Monday, September 7, 2009
President Obama's Speech in Cincinnati, OH at the Labor Day AFL-CIO picnic, focus health care (Full Video and Transcript)
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2:24 PM
Labels: AFL-CIO, barack obama, healthcare, ohio, public option
Kid Reporter, Damon Weaver weighs in on President Obama's "Back to School" speech to kids (Video)
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1:34 PM
Labels: back to school, barack obama, Damon Weaver, education
President Obama's Back to School Speech for September 8, 2009
Video of President Obama's Back to School Speech to the nation's students from Arlington, VA, Sept. 8, 2009
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12:37 PM
Labels: back to school, barack obama, education, transcript
Sunday, September 6, 2009
New CNN Poll, Obama numbers down further (Video)
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6:31 PM
Labels: barack obama, cnn, poll
Harold Ford, Jr. states the left will be disappointed in Obama's speech on Wednesday (Video)
Harold Ford, Jr. is from the DLC mode, the mode out of power in the Democratic Party and not one of my favorite politicians. The notion that the left or progressives should just chalk it up, meaning drop the public option for the team is disastrous. The whip should have been on the Blue Dogs, why? Because you don't destroy the very BASE, i.e., progressives, your activists in this whole fiasco. It will be REMEMBERED what Rahm Emanuel said to progressives, to the day he LEAVES the White House. The Progressive Caucus HAS THE VOTES, the Blue Dogs don't. It is time for the Obama White House to use their leverage and whip these folks into place. The thinking of something is better than nothing will suppress and demoralize the base. Case and point, Obama is losing across the board, bleeding support from Republicans, Independents and Democrats. If he can not deliver on health care, he will have a very hard 2010. The Republicans are fired up, our side not so much. Not with the continuous blunders of a White House that can not keep on simple message, not with convoluted messages from this White House and not with the continuing for bipartisanship which is a joke, at this point. No public option, hard times in 2010 and it will start with the Blue Dogs going down. Video from Meet the Press.
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12:46 PM
Labels: barack obama, harold ford jr, healthcare, meet the press, public option
Maxine Waters on ABC's This Week to Republicans, "Where is your health care bill?" (Video)
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12:08 PM
Labels: abc, healthcare, maxine waters, public option, this week with george stephanopoulos
Is Robert Gibbs wobbly on the public option? You decide. (Video)
From This Week With George Stephanopoulos:
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Posted by
icebergslim
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12:00 PM
Labels: barack obama, Obama Administration, robert gibbs, this week with george stephanopoulos
How to embolden the Republicans
When Barack Obama assumed the presidency in January of 2009, I knew that the right would eventually get riled up over anything he did.
Well, they have and for a demoralized Republican Party, much of their wing nuttery is not only believed but repeated so much, that is becomes the truth to many.
These folks would never vote Obama and their voices are small, but they have their own big megaphone in talk radio and Fox News.
We all have to give the Republican Party credit for taking one issue as health care and demoralizing it, even though their own seniors would never give up Medicare, a government run single payer program. We have seen their likes at the Astroturf town hall meetings, with faux outrage, carrying guns, comparing Obama to Hitler and screaming socialized medicine.
All of this is outrageous, but their one liners have stuck. "Socialized medicine, death panels, death book, government takeover." Yes, all of this has stuck and have been targeted towards the seniors in this country. It has been effective so far because we see all these one liners coming up in polls.
As impressive a job that Barack Obama has done thus far, it will be the battle of health care that will stand out for everyone. I state this because the American Public have short memories, many don't know how the system works in D.C., they don't understand the three branches of government but it is these very voters that can make or break a campaign. We know this, we had to educate the American Public on who Barack Obama was and what he stood for, and it took 2 years.
This is a turning point, Wednesday that is, President Obama must be decisive, direct, forceful, and tell the American Public what he stands for when it comes to health care reform. There cannot be any vagueness, whishy-washy triangulation (which this administration has been BAD at), it must be direct and every point must not be one that can be moved down the 50-yard line.
