Harry Reid states it was a waste of time dealing with Olympia Snowe

Hello!!! Everyone was saying that from the GIT GO!!! Why has it taken so long for the White House and even members of congress to get it? The Republican Party is not going to be an honest broker about anything with the name OBAMA attached. Can we put this to bed and say we won't deal with the Republicans going forward? Geez, dumber than a box of rocks? You think?

"As I look back it was a waste of time dealing with [Snowe]," Reid is quoted as saying in a forthcoming New York Times Magazine piece, "because she had no intention of ever working anything out."

That's a harsh but understandable assessment. The White House was banking on Snowe's support for months, both as a means of securing conservative Democrats' support for the bill, and as a failsafe, in case Reid came up short on votes in the Democratic caucus. But after supporting the Senate Finance Committee's reform proposal, Snowe was hesitant to support major changes to the legislation, which Reid needed to make to keep the progressive wing of his caucus from defecting.

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Tim Pawlenty all for "litmus tests" to be a conservative (Video)

I saw this on morning joe. Governor Tim Pawlenty has joined the Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck fraction of the Republican Party, he is a straight up "teabagger". Listen to what he says of Olympia Snowe or does NOT say.

Read more, here.

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I am just sick of it.

The rumors, innuendos, uncited sources, cited sources, blanket statements, vague statements, speeches, the word "public option", Olympia Snowe, scurred Democratic Senators, fierce House Progressives, The White House and Barack Obama.

Yes, I am sick of all of the above.

Why?

Because in the end, as of today, we still don't know what the hell will happen.

I have been laid back the past few weeks, getting myself back in the work mode, but have not stopped following the biggest spectacle that does not have its own television show, "The Public Option Drama Hour".

Yes, the public option show.

There is a diary on the recommended list that states everything that I feel, by AdamGreen, my utter confusion, still.

At this point, everyone who frequents Daily Kos and has followed the congress knows which Democrats side with the public option being included in the final bill and which Democrats do not. We know that.

My frustration is at the White House and why we need to have Senator Olympia Snowe to sign off on any final health care legislation? I have YET, to hear the White House explain this in reality terms, when the fight is amongst ourselves, the Democrats.

Is the word bipartisan that important to President Obama and the Obama White House? If it is, I have news for you, "One vote from a Republican does not make it bipartisan. It makes it a joke if you try to tout it as such." Is the Obama White House getting this message? Are the light bulbs on at that joint? I don't think so.

The public wants a government run public option. The public wants competition with insurance companies. The part of AdamGreen's diary which has President Obama stating the following, "..the bill that you least like in Congress right now. The one you least like, of the five that are out there, would provide 29 million Americans health care....", bothers me tremendously. The Baucus Bill gives cover, a hand slap, more business to one industry, the health insurance industry. No one should be jumping out of their seats for THAT.

I have yet, to hear anything from the Obama White House on triggers. I mean, where do they stand, EXACTLY, when triggers are in play? I ask this because as they continue to want Senator Olympia Snowe, a.k.a., President Snowe around here, to be the lone Republican vote then they must have a trigger. I have yet to hear any denouncement of this option. That should be a concern for everyone around here. Remember, Medicare D, the disastrous prescription drug plan has a trigger and has YET to be used and the costs for prescription drugs have continued to skyrocket. The insurance industry knows how to get around this, so why would anyone expect them to not get around any legislation with a trigger for a public option?

Many were upset at Huffington Post calling the Democrats "Leaderless" over the weekend in their headline. I was kind of stumped on that one, but obviously there is a fight going on here. Why? Because it is Washington, DC and everyone is not on the same page in the White House over this public option. This is how leaks, unnamed sources, etc., comes to fruition. Bullshit leaks are easily denounced, but the ones that continue on the same line, theme are the ones to watch out for and it all is about Olympia Snowe, trigger, and opt-out. That is what you need to follow. And we all know this because it happened on the Bush Administration watch when the leaks became a flood and the real truth was exposed.

Lastly, President Obama will sign a bill with a public option, he has always supported it, but the problem is that he never thought the public would embrace it. The public has embraced it and expects it and that is his problem while he continues to want a bipartisan bill. Newsflash, President Obama, as long as you are at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, don't expect the Republicans to support JACK, so the sooner you realize this the better. The public gets it and don't blame you for your efforts, we applaud it, but at this point we don't give a mickey-fick about a bipartisan bill, we just want the final bill with a PUBLIC OPTION. Not a co-opt, not state only driven, not watered down, but a government run public option exchange.

Please Democrats, Obama White House please understand that, embrace it, get the bill done, over with so we can MOVE ON.

