"Democrats will pay a price for this..." from Ed Schulz and no public option (Video)

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Union Leaders are not happy about this excise tax on the middle class (Video)

From The Ed Show:



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President Barack Obama don't insult our intelligence

I don't know who coined the phrase, "public option", but Barack Obama campaigned across this country having "health care like congress", which is a government run public option. He may be pissed that many in his base are angry at him for doing virtually NOTHING for the public option, during this health care debacle, but don't get it twisted Barack Obama, words do matter and YOU DID campaign on a public option.

And White House, sometimes you really need to take some damn smart pills. Do you really think people are stupid or somethin'?

Obama said the public option "has become a source of ideological contention between the left and right." But, he added, "I didn't campaign on the public option."

Wow, Barack Obama reality and YOUR WORDS really matter.

In the 2008 Obama-Biden health care plan on the campaign’s website, candidate Obama promised that "any American will have the opportunity to enroll in [a] new public plan." [2008]

– During a speech at the American Medical Association, President Obama told thousands of doctors that one of the plans included in the new health insurance exchanges "needs to be a public option that will give people a broader range of choices and inject competition into the health care market." [6/15/09]

– While speaking to the nation during his weekly address, the President said that "any plan" he signs "must include...a public option." [7/17/09]

– During a conference call with progressive bloggers, the President said he continues "to believe that a robust public option would be the best way to go." [7/20/09]

– Obama told NBC’s David Gregory that a public option "should be a part of this [health care bill]," while rebuking claims that the plan was "dead." [9/20/09]

All I can say is stop the LYING. Yes, this is LYING. It reminds me of a pop song out a few years ago about a man who is having an affair, his girlfriend/wife catches him in the act and he actually told her, "...it wasn't me..." In other words, Barack Obama must think people have forgotten what he said, what his campaign's position was, and that well, we are just stupid or somethin'. To come out and say this? Barack Obama is out of touch with all of us.

Read it all here with links and video of Barack Obama, here

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Barack Obama, the base appears to have lost faith in you.

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

David Axelrod and Ed Schultz on health care insurance reform from morning joe (Video)

Again, I believe this bill will pass, but it will be an insurance welfare bill one that the Obama White House will have to deal with.



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Mr. President, "Your base is leaving you...." (Video)

From the two polls that have come out the past two days, the erosion is from the Democrats. People are angry and this is not the change people voted for. The compromises are going in one direction and it surely is not in OUR favor. And going after Howard Dean? WTH is going on in that White House?

From The Ed Show:



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Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on Barack Obama, a definite MUST VIEW (Video)

Well, not much else is needed to say. Who is out from the Obama Camp defending this "cheesy counterfeit junk bill?" The Democratic Party gave Obama the nomination and worked like hell for him and this party, as we see, the Democratic Party is going after him for his selling out the American Public with this welfare bill for the insurance companies. Barack Obama has a choice fix it or become a one term president.



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Howard Dean, "A Fly in Barack Obama's Ointment"

Former Vermont Governor, Dr. Howard Dean is the man who showed Democrats how to win across the board. This is the formula that Barack Obama's campaign used and expanded on, which allowed Barack Obama to win 9 Bush States, including Indiana and Virginia, two states that have not been won by Democrats in over 40 years.

Now the chickens have come home to ROOST for Barack Obama and his White House, including Rahm Emanuel. We all worked our asses off for Barack Obama and the Democrats. We gave them a mandate, landslide, a healthy number of members of congress. Yes, we did that, because these politicians surely DID NOT. We donated money, blogged, knocked on doors, made phone calls, went to states on "our dime" to volunteer, we did it all because we were fucking fed up!!! Yes, fed up after the 8 years of the Bush Administration and their continuous lies to us, yes we kicked the bums OUT.

Now the chickens are coming home....

When President Obama took office he had a bold agenda and health care was on top. This handling of health care by this president and his White House has been atrocious and if you want to grade anything he gets an "F". It is time to look at this the way it is. We all want President Obama to do well, we want him to be historic down the road, but if this health care insurance reform is one for the books, the historians will also give him a C- to a F. His handling or non-handling has been the most confusing piece in all of this. The continued question of WHY he did practically NOTHING over the summer of the crazed right winged fringe will go down in history and will also be remembered as the "chickens who started to march".

People in this country look to Presidents for leadership, being in-charge, for this issue Barack Obama has been missing in action. There is a reason that he is falling in the polls, it is not just for health care, but for this issue he never conclusively said, "There must be a government run public option. This is the only way to keep your premiums down. This is the only way for real competition." He never said that. And for all his nuance speak, he is paying a price. If President Obama can not say what he means and mean what he says, what good is his words? That is something we all need to think about because we did not vote for this.