Which brings me to how to embolden the Republicans? Easy, continue to insist on a bipartisan bill, continue to negotiate everything away, and don't back and state that you want a public option in this bill. The Republican Party has already won the month of August, now we are coming down to the final stretch. If our team cave on every point and give the Republicans and insurance companies whatever they want on the sake of a bill, it is going to be tough for 2010. It is called, "suppressing your base, demoralizing your base", this has been the calculated risk that the tiny Republican Party has been betting on. And it is working. People are sitting out on the sidelines, many who voted for Obama and the Democrats because of unclarity and miscommunication from the White House and the Democratic Congress. We can win these people back, have them in the streets, but only with a speech and fire of "a fierce urgency of now", along with the definitive voice of "I want a public option or public plan" in the final bill. If we don't hear that, the ones on the sidelines will just walk away. Some already have, we know this and we need these people. And remember Denver a year ago?
A year ago, Denver enthusiastically hosted the Democratic National Convention, which culminated with Obama's acceptance speech before more than 80,000 people at the Denver Broncos' football stadium. Legions of volunteers, young and old, fanned out across the state throughout the fall to rally the vote for Obama's campaign.
Today, the energy that powered Obama to victory has begun to dissipate. Some of his supporters remain on the sidelines; others are, if not disillusioned, questioning what has happened to his presidency. As they look toward 2010, Democrats are nervous. Gov. Bill Ritter, appointed Sen. Michael F. Bennet and at least one Democratic member of the House will probably face difficult election campaigns next year.
[snip]
The Obama of 2008 seemed perfectly attuned to a state known for its youthfulness, future-oriented outlook and positive spirit. If he struggled at times with older voters in Rust Belt states, he always found a welcome in Colorado, easily defeating Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic caucuses before cruising past McCain in the general election.
Today, Coloradans appear more downbeat. Anxiety has replaced optimism. The recession has changed habits and attitudes. Obama's agenda has raised questions among independent voters because of its ambitious scope and potential impact on the deficit. His style has left some original supporters concerned about his toughness.
Well, what can anyone say after this? It is out there. I heard it all summer from many independents and Republicans who voted for Obama and the Democrats. This is why Wednesday speech is important.
And the Republican Party? They will continue to lie, continue being over the top, continue with massive lobbyists influence, monopolize the television coverage, and try to force this administration to BACK DOWN. That is what their final push is. If they win on how they demoralized the health care debate, they will do it every single time for any bill that comes up and this White House will be perceived as weak. We all know this, which is why Barack Obama must tell it like it is on Wednesday, state unequivocally where he stands with the public option or public plan and take the other side OUT.
The Mr. Nice Guy should be gone after Wednesday.
If we can win with the public option, the Republicans would have LOST. They will then know that creating faux havoc, "just won't do". It will be them demoralized, not us. They will be relegated to a fringe party with nuts running around in it and the Republican Congress will not be able to ask for ANYTHING from this administration, going forward.
Finally, the reason that the health care battle means so much to many Americans is because we understood what Barack Obama was saying during his campaign. We know the insurance companies deny claims on purpose; we know they will kick anyone off the very minute they can if anyone has an existing pre-condition; we know these very companies continue to raise premiums while taking away coverage; we know this because Barack Obama told us his personal story. So, the thing or argument of that was just what he said during the campaign won't work here. Barack Obama said, "...words matter" and he told this country that we should have "....health care like congress...", well it is time to pony up and deliver. And it is way past time to whip the Blue Dogs and these conservative Democrats in the senate. They are the obstructionists, not the other way around.
I am looking for a new and improved President Obama on Wednesday. At this point, we all are.
Source
Cross-posted @ Daily Kos
••
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Posted by
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9:48 AM
Labels: barack obama, GOP, health care, insurance compaines, lobbyists, Obama Administration, public option, Republican, right-wing extremists
Van Jones resigns, give one to Glenn Beck
Well, one thing is right, Van Jones may or may not have been a 9/11 conspiracy followers but I have not read a statement that stated unequivocally he is not. That was his problem. Everyone should know going forward, that the right wing asshats on talk radio and television will be like this against Obama for the next 3 years.
Glenn Beck has his first scalp. Van Jones, under fire from the extremist television show host for his background in radical activism, has resigned from the administration.
