Tell me how, Four Senators : Baccus, Landrieu, Lieberman and Nelson

represent the inner thoughts of President. Each are staunchly opposed to a REAL public option, not the fig leaf that many would be happy with.

Twisting arms has little meaning when only ONE is needed to stop The Bill. Any health care bill.

LBJ had the advantage of some Republicans who would vote for Civil Rights and Voting Rights. That was then.

The power of ONE has more than a few advantages. An endless stream of money for just one vote.

Rahm or a division of tanks doesn't alter that reality.

If you think Lieberman can be bought off when he's signed seal and delivered, good luck in the Bizarro world.

Kill the Bill? That happens only if Obama vetoes the outcome of Reconciliation.

Wake up and smell the coffee and excrement.

It is rather amazing we got this far. In the old days LBJ would take a wavering Senator to his office and say "What do you want". The senator would tell him about a new road, bridge, military base or whatever for his state and LBJ would say "done" and the vote was his. It doesn't work that way these days. Obama is not without fault in his approach in the pursuit of health care reform but if you look at the big picture there were tremendous odds stacked against him from the start. It really is a sorry mess.

in Washington now. Many decried it as backroom politics or good-ol'-boy crap. But you know, it got shit done, and that's just not happening anymore.

It became more about party politics, winning at all costs, and the corporatization of the American government.

Too many people have interpreted his criticism as being criticism of the president when he has repeatedly criticized four senators for being owned by insurance companies.

:shrug:

That coalition includes moderate and conservative Democrats who are elected independently of the President and can receive independent financial contributions from the main Party and have their own donors and list of core voters.

Sometimes the interests of the coalition intersect. Sometimes they don't. There isn't a whole lot you can do about those Senators who are duly elected who don't agree with the rest of the Party, once they are elected. They are legal representatives of the people of their State and can vote however they wish.