Democratic leaders lose control of Frankenstein legislators they recruited for office

[Better Believe It]

Dem leaders lose control of Frankenstein legislators they recruited for office
By Kathlyn Stone

The $1.1 billion health care bill passed by the House of Representatives by a close 220-215 on Saturday may be a win for the public option but it sacrifices a key component in reproductive health for women, especially for poor and middle-class women.

While some groups like the AFL-CIO and Health Care for America Now celebrated passage of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, others see passage of the bill as a betrayal. If passed into law, a possibility given the more conservative make-up of the U.S. Senate, not only is abortion not covered by the public option, but women with private plans that currently cover abortion care will lose their access to a legal abortion as well.

“While there are some who are satisfied with the health care reform bill that passed in the House of Representatives late Saturday night, I am not one of them,” wrote Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Many of those Democrats that voted for the amendment had faced progressive opponents in their state primaries. But they were undercut and underfunded when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, then led by Rahm Emanuel, opted to throw its substantial resources and financial support behind the more conservative candidate every time. Emanuel, now Obama’s chief of staff, took credit for recruiting candidates and bringing a Democratic majority into the House of Representatives.

Now there’s not much left for supporters of already legal reproductive health care coverage for women than to turn their disappointment directly at Obama.

“President Obama campaigned on a promise to put reproductive health care at the center of his reform plan,” said Richards. “Supporters of women's health voted for him and contributed to his campaign in record numbers — and now it's time for the president to reaffirm his commitment to women's health, and demand that Congress reject any bill that leaves women worse off under health care reform than they are today.”

Please read the complete article at:

http://www.fleshandstone.net/commentary/1677.html

[msongs]

1. maybe dems' sell out of self-avowed principles has only just begun nt

[Umbral]

7. It's been going on for a long time, just ask organized Labor. nt

[Echotrail]

9. Too bad the official Democratic platform isn't legally binding

for those we elect. Maybe we should send them all a copy!

http://www.democrats.org/a/party/platform.html

[roguevalley]

2. Rahm Emmanuel is Dem speak for Karl Rove. I hate them both equally.

[Vidar]

3. Couldn't agree more.

[ej510]

4. Primary these people if we lose those seats so what, it may take republicans destroying this country

in order for us to elect a progressive majority.

[joeycola]

5. A veto threat would be great from Obama but I am not counting on it...

.........“President Obama campaigned on a promise to put reproductive health care at the center of his reform plan,” said Richards. “Supporters of women's health voted for him and contributed to his campaign in record numbers — and now it's time for the president to reaffirm his commitment to women's health, and demand that Congress reject any bill that leaves women worse off under health care reform than they are today.”

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. The voters who elected these Democrats did not want legislators who would be 'controlled' by

Democratic leaders.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Voters were told to vote for the 'D' no matter how flawed, because it was better than the 'R'

and it is our fault for putting blue dogs into office, and it is up to us to not reward the blue dogs with our votes ever again, no matter how many times people come around raising the specter of the 'R'.

We should never vote for candidates that put the corporations ahead of the people.

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. Which Democrats have voted with the Republican caucus more than the Democratic caucus?

:shrug:

[freddie mertz]

8. And Frankenstein defender/deniers of Stupak lose control of the debate.

It's great to see the BIG LIE exposed for what it is, is';t it?