Jones was Special Adviser for Green Jobs at the Council on Environmental Quality - the so-called 'Green Jobs' Czar. Jones' 2008 book, The Green Collar Economy, was a New York Times best-seller. Beck is a talk show host for Fox News.
Jones never denied his past affiliation with the radical left. In the '90s, he was involved with the group Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement (STORM), which sympathized with Maoist-inspired peasant movements throughout the world and was organized to protest police brutality.
Jones, however, left radical politics and made the decision to work within the system, rather than try to overthrow it. For Beck, however, Jones' past statements were evidence that Obama is secretly marshaling a cadre of lieutenants pushing an agenda that is "radical, revolutionary and in some cases Marxist." (Meanwhile, in reality, Obama is backing away from even including a public health insurance option as part of health care reform. How that squares with Obama's Marxist agenda Beck has yet to explain.)
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8:25 AM
Labels: glenn beck, Obama Administration, van jones
Saturday, September 5, 2009
President Obama's Weekly Address, September 5, 2009 (Video and Transcript)
Labor Day and Fair Rewards for Hard Work
Transcript
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10:27 AM
Labels: barack obama, labor day, radio address
NO JOBS, that is the REAL problem for the Obama Administration
While the health care battle continues and we await what Barack Obama will finally indicate as to what he wants for health insurance reform, the Obama Administration should be very worried about people unable to find a job. Also, folks who have a job but hours have been sliced, which is boomeranging into the housing market. The record foreclosures now are PRIME MORTGAGES, not SUBPRIME.
If we want to talk the recession is over, tell that to someone else who is buying it. Most Americans don't feel any recession is over and for the jobless that sell is a real empty vacuum.
Employers kept Americans’ working hours near a record low in August, signaling that economic growth is poised to reward companies with added profits while postponing any recovery in the job market.
The average workweek held at 33.1 hours, six minutes from the 33 hours in June that was the lowest since records began in 1964, the Labor Department said yesterday. The report also showed that while payrolls fell by the least since August 2008, the unemployment rate rose to a 26-year high of 9.7 percent.
The preconditions for gains in payrolls, including giving the army of part-timers longer hours and taking on additional temporary employees, weren’t met last month. At the same time, with economic growth forecast to resume this quarter, the figures set the stage for a surge in worker productivity and drop in labor costs that will stoke corporate profits.
“It’s disappointing and it tells us that we are not quite there yet,” said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York who used to work at the Federal Reserve. “It’s great for business and terrible for households” for coming months, Feroli said. read more here....
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8:41 AM
Labels: economy, jobs, Obama Administration, unemployment
Bill Moyers to President Obama, "No more Mr. Nice Guy, Mr. President. We need a fighter" (Video)
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8:20 AM
Labels: barack obama, bill moyers, healthcare, public option
Friday, September 4, 2009
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) states CLEARLY "No Trigger, No Compromise" from Keith Olbermann (Video)
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8:26 PM
Labels: healthcare, insurance compaines, keith olbermann, maxine waters, msnbc, public option
Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO, "We'll help the Democrats get to 60 votes" (Video)
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6:46 PM
Labels: AFL-CIO, chris matthews, Democrat, hardball, healthcare, public option, Richard Trumka
John Harwood states parents are "STUPID" in regards to President Obama speaking to school children for working hard and STAYING IN SCHOOL (Video)
AMEN. The GOP is truly a old white man's club. This is a trumped up controversy that is going NOWHERE fast for the GOP. From MSNBC.
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icebergslim
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12:53 PM
Labels: barack obama, john harwood, msnbc
Anderson Cooper and Roland Martin DESTROYS GOP representative over the President's speech to school children (Video)
Florida GOP head Jim Greer got his ASS handed on a platter. This is ridiculous about the President addressing school children. And this Jim Greer, head of the GOP in Florida is a racist. Lastly, George H.W. Bush addressed school children during his tenor and did we get this GOP bullshit then? crickets.
Diary @ Daily Kos
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icebergslim
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8:02 AM
Labels: barack obama, cnn, GOP, Republican, roland martin
Unemployment rises to 9.7%
Not good for the Obama Administration, but the other good news is that job loss was only 216,000. What is alarming is that underemployment is 16.8% and that should really worry the Obama Administration.