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The citizens of Maine KNOWS that Olympia Snowe is not the President (Video)

The Obama White House is fighting, apparently, if you read tea leaves for that one elusive Republican vote of Olympia Snowe. Why? So, they can say it is a bipartisan bill with ONE REPUBLICAN VOTE. Obama White House, time to get over it. Really, it is. I have decided that the Republicans in congress are not going to vote on JACK for the next 3 years with the name, Obama attached to it. Since the public knows this and we appreciate the Obama White House for wanting to work with Republicans, but since Republicans don't want to work for you, just move on and work for US. It is totally ridiculous to tout any legislation as bipartisan with one Republican vote, we know that and Obama White House, you know that. Move on, make sure a strong, government run public option is available in the health insurance reform bill. If not, well, shoot yourself in the foot. h/t sluggahjells



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Well, the Democrats got Snowe, for now

She will be the only Republican, thus far going forward that will probably vote for health care reform. The biggest question is the public option and after the lobbyists for the insurance industry put out a highly questionable report yesterday about costs going to increase with reform, the Democrats should move forward on everything including the public option.

I saw on television the Republicans looking defeated. I am not cheering about that because the defeat was on the side of the insurance companies and for any individual that has the best damn health care in this country and to be so damn selfish, it is a shame and just sad.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said Tuesday that she intends to vote for the Senate Finance Committee's health care reform package. She cautioned that her vote should be seen as a sign of her faith in the process going forward, not as support for the final package that will arrive on the Senate floor.

"Is this bill all that I would want? Far from it," said Snowe. "Is it all that it can be? No. But when history calls, history calls, and I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress to take every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues of our time."

Snowe's statement came several hours before a scheduled committee vote.

"My vote today is my vote today. It doesn't forecast what my vote will be tomorrow," she said. It does keep her at the negotiating table and at the center of the debate; Snowe risked marginalizing herself if she voted no.

Snowe is well aware of the math. Her vote, she said, comes with knowledge that Democrats don't need Republicans to pass the landmark legislation.

"The majority has the votes. It has the votes in the House. It has the votes in the Senate. So it shouldn't be about the mathematics of vote-counting, but rather the mechanics of getting the best policy," she said.

Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) was thrilled at the news, complimenting Snowe for her "very thoughtful statement. It'll be well remembered and I thank you for it." read more here...

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Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) calls out the Republicans and Olympia Snowe (Video)

And he is right about Snowe, absolutely. h/t MinistryOfTruth



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Excellent public option ad targeting Olympia Snowe in Maine (Video)

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Forget the Republicans of Maine, "No Public Option"

Again, why is this a surprise? After the stimulus bill, did anyone expect any Republican help? This is about the Democrats, and I hope they got the message by now.

Key senators said Sunday the "public option" favored by House Democrats for healthcare is all but dead, but a pivotal Republican said it's not dead enough.

President Barack Obama "should take it off the table," said Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) on CBS's "Face the Nation." "It would give real momentum to building consensus."

Build consensus? What have the Republicans done to build consensus? Absoulutely, NOTHING. But it is ok, for Democrats to continue to cave? Please. We have had enough of that. And this from Susan Collins of Maine.

And Snowe said she could support a so-called "trigger" that would enact the government-run plan to compete with private insurers if the private insurance market fails to become more competitive.

"It is a possibility for bridging the gap at some point in the process," Snowe said.

Snowe's comments and the remarks of other officials Sunday left unclear the direction that the Senate healthcare debate is headed, but put the Senate on a collision course with House Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Snowe is a crucial vote, but the Senate bill she supports includes "cooperatives," not triggers. Other Republicans show little support for the trigger concept. Other Democrats, such as Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), flatly oppose the public option. And Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said there's no way it can pass the Senate.

"It's not gonna pass ... the only thing that has the prospect of passing is in the Senate," Conrad (D-N.D.) told "Fox News Sunday."

Read more here

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Big Whoop! Olympia Snowe, "No public option" out of Baucus Committee

One thing needs to be crystal clear here as we are wavering through this health care reform MESS, Senator Max Baucus' Finance Committee is given some juice for whatever reason out of the Obama White House.

Why?

Good question, here is what I think. A very smart colleague dropped this on me and he is correct. Barack Obama must decide which way he will go with this health care legislation. It is either the Baucus/Grassley route or the Pelosi/Dean route.

That is the real question. This is why this debate is heated. As my colleague stated:

The problem, then, is that it's hard to persuade people to get passionate about the President's agenda when we honestly don't know whether his agenda is what Nancy Pelosi wants or what Max Baucus wants.

If he were to come down on the side of Pelosi, you would see his network energized and an outpouring of enthusiasm as people see themselves as having something to accomplish.

But, the lingering possiblity that he really prefers the least ambitious and meaningful proposal possible--BaucusCare--is going to leave a lot of people on the sidelines.

This is what is going on and that is why the "enthusiasm" is not there. Until we know what this bill will look like, read like, do for the American public, there is not much we can do but wait. Yes, OFA is asking folks to get engaged and do phone banking, attend home meetings, etc. But what are we talking about here? Again, what I do know about the bill is that Obama is not pulling the plug on grandma, the public option is not a government run take over and Obama is not Hitler. Other than that, I do not know any specifics about what the final bill will be.

And Olympia Snowe, the Gang of Six on the Baucus Finance Committee, are we really surprised here?

Olympia Snowe admitted to Andrea Mitchell that the Senate Finance Committee is not even considering a public option in their bill and never had it on the table. She said that the skyrocketing costs of health care are paramount to their bill which is why they are ogling co opts.

Read the rest and view the video here

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