Barack Obama campaigned for 2 years saying, "the American Public deserves health care like congress." Wow, what words. Words that resonated with the public. But the fact is that the minute he got into office those words were immediately tossed aside. We watched and found out that this White House made deals in the heat of the night with the pharmaceutical companies and then tried to LIE ABOUT IT, but had to admit it. Barack Obama is doing what George W. Bush did in this instance, that this country is not allowed to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. This point is one Barack Obama campaigned on and chastised George W. Bush on.

Barack Obama's polling numbers are under 50%, you can cherry pick polls but only go to pollster.com, a non partisan polling site that adds all the polling numbers together and you will get that Obama has been under 50 for a while. The new NBC/WSJ poll, confirms it as the ABC/WAPO poll which came out yesterday, also confirms it.

Now, Howard Dean is out saying, "Kill the Bill". I agree, but not on board totally. Why? Because it will be disastrous to the Democratic Party, but if this bill currently in place goes forward, the party will be disastrous anyway.

People are angry with Barack Obama and they have every right to be. He spent all his political capital on this and got nothing out of it. We wanted this to be his spectacular moment, one remembered, but it will be remembered as the most craptacular bill that was ever sold!! Mr. Obama did this to himself. We can argue about "the people around him", but who put "the people around him". Barack Obama got to take this one and own it.

Pissing your base off has proven in these current poll numbers. Some are saying the left is the netroots, but polling agencies don't have my phone number and that argument is silly. What is happening is that the Democratic Base is angry at Barack Obama for doing a 180 on practically everything he campaigned on. Bailing out banks and not helping Main Street gets you an immediate F. Not showing you care and understand people losing jobs but still chummy with bank CEOs gets you an F. Pretending you wanted a public option but waited for the Baucus Bill and standing behind this bill because you must since you cut those DEALS prior, really gets you an F. Stating that this bill brings costs cuts, when in fact the cost cuts are by the American Public purchasing on MANDATE health insurance by these bogus companies, an F. And losing the Democratic base in a record number, F, please.

Barack Obama, wake up. You have the wrong people around you shilling you bullshit. Wake up. People out here are mad at you for their hurt, wake up. You wasted time, energy on a bogus bill that will drag you and the party down further, wake up. If you don't November 2010 will be bloodied and it will all be blamed on you.

WAKE UP.

Dr. Howard Dean on Hardball with that Senator from Louisiana Mary Landrieu:



Dr. Howard Dean on Good Morning America



And Dr. Howard Dean's op-ed in the Washington Post, Health-care bill wouldn't bring real reform

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A must see Arianna Huffington video on President Obama, "..he unequivocally caved in..." (Video)

And the White House think that passing a bullshit bill will bring their poll numbers back up? Please. This is 2009, not 1993. And all the concessions to the pharmaceutical companies are coming back to ROOST.

From The Ed Show


YouTube

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Howard Dean, fight for reform but vote NO on Senate health care bill (Video)

This says it all. The current senate bill is one that could have been written by the insurance industry itself. No public option. No Medicare buy in at 55. But everyone in this country MUST buy insurance, something Barack Obama campaigned against. My thing, again, where are the cost cuts? How will my premiums go down with this garbage? Continued, *crickets*.

From Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Lawrence O'Donnell stands in



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Who the F**K is in charge up there in D.C.? (Video)

It sure ain't the Democrats.

Hell, this past 48 hours has been a damn nightmare.

Then to have the most corporate Democrat of all, Rahm Emanuel, tell Harry Reid to cut the deal with Lieberman? Hell, what is the point?

When will this White House and this Democratic Congress admit the fumbling and jumbling of this health care bill has been gutted since the summer.

Yes, the summer.

Communication is a BITCH. I mean a bitch that won't stray.

When Barack Obama hung on the Senate Finance Bill, continued to give extensions, kept moving the dates, was when we got obliterated in the summer. While our President was having his vacation on Martha's Vineyard, his message or lack of message got destroyed by the GOP, Republicans and Insurance Companies.

Yes, it did.

We sat back for a good long minute watching all these town hall meetings destroying what was a public option. Instead of the White House and Democratic Congress coming up with a plan to explain the public option, as Candidate Obama did so eloquently for 2 years on the campaign trail, "Health Care Like Congress", all of these characters just let it happen. Democrats had no cover, swing district politicians were scared and the President Obama had to have a second Joint Sessions of Congress just to EXPLAIN what he perceives is the health care insurance bill.