As long as there are no jobs or new job growth, this will continue to be a thorn in the Obama Administration's side.
The unemployment rate jumped to 9.7 percent in August, the highest since June 1983, as employers reduced a net total of 216,000 jobs.
The level of job cuts is less than July's upwardly revised total of 276,000 and is the lowest in a year. Analysts expected the unemployment rate to rise to 9.5 percent from July's 9.4 percent, and job reductions to total 225,000.
If laid-off workers who have settled for part-time work or have given up looking for new jobs are included, the so-called underemployment rate reached 16.8 percent, the highest on records dating from 1994.
Source
Huffington Post
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Posted by
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7:41 AM
Labels: economy, jobs, unemployment
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) is frank and honest on health care reform, from Rachel Maddow (Video)
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icebergslim
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10:10 PM
Labels: anthony weiner, healthcare, msnbc, public option, rachel maddow
Paging A Different President Obama
AMEN to all below from Dan Froomkin....
The nation needs to see a different President Obama next Wednesday when he addresses a joint session of Congress.
His laid-back attempt to take the high road just isn't working.
It was all very noble and everything to try to be bipartisan. It was most excellently un-Bush-like to actually ask Congress to try its hand at legislating. It was admirably high-minded to attempt conciliation, to adopt a professorial role, and stay at 30,000 feet.
But no more. The Republican Party and the national discourse have been hijacked by unhinged zealots. The Democratic congressional leadership has shown itself to be incoherent, incapable and corrupted. So for Obama, it's either time to fight back or give up.
Obama could, I guess, back off on everything remotely controversial in his health care proposal, throw the public option and universal coverage and end-of-life counseling overboard, and try to get everyone to find common ground. But even that wouldn't appease his critics. They won't stop fighting just because he does. Their goal is for Obama to lose.
Alternately, Obama could commit himself to some specifics, call out his critics, and remind people why all this is so damned important.
Here's one thing he could say: I'm not going to chase after the crazies on the right anymore. I cannot do business with these people, try as I may. I reach out and they accuse me of being a socialist who wants to pull the plug on grandma. read more here....
President Obama needs to knock this out of the park, but will he? Are we going to hear more of bipartisanship? Which is NOT WORKING. He needs to have a fire in his belly and talk plainly to the American Public. Because right now, everyone is suspect of what will happen but more importantly, what he stands for.
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9:20 PM
Labels: barack obama, congress, healthcare, public option
Roger Simon hits the nail on the head about Obama and the public option (Video)
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8:46 PM
Labels: chris matthews, hardball, healthcare, msnbc, public option
Van Jones could be TOAST
Van Jones is Obama's Green Jobs adviser. The Glenn Beck folks have been going after him because he was associated with Color of Change, an organization which has been successful in having advertisments withdrawn from Beck's show after he called the President a 'racist'.
If all this is true, which looks like it may be, expect Jones to step down.
President Obama's "green jobs" adviser could become a mounting liability for the Obama administration, as the latest revelation about Van Jones shows his belief that the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks may have been an inside job.
Jones joined the "9/11 truther" movement by signing a statement in 2004 calling for then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and others to launch an investigation into evidence that suggests "people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war."
The statement asked a series of critical questions hinting at Bush administration involvement in the attacks and called for "deeper inquiry." It was also signed by former Rep. Cynthia McKinney and Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans.
The discovery comes after Jones had to apologize Wednesday night for "offensive words" he uttered in February when he called Republicans "assholes." He said the remarks "do not reflect the views of this administration" and its bipartisan aims.
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6:13 PM
Labels: color of change, glenn beck, Obama Administration, van jones
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Levi Johnston spills the beans on Sarah Palin in Vanity Fair (Video)
h/t Pam's House Blend for the video:
Yes, Levi is not only getting PAID but putting all the trashy dirt out in the street on Sarah Palin. Is anyone surprised? Please, we knew what she was all about when she hit the campaign trail. And she is doing it in style by making millions of dollars and soon to leave Alaska for GOOD. Once you taste the lower 48, Alaska just ain't that great. And Sarah has shown her true colors on THAT ONE.
