and Amy Klobuchar are kissing Holy Joe's ass right now on Chris Matthews. Same old shit about "he's with us on 90%...". They are actually happy that he seems to want to support the health care bill now that he has cut all the balls off it.

The Democrats suck.

The worst thing about the Obama presidency is that it's revealing just how godawful the Democratic party is.  Watching this healthcare clusterfuck has been one of the most embarrassing things I have witnessed in my 62 years as a citizen.  

Did Joe not campaign for a Medicare buy-in option as VP candidate?

"We reported back to hearts what we had seen, and told our footsteps all about where we had been."

I'm thinking someone needs to introduce a banana to his tailpipe...

The Underground Railroad

wow! would like to write something but can't think of anything appropriate that is printable.

Viva Obama

Scary.  If he was told that the left turned against the public option he would likely support it.

Oh, there you are, Perry. -Phineas -SLB-

If that's the case, then I think Markos and Howard Dean are right on the money by saying that we should kill the bill. If they've reached that point, then Joe can assume he's won the ballgame and can vote for the bill.

If hardcore liberals were still championing the good parts of the bill (whatever they may be) then Joe and Marshall "Bullshit Moose" Whitmann would demand that they be taken out as well.

I'm just wondering if Lieberman and Nelson's votes were actually secured by this concession? Or is this another example of Harry Reid making concessions in return for no promises?

He and Reid insisted on doing do this with 60 votes making Joe and other conservative members of the Democratic caucus pivotal.

Obama is revealingly himself to be a cautious incrementalist when the times call for a stronger figure. Too bad.

I'll say it again: start over with single-payer. Attach it to the next bill that authorizes Israel's next handout. And any funding going to CT.

FDR's response to progressive demands: "I agree. Now go out and make me do it."

I think Dean makes the most persuasive case for next steps. http://www.dailykos.com/tv/w/002424/

FDR's response to progressive demands: "I agree. Now go out and make me do it."

And may I just ask the question:  Does anyone think the insurance industry is going to allow itself to be regulated?  

This mealy-mouthed Congress trying to alter how insurers do business is like the little sisters of the poor going up against the Gambino family.  I foresee disaster.  I can picture thousands of claims being denied or simply put on hold with various excuses, e.g., "until the law is clarified" or "X doesn't mean Y" or "that's not how we interpret the new law. . ."  etc.  It's another full-employment act for the lawyers.  

Disaster.

I wonder what the world would be if Ned Lamont had received all the support he needed. What a different world it would be if we had a Sen. Lamont. Traitor Joe is only concerned about himself...Traitor Joe will be responsible for more deaths---due to lack of health insurance--than the cigarette industry.

just in case you forgot:

http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060316/060316_nedlamont_hmed9a.hmedium.jpg

Well, the PharmaDems just killed the Dorgan amendment, including my Senator, Hagan, and also John Kerry in addition to the usual suspects.

50 states, 210 media market, 435 Congressional Districts, 3080 counties, 192,480 precincts

I can live with health care being a "pass it now, fix it later" approach, but worries me is that I'm not hearing anything about how with financial regulatory reform, climate change, jobs bill and all the other things we're trying to get done in our once in a lifetime progressive window that will expire sometime next summer, the strategy will be any different.  Obama and the Senate leadership's strategy continues to be

1) introduce a reform that is already a compromise that while if not welcomed to the existing power structures, at least is not a direct challenge to them and arguably makes them stronger and better off while helping ordinary americans as well (Win-win!)

2). when those existing power structures flex their muscle and join with the GOP and their allies in the Dem Party to water down or kill reform, progressives fight back, while Obama and the Senate leadership ask progressives to make concessions.  

3).  Progresives make significant concessions.  

4).  After Progressives have made concessiosn, the existing power structures and their Congresssional allies flex their muscles again and this team, Rahm and the entire power of the presidency leans on progressives to buckle once again.

5) Reform/legislation passes which is welcomed and beneficial to existing power structures.  

Somebody please tell me that the White House and Senate leadership have a plan to make sure this doesn't happen again.  This is what I really care about: what will be different next time important legislation will be on the line.  If its going to be the same story, obama won't have progressives to fight his battles for him.  The cynic in me thinks perhaps Obama really intends to just be Clinton for 8 years and he doesn't mind if he assumes that role early and often by sending a powerful message that he doesn't consider progressives his allies.  

Obama thanked Lieberman privately for his statement issued earlier Tuesday pledging support for the bill as long as the Medicare expansion and public option were eliminated from the bill, Lieberman said

Good to know Obama is happy with Joey boy.

Why is anyone surprised that this corrupt Congress can not and will not pass a decent health care bill?  Most of the legislators know which hand feeds them, especially at election time, and that hand does not belong to progressives.  Face it folks, in this culture money talks.  Look at how smoothly and swiftly the banksters of Wall Street got bailed out.  Do you think it might have had anything to do with the big campaign contributions they made to that corporate suit from Illinois?  So with the legislative and executive branches of our national government compromised, I think the ordinary people of America should be ready to be screwed again and again.  Isn't it great to live in the greatest nation on earth?

Be bold, for boldness conquers everything.