At this point, this White House has used ALL its political capital, and need something to campaign on in 2010, even if it is the most shitty bill that we will ever have to swallow. And again, the White House and Conservadems are asking the progressive part of the party to swallow this shit and take it.

Well, I am done. I am not taking shit. This is an outrage. Who the fuck is in charge up there? Obviously, to bow down to the scum of the earth called Lieberman is too much. Where is the conviction at? Where is the strength at? Because right now, I don't see it.

Barack Obama failed to do the one thing he campaigned on, to bring real health care reform. And while many are arguing here, where is the cost cutting at? Where is the saving on my monthly premiums at? Where is the competition or choice at? The meat of this senate bill has been stripped away. You might as well had lobbyists right this shit, yes, and we all wrote diaries and comments when the Medicare Prescription D went down, because lobbyists DID write it.

We have a long way to go, but if the bill we see now end up being it, many are through with Obama and the Democrats. While I see all these diaries up stating to kill the bill is a monumental failure in the fall, we don't have to kill the bill at all. Just let it go out the way it is and many Democrats and all those new voters that came to our side in 2008 will just NOT SHOW UP. And why should they with this atrocity.

Lastly, though I wanted public option for all, in the end I had made my mind up to just get one to start. That public option was so watered down it would only cover 2-6M people in this country and that is NOTHING. But, now taking away that? What is the point for this bill?

I DID NOT VOTE FOR THIS.

And here is King Liberman in all his glory, telling the American People what this deal will be on health care insurance reform. Isn't this just lovely?



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Really, it is time for Joe Liberman to GO. (Video)

I talked about Lieberman, outlined Lieberman, wrote about it here.

This man is a prime example of being all about ME. He is in the pocket of the insurance industries, his wife is a hard lobbyist for the insurance companies, and Joe Lieberman's main purpose is to kill any health care insurance reform. But let us not forget, he was for health care reform, before he was AGAINST it.

Barack Obama made a drastic mistake in saving Joe Lieberman after the election. Drastic mistake. Now the White House is telling Harry Reid to cut a deal with Lieberman. Yes, some will say, "It is not true." But look who runs the White House, Rahm Emanuel. At this point, right now, with the President's numbers in polling going down, with the long drag of legislation that should have been signed by now, if handled differently, this White House wants anything at this point to say, "REFORM". This White House do not want to go through reconciliation, they want 60 votes, and the Democrats need something to run on. Even a shitty bill.

The White House is encouraging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to cut a deal with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), which would mean eliminating the proposed Medicare expansion in the health reform bill, according to an official close to the negotiations.

But Reid is described as so frustrated with Lieberman that he is not ready to sacrifice a key element of the health care bill, and first wants to see the Congressional Budget Office cost analysis of the Medicare buy-in. The analysis is expected early this week.

First the public option, now the proposed Medicare buy in at 55. If the Democrats don't stand up for the people who WANT the PUBLIC OPTION and is relegated to a very weak bill, what is the point is showing up in November?

And to think that people are not thinking about this, think again, they very much are.



More information here

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Public Option looks deader than a rock (Video)

For me, it is about costs and what I have read and heard, so far, this bill does not do it. I like the medicare buy in for folks 55 and above, but it will be expensive until it is in the exchange in 2014. People 27-55 are SOL. And a trigger is in this final bill, but the insurance companies will continue to raise rates and for me, that is business as usual.

Ezra Klein from Washington Post with Keith Olbermann:



And Rep. Lynn Woolsey with Keith Olbermann on LACK OF COMPETITION and how the American Public must by health insurance, meaning GIVING the insurance companies more customers:



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Change we can believe in. Really? (pictures)

I know, I know, I am about to be attacked, but before you do, let's stroll down memory lane.


This sign was downtown Chicago, I actually went downtown just to view this. Being African-American, I can not explain, how proud I was, many of us were.


The NIGHT, at Grant Park in Chicago. Barack Obama won, he is the next POTUS. Before there was Blackwaterdog, Muzikial203, there was me and before ME, there was Al Rodgers. A very happy, jubilant and shocking time. See all the pics, here.


Remember when Barack did Denver? 100K came out. What a memory.


Remember when Barack did the Philly Sprint? The pictures and more important the people, with HOPE in their eyes, came out from everywhere in Philadelphia. This diary, as I remember, I received more personal emails about.

And my weekly, This Week With Barack Obama.

And the CHANGE PLANE:



I wrote a weekly diary following and capitalizing on Barack Obama and his phenomenal campaign. I did this from 2007 through the end of the campaign. I raised over 12K through the Obama Campaign's grassroots fundraiser. Most of the money, from these diaries and the hard fight that was fought, came from people right here on this website, the money came from you. I can not tell you HOW MANY people contacted me, actually gave their max donation through my little link. People telling me to keep going, keep writing, loving the pictures. Many know my story, how I grew up in politics, it was interwoven throughout my life. Yes, me.