The Palin house was much different from what many people expect of a normal family, even before she was nominated for vice president. There wasn’t much parenting in that house. Sarah doesn’t cook, Todd doesn’t cook—the kids would do it all themselves: cook, clean, do the laundry, and get ready for school. Most of the time Bristol would help her youngest sister with her homework, and I’d barbecue chicken or steak on the grill.
[snip]
Sarah told me she had a great idea: we would keep it a secret—nobody would know that Bristol was pregnant. She told me that once Bristol had the baby she and Todd would adopt him. That way, she said, Bristol and I didn’t have to worry about anything. Sarah kept mentioning this plan. She was nagging—she wouldn’t give up. She would say, “So, are you gonna let me adopt him?” We both kept telling her we were definitely not going to let her adopt the baby. I think Sarah wanted to make Bristol look good, and she didn’t want people to know that her 17-year-old daughter was going to have a kid.
[snip]
Sarah was sad for a while. She walked around the house pouting. I had assumed she was going to go back to her job as governor, but a week or two after she got back she started talking about how nice it would be to quit and write a book or do a show and make “triple the money.” It was, to her, “not as hard.” She would blatantly say, “I want to just take this money and quit being governor.” She started to say it frequently, but she didn’t know how to do it. When she came home from work, it seemed like she was more and more stressed out.
And of course, she did just that. She took the money and RAN.
Read it all here, the Vanity Fair article
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11:55 PM
Labels: levi johnston, sarah palin, vanity fair
Public Option, "off the table...." (Video)
Again, if this happens Democrats will have a tough time in 2010.
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Posted by
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9:32 PM
Labels: cnn, healthcare, Obama Administration, public option
Incoming President Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO, "...no public option, no help to the democrats" (Video)
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5:43 PM
Labels: AFL-CIO, Democrat, healthcare, msnbc, public option, Richard Trumka
President Obama to address Joint Session of Congress, September 9, 2009, all about the health care battle
This is about explaining to the public, FINALLY, what President Obama and Democrats want for health care reform.
This comes as the White House has been signaling publicly that they are ready to take charge of the health care debate.
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3:09 PM
Labels: barack obama, congress, healthcare, joint session of congress
Obama to talk health care reform at AFL-CIO picnic
This is important.
Why?
Because labor has already given a shot across the bow, no public option, no boots on the ground for any Democrat that votes against it.
Is the Obama White House waking up from a long month's sleep? We will see.
President Barack Obama will unveil a retooled campaign for his health care overhaul on Labor Day at a massive union picnic in Cincinnati.
Obama will attend the AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Day shindig at Coney Island, an old amusement park on the Ohio River, accompanied by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka.
No word yet on content, but the president’s supporting cast could offer a clue. Last month, Trumka warned Democrats that union forces would sit out the next election if they passed a health plan that did not include the so-called public option, a government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers.
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2:09 PM
Labels: AFL-CIO, barack obama, healthcare, labor day, public option
Will Obama kick us to the curb?
I have to ask this from reading this from Politico:
On health care, Obama’s willingness to forgo the public option is sure to anger his party’s liberal base. But some administration officials welcome a showdown with liberal lawmakers if they argue they would rather have no health care law than an incremental one. The confrontation would allow Obama to show he is willing to stare down his own party to get things done.
I am just going to say this, I don't know what President Obama will do, but with the personnel in his administration, killing the public option will not make any of them cry. And I won't be surprised if this happens. This is about getting the independents back and taking a chance that whatever anyone has to say on the left doesn't matter, at this time. The strategy is that we will be there regardless. That is the plan from how I see it. And from TPM about the public option:
That means that Obama will, again, not be insisting on a public option--a development (or a non-development) that's sure to give his progressive base some heartburn.
