I've ever heard one.

Dude...you have the same message only sneakier!

They don't need to walk a plank for Obama that he himself won't walk.

This bill will end any chance of ever having single payer health care in America. It is a lousy bill that will hurt the American people for generations.

is to support the INDIVIDUALS who represent the democratic platform and philosophy.

the only good use of your time is to work to elect democrats who refuse to be republican-lite.