Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) acknowledged Wednesday that liberals may be asked to oppose any amendment, including one creating a public option, to ensure a smooth ride for the bill. “We have to tell people, ‘You just have to swallow hard’ and say that putting an amendment on this is either going to stop it or slow it down, and we just can’t let it happen,” Durbin, who supports a public option, told reporters. “We have to move this forward. We know the Republicans are likely to offer a lot of amendments, and some of them may be appealing to Democrats, but we have to urge them to stick with the bill.” [...]
Someone tell Bernie Sanders.
So it slows the bill down? So what? So Obama has to cancel his spring break trip to Asia? Big deal. There’s work to be done in Washington. If the Republican Party wasn’t full of fascist warmongers, I’d have to give some serious thought to calling for the Democratic Party to be dismantled. “Fools on the Left of me….Jokers on the Right….and here I am stuck in the middle with “we the people.” Grrrrrr Peace
The WH does not want a public option. Obama has made his deal with the insurance companies and that is it. Brave leader Sebelius didn’t even stick to her own prepared script today,she softened her language.Big showndown.
Now we are talking immigration reform!!! In the middle of a recession and with 10 percent unemployment,no end in sight, with right wing paranoia at a fever pitch!
Well it works for him dosen’t it.Big money backers satisfied,AA vote solid,add hispanics, a fight on student loans to bring in the youth again…screw the working class.
Lake Lady, the Hispanic caucus is forcing Obama to bring immigration reform up in exchange for their “yes” vote on health care. I’m not sure I understand your “screw the working class” reference? Don’t immigrants work? Peace
Imhotep~ Do you have a link supporting that? Don’t you think sombody in the WH needs to get a clue about jobs?
Please don’t misunderstand I think immigration reform should have been done yesterday but people are falling off the edge could we just apply some thought and attention on ways to help them hang on?
I believe Lake Lady is right. WH does not want a public option, never did.
Which begs the question, why the rhetoric from Mr. O. that he did, getting people fired up to it, and now realizing it was a big mis-fire, and there is disappointment and disillusionment.
One wonders if people will actually arise and give the enthusiastic support that would be needed to put him over the top in ’12. Not just this, but other disappointments too.
You go Lady Lake! I think immigration reform needs to be done also,but what I read here yesterday says the President is going to sit back and defer to congress again much as he did on healthcare.At that rate and without any leadership from Obama,will it really ever happen?The Administration needs to get real,working people are suffering while they play politics…
Congress should vote on what they think is right and what the people in there district tell them to vote and not just vote with the party because it tells you too.
good on sanders. he better follow through. the wh’s disasterous handling of the base now is comming round. huffpo says there are 53 sen votes for the po. its a matter of will here. durbin doesnt have it. nor wh. the wh thinks the passions evoked by its handling of the po will die if they pass the bill. it wont. it cant bc progressives for a century have fought for govt not for profit hcr for all. the issue will dominate discussion every eelction bc it is so imp to the grassroots etc.. elaine marshall in nc is runnng her sen campaign on it. sen bennet is basing his on it. this is a wh nightmare- if sanders has the guts and puts up an amendment on the floor it goes to the parlimentarian to rule on it being germane- it likely would be as a govt program which would reduce cost. i pray that moment happens. i want to see who in the end is with the people. if th epo is killed on the sen floor it will be like nafta in 94 or bush sr saying “no more taxes” then raising them. hell will break lose in the base.
Yeah, this is helpful…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031102904.html
This morning on Morning Joe, Lawrence O’Donnell said the Democrats are engaging in “group think” on the health care bill. He said he doesn’t see how Democrats can believe that passing this health care bill–which 53% of the public oppose–will be good for Dems in the election. He said the “group think” is being spouted everywhere from pundits to journalists, that Democrats HAVE TO PASS SOMETHING, even if it’s a bill the majority of the public oppose. It’s “group think” said O’Donnell, to make the argument that the Democrats have to pass something and that if they pass something–anything–it will be good for Dems.
I agree with O’Donnell on this one.
Regarding the pollsters article. I think polls are misleading. It all depends on the questions asked and the limited choices given. Do they ever poll the public as to whether they think healthcare should be a for profit enterprise? When is the last time they polled the PO? And why exactly do people fear government? Is it because of incompetence,or corruption or because the narrative since Reagan has been anti-government? As a person who believes that there are some big things that only a central government can do like healthcare..if they asked me I would say I fear the current government because it is run by bought and sold special interests on both sides not beccause I don’t believe in good government.