Yes, we do have heartburn over what we don't know because of the quasi-vagueness from the White House. But personally, I think it is wrong to gut the public option, if it comes to that. Barack Obama and the Democrats falling poll numbers is their fault, not ours. Their lack of explanation in plain speak to the American Public is their fault. Their lack of clarity and cohesiveness is their fault. Their vagueness of what this health care bill will be is their fault. Their lack of response during the month of August is their fault. Their lack of organizing until the last minute is their fault. Yes, it is their fault. We did what we could do, but in the end it is their fault for not having a bill to promote, explain, and guarantee to the American Public. Yes, their fault. Again, I state this because we, us, the voters or supporters did all we could. We went to town hall meetings, we contacted our representatives, we blogged, we did everything but in the end we don't have that big bully pulpit that the President of the United States has, which is finally going to be use next week. And he did do 3 town hall meetings, but did he say anything? Sure, he stated that he wants a public option, but will that be what we get? Not in this statement, again unclarity and uncertainty. Sure, some will say "it's Politico, unnamed sources", yes it is but we all are smart here, you don't float this out there unless there is a reason. And how is one to keep an open mind when you are confronted with changes about health care daily?
“We have been saying all along that the most important part of this debate is not the public option, but rather ensuring choice and competition,” an aide said. “There are lots of different ways to get there.”
The timing, format, venue and content of Obama's presentation are still being debated in the West Wing. Aides have discussed whether to stick to broad principles, or to send specific legislative language to Capitol Hill. Some hybrid is likely, the officials said.
Well, I don't know about you but for me, if we don't have a viable public option what will we have? I see the insurance companies, as usual, benefiting from this in the end. If we see mandatory mandates, that means that insurance companies will benefit. Sure, we will see the pre-existing condition eliminated; it will be because that is not a win-win for the insurance company. The industry will cede that point, but not the public option. And we saw that for the month of August as we got hammered by the GOP operative. Hey, I give them thumbs up; they were able to confuse the shit out of the American Public to the point that NO ONE understands what a public option is? And whose fault is that? Sure some will say the media, but we already have been through this show and know the media would never be an honest broker. The sheer fact is that we were not organized, prepared and on the same page throughout the party for what health care reform meant to all of us, for that we lost this battle. And for all of us to remember, Obama spoke continuously on lowering prescription drug costs, only to cut a deal with Big PhRma, which means that the government is not allowed to negotiate overseas for cheaper prescription medication prices. That right there got me angry. Why? Because this is just what the Bush Administration did with Medicare D and Obama talked about this continuously, only to turn around and do a sweetheart deal in the heat of the night. Sad, but true.
If this administration wants to stare me down, go ahead. In the meantime, remove me from your DNC, DCCC, DSCC and Obama databases. Don't expect me to pound on doors, make phone calls, talk to neighbors, etc. Just don't expect me to do it. All you will get from me is a vote, because I am a Democrat, but anything else, forget it. I am not going to play the stare down game, just so the Obama Administration can look tough over its own base. I am not going to do it. I will just remove myself from their equation and let them get folks fired up and ready to go. I am sure they can do it; they have all the smart people in the White House that got them to 50% polling numbers and sliding. So, let them figure it out.
Lastly, Barack Obama campaigned for change, but more importantly health care reform was a passion of his during the campaign. He invoked his dying mother in this debate and her argument with the insurance companies not treating her until her dying days. He of all people should know how important this is to millions of Americans. The public option is a choice, not a demand, but this White House has not promoted or sold it to the public as they should have. What happened is that the whole month of August was ceded to the other side and now everything is reactionary.
I await President Obama's speech next week and I hope I am satisfied. I already knew with a clear head that I would not like everything coming from this White House, but the reality is much of his agenda, thus far has been whittled away. But again, who am I to talk, I am not one of the smart people inside the bubble.
Cross-posted @ Daily Kos
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1:55 PM
Labels: barack obama, Democrat, GOP, healthcare, insurance compaines, lobbyists, Obama Administration, public option, Republican, white house
In case you missed it: Is Whitney ready for a comeback? (Video)
Her voice cracks, while singing Chaka Khan's signature song, "I am every woman".
I wish her well, but for me and the songs I have heard from her on the radio, is definitely not the old Whitney. This is what drugs will do to you.
Source
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10:47 AM
Labels: abc, good morning america, Whitney Houston
From Keith Olbermann, the right winged are trying to get the President killed (Video)
I don't care who you are, in the end after listening to these teabaggers, birthers, right winged extremists, you can not help but wonder do they really want the President killed. All this white noise out here is not good for this country and just rev up the racists and bigots in this country. Case and point, all these people have grabbed either Barack Obama is not a citizen to healthcare to hide behind these excuses to exude how they really feel and it is plainly racist. Saw this on Keith last night and sadly, this is how I feel in the back of my mind. Keith with Dan Savage.