Now, I am directly against what the Democrats in congress has done to health care for the people of this nation.

While I am happy that Medicare is now starting for those at 55, what about everyone else? Because I am no where near 55, as many reading this. And the public option?

I am mad, angry at Barack Obama and the Democrats. Why? Because for 2 years Barack Obama campaigned on "Health Care like Congress", but once in office Obama became a cricket. I am angry because if a campaign, YES, campaign was run with this slogan, who in their right mind would DENY IT. This would have been difficult for even the Republicans to deny. Do you think they will actually say, "We don't want the American people to have health care like us!!!"

This issue was too easy to win, but was not used.

I am mad because I watched the leaders in the White House do very little over the summer against the lies and repeated noise that was on television about the public option. Yes, it was utter bullshit, but when you are limited in response, that disinformation just sits. That is what happened. Oh, don't forget we had to listen to President Obama say wonderful things about the Republicans, especially Chuck Grassley, while Grassley continued to turn the knife in our President's back. That was hard to watch, swallow and many became angry that we have a President that continues to PRAISE the very party that will NEVER vote on ANYTHING with his name on it. Sad.

Now we have a public option or bullshit, that will be given to the very entity (health insurance companies) that have destroyed many families, killed many by denying their claims, and will rescission you to your grave. We are suppose to trust a non-profit organization to protect us? Remember, everyone how Blue Cross Blue Shield started, as a non-profit insurance company. We are supposed to trust this? And let us not forget how the Obama White House made secret deals to various health care industries before A BILL was even out there. That deal with pharmaceutical industries was a very bad deal, especially when you try to LIE yourself out of it, but then must come clean. Whatever happened to "know when to hold em' and know when to fold em'?" Because they did not even TRY to negotiate with this industry, especially when Barack Obama ran around this country talking about "heat of the night deals" with this very industry in regards to the Bush Administration. This White House did the same damn thing, as Bush.

Finally, the public option is not recognized any longer. It is a watered down provision that covers about 2-6M people in this country. Which is real bullshit. That is not change anyone can believe in. In fact, expect the insurance companies to laugh themselves to the bank. Yes, bank, because through all of this, we the American Public, MUST purchase health care, while we have gotten screwed (as some believe) through this process.

I worked very hard for Barack Obama and the Democrats. I worked my ass off, many on here KNOW THAT. So, to write I am disappointed is being nice. So, from here on out, I will not give a dime to OFA, DNC, Democrats. I will OPT OUT and choose candidates that I believe will fight for change. I will PICK and CHOOSE who I will support.

I am a Democrat and will DIE one, but Barack Obama and the Democrats in D.C. got in with a mandate vote. The very many, millions, who are young, voted for the first time, disenfranchise voters, cross-over voters, what about them? Because right now, many of these voters feel it is still business as usual in Washington, D.C. and certainly don't represent them. Not for this, not for this watered down health care package.

OK, flame away.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Good-bye public option. The status quo seems to have won. (UPDATE and Video)

This is what I have to say.

President Obama did not do enough to push for the public option. We heard for 2 years that we should have "health care like congress", yet, when it was time to push for it there were crickets from the White House. The public option was an easy sell, yet, this White House allowed the public option to be defined by the very persons they were coaxing, Republicans.

And folks are wondering why Barack Obama's poll numbers are dropping? He needs to look around him and the people he have around him, that is the first start.

Dumb ass Democrats.

Democratic senators say they have a tentative deal to drop a government-run insurance option from healthcare legislation.

No further details were immediately available.

But liberals and moderates have been discussing an alternative, including a private insurance arrangement to be supervised by the federal agency that oversees the system through which lawmakers purchase coverage. Additionally, talks centered on opening Medicare to uninsured Americans beginning at age 55, a significant expansion of the large government healthcare program that currently serves the over-65 population.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) told reporters he didn't like the agreement but would support it to the hilt in an attempt to pass healthcare legislation.

At this point, with the Democrats and the White House having this legislation drag on, of course, they have to support anything and try to call it reform.

Dems, lost some voters on this one,if in the end it is true. And President Obama? Your base? If this is true, kiss them, GOOD-BYE.

More here.

From The Rachel Maddow Show:



(UPDATE)

Now, Harry Reid states the reports are wrong

It just keeps going on........

