Yes, I never thought I would write this diary, but hey I have always been a woman who look at things hard and the way it is.
This is how I feel.
I believe the base, still trust Barack Obama to do the right thing, with the right intentions, but the faith that you will do this has eroded and diminished.
Faith: belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof
Trust: confidence in and reliance on good qualities, especially fairness, truth, honor, or ability
Two words that intertwine, willingly or unwillingly.
I believe that the current health care bill in the Senate will pass. We have listened to President Nelson lay out why he intends to vote on this bill, but only if it remains in tact. Meaning, dare if you will House to change anything, if you do, NO VOTE.
And for President Nelson's statement and his willingness to vote for the GROUND BREAKING legislation, OFA is giving its members scripts and are calling Nebraskans to thank them for Ben Nelson's vote. Isn't that just amazing? Calling an obstructionist and thanking him? Have the White House taken its smart bills lately? Oh, let us not forget President Nelson's kickback or what he gets for his state for his vote.
Anyway, all this makes you wonder how this bill got to this form. It is easy for me to state, lack of leadership from the man at the top, Barack Obama.
We watched all year, especially this summer, Mr. Obama's aloofness, non-chalant, hands off approach to this bill. We watched Mr. Obama continue to give time extensions to the Baucus Bill. In reality, this is the bill he always wanted. Why? Because this bill caters to all the deals he has made before the bill was even crafted, especially to the pharmaceutical companies. But we know all about this, in fact to watch all the powering things Barack Obama said to get elected, just watch it all here. But, I can't leave without a reminder as to what he was going to champion when it came to the pharmaceutical companies, but our President ended up doing the same exact thing that George W. Bush did, not allowing this government to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. In this aspect, he is no better than George W. Bush, whom many have derailed on this site for the deal he made in regards to Medicare D.
Maybe this White House did not understand or know that the public was following what they were doing, but not only that remembered what this President said during his campaign. We all get that everything you say in a campaign does not transcend, but for health care a signature piece of legislation that is supposed to be his legacy, he has failed monumentally.
Barack Obama did not trust or believe in us, the American Public. The public option or even Medicare at 55 was such an easy sale. He talked for 2 years to the American Public about how horrible our health care system is and that we should have health care like congress. In the end, when he got in office he turned to make deals, instead of coming directly to us in non-professorial speak, and tell us to stand with him. Stand with him against all these industries. Tell us what a public option IS. What it will do for competition of costs for US. That in fact he needed US to stand with him. We heard none of that, so this White House went with the status quo, business as usual and now expect us to believe this bill is the best they could get, when the fact is they negotiated everything away before sitting at the table. Now, we are to continue to believe, trust, have faith in this White House. At this point, only with very long handled spoons and only until we see the fine print. Words going forward matter less and less, what is on paper matter more and more.
Makes me go to the Ed Schultz piece with Markos on Friday. Schultz made a passionate plea or question as to why this President has not gone into the den of fire, the obstructionists backyard. Why no town hall meetings in Lincoln, NE; Baton Rouge, LA; Little Rock, AR or Harford, CT? Why?
The answer is simple, Barack Obama never wanted a public option or Medicare for 55. For anyone to argue that he did want it, then look at the Baucus Bill, this is the bill he always wanted. This bill gives the insurance companies 30-40 million new customers, the American Public and forces us to pay them. If we do not then the very government gets to fine us. And if we don't pay? Well, I expect garnishing of pay checks or bank accounts, tax returns, lotto winnings, etc. How else does the government collect its money? And they are doing this on BEHALF of the insurance companies. Ain't this grand!!!!
Is this White House weakened? Yes. See, when you negotiate away everything and are left hanging in the balance, it is people like Ben Nelson that can walk in and demand things, for his vote, and get it. When you have a Chief of Staff that never respected the left, then you have a problem, when it was millions of these very same people that put you in office. The White House hopes that if anything passes on health care and they campaign and show this is reform, their polling numbers will go up. I hope they are right, but in my gut I feel they are wrong. People invested too much in this White House to get this. At this point, it is time for Obama to show some action and DELIVER; and people deserve much more than what this bill is giving, which is a "champaign and caviar moment" for the health insurance industry proving their money has won them their welfare bill.
Finally, I want to talk about the left. I understand different factions in our Democratic Party, but I consider myself a Democrat, period. Not a conservadem, or a left winger, but a Democrat. In all the recent polling of Barack Obama and the Democrats, no one asks if we are all these sub labels within our party, these pollsters talk to Democrats. The falling of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party's polling numbers is based on Democrats, period. So, this labeling and pointing a finger at the netroots, per se, don't mean shit to my 70 year old mother who don't know what a "Daily Kos" is, but is against this health care bill and how Barack Obama has handled this. She is a Democrat and we all need to remember this going forward.
Have I lost faith in Barack Obama? I believe Barack Obama will do what he always have wanted to do. The interpretation is for each one of us to fill in.
A comment from 3goldens sums it up for ME:
I think I know at least some of what it cost you to speak out like this and I give you a lot of props for your honesty. There has been a lack of honesty about this entire healthcare reform process from the very beginning of this administration, and while some may not appreciate your honesty here, I do. When honesty is absent or in short supply, the truth suffers and people lose faith and trust in those they expected both from. It's that simple--and that devastating.
Update [2009-12-20 17:15:53 by icebergslim]:
This is my feeling on it. Obama has some time to try to get us back, but if anyone believes Harry Reid is not endangered read this. I feel, I believe Obama never wanted a public option, since he has been President. Did he want it during the campaign, HELL YEAH, he wanted our votes!!! Now, not so much. Anyway, have at it.
Update [2009-12-20 17:42:49 by icebergslim]:
Again, this is how I feel and anyone who tries to dictate how I should feel are bogus. I am a hardcore Democrat, one who does not have to stand with this President and this health care bill. Now it is up to the White House to sell this, not me. But at this point, for this bill to go forward, for me is nothing near, Change You Can Believe In, not for ME.
Update [2009-12-20 19:31:52 by icebergslim]:
Senator Russ Feingold holds President Barack Obama responsible for loss of public option. I mean, if Barack Obama ran like he is governing NOW, do you think he would have won the Democratic Nomination? Brought in new voters? Please. One word. NO.
From the Wisconsin Democrat's press office came the following statement:
I've been fighting all year for a strong public option to compete with the insurance industry and bring health care spending down. I continued that fight during recent negotiations, and I refused to sign onto a deal to drop the public option from the Senate bill. Unfortunately, the lack of support from the administration made keeping the public option in the bill an uphill struggle. Removing the public option from the Senate bill is the wrong move, and eliminates $25 billion in savings. I will be urging members of the House and Senate who draft the final bill to make sure this essential provision is included.
Source
Yeah, from Huffington Post a website that is LOVED when the those who like what they report is on point, but called a FOX RAG when those that read what Feingold REPORTED to Huffington Post is accurate.
Guess you can not win.
Cross-posted @ Daily Kos
Share