MSNBC Video
Transcript
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Posted by
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10:14 AM
Labels: birthers, GOP, keith olbermann, racists, Republican, right-wing extremists, teabaggers, transcript
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
President Obama's Remarks before Ramadan Dinner (Video)
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10:55 PM
Labels: barack obama, ramadan, white house
Rachel Maddow's interview with Tom Ridge, former Bush Administration's Homeland Security Secretary (Video)
Very good interview, especially with the book coming out by Ridge and his criticism of the Bush Administration.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
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9:48 PM
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Obama losing independents, new CNN poll (Video)
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8:50 PM
Labels: barack obama, cnn, poll
Good Grief, finally some specifics from President Obama on health care reform
Damn, it took a whole month, dropping of poll numbers, vagueness, confusion, miscommunication and out right lies for President Obama to finally say what he wants in the health care bill.
I want to get excited, but right now I am non-chalant. I want health care reform and know that it is needed but I expected the President and Democrats to perform, better yet, EXPLAIN to the American Public why this issue is crucial and needed. That has not happened.
I am glad that President Obama is finally saying something, but this is not how you communicate to the American Public about an issue that is crucial and dear to you, as President Obama has repeated during the campaign.
Well, we ceded the whole month of August to the GOP and their operatives. Hats off, they did a hell of a job in confusing the whole country and scaring the elderly to death. Yes, the elderly in recent polling do not trust Obama's health care reform, probably because they as me don't know what he wants.
And the public option? Sounds like a bunch of mumbo, jumbo to me, in other words he is not totally committed to it (from what I read) and don't expect to hear that absolute from him.
He will insist upon a mechanism to cut costs and increase competition among insurance companies -- and perhaps will even specify a percentage rate -- and he will say that his preferred mechanism remains a government-subsidized public health insurance option, but he will remain agnostic about whether the plan must include a robust public option. Officials won't say whether the president intends to endorse a specific "trigger" mechanism if the competition mechanism fails, but they say he will make it clear that the final bill must contain language that increases competition.
What does that mean? I really hope President Obama comes out in lay man's speak about what he wants in the health care reform bill, not that Washington, D.C., professorial speak. If he does, the regular joes and josettas will walk on by and not pay attention.
Lastly, I agree with Jed over @ Daily Kos:
Purely in political terms, if the White House's goal is to generate enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that sort of approach won't cut it. If they want to excite the base -- and as kos showed earlier, they need to -- then they will need to come out more strongly for a public option, because it is the only mechanism that anybody has proposed that will meet his stated objectives.
Yes, if President Obama comes out with that approach, many will just WALK ON BY. I don't know what is wrong with this White House, are the Obama Adminstration so caught up in D.C. and the bubble that they don't get it? Continuing like this will not help much.
But who am I? I am just an activist that worked her ass off for this campaign to see this shit happen.
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Posted by
icebergslim
at
7:25 PM
Labels: barack obama, healthcare, Obama Administration, public option
Folks are very SOUR on the Afghanistan War
So, am I.
Look, getting Osama bin Laden would be GREAT, but it has not happened under George W. Bush and who knows if it will happen under Barack Obama. One thing is crystal clear, with the economy in a free fall, folks out of jobs at record clip, who cares about Afghanistan? I don't mean to be harsh, but really this shit has been going on for 8 years. We don't have the manpower, we have not fired Blackwater or Halliburton's militia force because as wrong as they are, we need them. This country has spent billions on a bullshit war in Iraq with not a THING TO SHOW FOR IT, and we are supposed to continue to spend the money like this in Afghanistan?
More than anything, this war will cripple Barack Obama, in my opinion. The public is not feelin' anything with war attached, though it was Bush's problem towards the end of his term, it was Obama's decision to continue on in Afghanistan.
When will all of this end? And what about the money we are spending daily, weekly, monthly, yearly?
Eventually, it all needs to come to an end.
CNN Poll
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Posted by
icebergslim
at
6:00 PM
Labels: afghanistan, cnn, Obama Administration, poll