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President Obama SILENT on the public option (Video)

From the Ed Show with Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA):



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Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), how can you sleep at night? Look at the people from your state!! No health insurance. (Video)

h/t nyceve @ Daily Kos, I only posted a few, view all of them by clicking this link

Blanche, these are your PEOPLE who need desperate medical care, but you continue to side with the corrupt insurance companies. When will you get a spine? More importantly, a damn conscience...











Democrats, we are better than this and this final bill needs to represent that.

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Just give us anything and we will declare victory, this is health care reform

Look, whether you are for single payer, the public option, moderate changes in the health care legislation, everyone on here knows how Rahm Emanuel operates. I am not mad at him, he is who he is. A moderate, corporatist democrat. He was successful in bringing in massive Democrats like, Heath Shuler, to our party. He is a blue dog, so be it.

But saying, "Just give us anything and we will declare victory", sorry that is not enough. In fact it is piss poor.

Everyone take a deep breath because what you imagined or wanted, will not be, not the way and track I see it. Health care will be watered down and the public option, the way it is presented now is a joke. Only covers 6 million people? Do you honestly think that will get any insurance company's attention?

Now Congressman John Conyers comes out very hard on Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel, before anyone says anything about Obama, let's look at the facts and trajectory of this health care bill.

We have been arguing and fighting about this practically since Obama became president. No one on here can argue that the communication, handling and leadership from congress has been the best, it has not been. And we all know that if health care reform was a slam dunk, President Obama would not have needed to do a second Joint Sessions of Congress speech all on health care, after the summer madness.

Today is November 19, 2009. January 1, 2010 starts the mid term election campaigning. Do you think the White House wants this to linger any longer? No, they don't. Right now health care reform is an albatross, one that was handled badly. And to be honest, I understand though I do not agree, why Emanuel will state give us anything. They want this GONE and need something to campaign on, even though it will be a watered down bill.

The 22-term congressman was critical of the White House on fronts beyond just health care. He led off the interview by declaring that he was tied of "trying to stop the war in Afghanistan from surging." He also took several swipes at Emanuel, whom he called, with a slightly derogatory tone, his "buddy."

"That is essentially what Rahm Emanuel has said: Just give us anything and we will declare victory," said Conyers. "Not only is it not a victory, but when it doesn't work, guess who will come at him: the same guys that were saying let's go along with anything... This is all my buddy Rahm Emanuel trying to get anything. But look the bill doesn't go into effect for three years. Many of the people that we are trying to help will be dead by then."

So, again today is November 19, 2009 and that clock is ticking loudly to put this baby to sleep, by accepting anything necessary.

And in the end, the White House will, because the midterm elections will not be won or lost on health care, it will be the economy and lack of JOB CREATION in this country. Look around you, when you have 20M or close unemployed, where do you thing that anger will be at the polls?

No one said it better about the public option than Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR):



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This is not making United Health Care shake in their boots....(Video)

Again, Wyden stated, "...United Health Care has 70M subscribers, now how in the world are you going to hold the United Health people accountable with 6M subscribers, United Health is not going to exactly be quakin' in there boots...."

He is right. The public option needs to be opened to EVERYONE to compete with the insurance companies. Again, this is why the insurance companies do not what the public option for fear that opening it to everyone, will FORCE them to CHANGE.

This is real reform, not the shaky stuff that is coming out of congress. Why even have a public option if it is only for 6M people? Does that make any sense to anyone? Because for me, 6M subscribers for the public option is a joke. That is not even a challenge to the insurance companies, but a laugh and business as usual for a very corrupt industry.

Lastly, everyone should be concerned at the date. Today is November 18, 2009. The longer this drags out, the harder it will be for any real reform in the final senate bill. These congress critters are not going to embrace any progressive platform once January 1, 2010 hits. Why? Because too much money is being paid for NO votes in congress, that is the truth. And because the Obama White House has a much larger task on their plate, the continued rising unemployment numbers in this country and the perceived perception that he is not doing enough. This White House needs to focus on unemployment and job creation in this country, this issue is how you lose in 2010. And health care? It has been dragged out too long, yes there will be a bill but don't expect any huge amount of change but a slap on the hand to these corrupt insurance companies, especially if the public option is designed for only 6M people.



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Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), you should just be ASHAMED. (Video)

Why should she give a damn? She lives in a mansion in the D.C. area, clicking champaign glasses, collecting lobbyists checks and continues to screw her constituents.

This is what we need to get rid of and I don't care what side of the aisle you choose to sit, these type of politicians need to be show the damn door.

Oh, over 700K residents in Louisiana, most WORKING, don't have health insurance. And Mary Landrieu? She has the best that tax payers money can provide.

From Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

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