Sen. Bernie Sanders on HCR: This bill is chock full of good things.......

[FrenchieCat]

When asked by Rachel Maddow if he would vote for it even if it doesn't contain a public option.

He didnt' say that what the House just passed was a giveaway to the Insurance Industry. :shrug:

Might he had been including this as a "good thing"? " Repeals the McCarran-Ferguson Act insurance antitrust exemption with respect to health insurance and medical malpractice insurance."
http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AHCAA-MANAGERSAMENDMENTSUMMARY-102909.pdf

So it appears, that no matter his preference for a different kind of bill, he doesn't agree that passing no bill is preferable.


So will the "real" "Pure as driven snow" Progressives (cause I just found out on GD that I am not one of them by about 10 DU posters, cause I dare not be in lockstep with them about the need of starting a new party), throw Saunders under the bus, where I've been thrown?

[DarthDem]

1. ZOMG!!!!!!!!1111 I Voted With Dennis!!!!111

Also tired of the "purist" crowd.

[Muttocracy]

2. scoot over - I'll be looking for Rep. Hinchey under that bus too. nt

[phleshdef]

3. Sanders is just another corporatist like Obama, Dean, Grayson and Weiner.

[stevenleser]

10. You forgot the sarc tag

[phleshdef]

19. Ah, I refuse to use them when its painfully obvious.

Cmon, if you use this site and don't get the sarcasm in a comment like that, you got problems.

[stevenleser]

22. You haven't seen the kinds of things Frenchie and I have dealt with here lately

people saying what you just said and meaning it. Lots of em.

[phleshdef]

28. I wouldn't say I haven't seen it. This place has lost its frickin' mind.

[JNelson6563]

38. +1

lol

[sandnsea]

4. It's okay. I've got coffee and pastries

I've been under the bus for years.

Can't wait for a transcript of Bernie's words.

Those subsidies are really important though. If they aren't enough, people will freak right the fuck out.

[Cha]

5. Somebody doesn't like Sanders..he's been Unrec'd!

I kinda like his style.

What are they going to call their new party? WBPMers? Club for Stagnation?

[Teaser]

6. corporatist

.

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. I missed Rachel's show, but I'll hear what Bernie has to say on Friday

When he's on Thom Hartmann's show for an hour, as usual.

[RepublicanElephant]

8. catch the rerun later tonite at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908

[patrice]

14. Good idea. That's what I'm going to do. We can trust Sanders to tell us straight about this.

Some people are saying Stupak tries to expand restrictions on Federal $$$ for abortions to include birth control. Some are saying 3962 tries to get around the Hyde amendment.

At minimum it looks as though this debate is going to have to revisit what does and what does not constitute a threat to the health of a mother.

Sanders on Hartmann's show would also be a good opportunity for someone to call in and asks him how exactly, once some version of HCR is passed, do we get to re-visit the issues. I hope someone does, because I'll be at work and this is a big question for me.

[Undercurrent]

9. Good for him!

The "cutting off the nose to spite the face" crowd gets on my nerves.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. Maybe its your deoderant

:shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

12. what? That's smells good?

and attracts certain folks?

Could be. Could be.

[rhett o rick]

13. I'm with Bernie. nt

[demwing]

15. Nice bus

roomy underside. Can we have a pot-luck? I'll bring the chips :)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

25. that's nice!

[brentspeak]

16. Where did he say that he would vote for the bill even if doesn't contain a public option?

You somehow failed to include that little bit of information.

You wrote: "When asked by Rachel Maddow if he would vote for it even if it doesn't contain a public option."

...and...? What was his reply?

[Donnachaidh]

20. he did NOT say he would vote for a bill without a public option

Total delusional SPIN.

He stated earlier on the Ed Shultz show that he would NOT vote for a bill that didn't have a strong public option.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

35. He has said this many times

but don't tell that to the DLC apologists, they want Bernie on their side.

[Life Long Dem]

17. When you find this new party let me know.

I'll help throw them under the bus.

[Clio the Leo]

18. What I find amusing.....

.... is how SOME progressives want to ..... ya know ...... stop moving forward.

[Cha]

23. Club for Stagnation.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

41. That's an awesome line.

Brilliantly done.

[Cha]

24. Yeah!

[Bonobo]

21. If you don't love Bernie, take a walk. He is the man. nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

40. Sanders is the guy the DK cultists really should be worshipping.

He actually knows how to get things done while still being every bit the progressive that Kucinich is. That's what makes him (and what made Kennedy and Wellstone) so great.

[CTLawGuy]

26. He's DLC!

oh that's not it, he's just not INSANE.

[Armstead]

27. "It woulkd be very hard for me to vote for a bill without a strong public option"

I just listened to the interview.

He didn't say "No" but he certainly did not say "yes" either.

He is fighting for a real reform bill, and one that is strong as possible.

Bernie is a good politician. He is keeping his options open and not locking himself into a corner. By doing so, he is staying in the game, while leaving open the veiled threat that he might not support a bill that doesn't have a public option. As an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, Bernie has a certain amount of leverage there.

If in the end, he votes for a bill without a public option, I for one won't begrudge him that. He's trying to get things done and he is ultimately going to be pragmatic in a positive sense.

[OneGrassRoot]

29. So, Weiner, Grayson, Howard Dean and Sanders....

are all saying the same basic thing, right?

I like and support all of them individually, but would be hesitant to listen or follow just one in case they are -- like most -- in the pockets of insurance companies or beholden in some way to leadership.

With Howard Dean not even being in office, I especially like to listen to what he says.

The combination of their responses makes this rather bitter pill easier to swallow and helps me adopt the "we have to start somewhere" reality, although all of us obviously prefer a much stronger, more progressive bill.

[Jennicut]

30. It is beyond obvious that almost all the most progressive people in congress

want the health care bill to pass because to do nothing is worse. Only one was against it, Kucinich. And really it is his right as a rep to be against it. But waiting for something better is a crapshoot dependent on elections, public opinion, and how certain Senators and Reps feel that week. Do it now.

[ShortnFiery]

33. No, the way the bill will end up is WORSE. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. eom

[Jennicut]

36. Yes, and sometimes the good intention to take this back up at another time

or start over is good too but can lead to nothing. By 2010, the elections will be upon us. It took months to get this far. In 2010, we will most likely have less then the majorities we have now, making it even harder. Then what? Every time we fail, we get less then what we wanted when we tried. I don't have a good view of politicians and their ability to get big legislation done too often.

[azmouse]

31. K&R

[ShortnFiery]

32. That many Insurance Companies will not have to abide by due to the Grandfather Clauses.

:thumbsdown:

[vaberella]

34. That's my man. He may have his problems all around, but in the end he'll come through. Why?

Because he knows the people need and demand reform even if we're just starting.

[flamingdem]

37. I support Bernie, he's strategic nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

39. Corporatist pig!

:sarcasm:

[SpartanDem]

42. This is why Sanders is one of my favorite people in Congress

he's progressive, but pragmatic. He's been working hard to make to this bill better, while DK was making doom and gloom post about HCR Kos then having the gall to ask for campaign donations and grand standing on the House floor.

[optimator]

43. the cult of personality types here make the flawed assumption

that other people base their political beliefs on what some authority figure believes or even that one would change their beliefs because some politician differs.
It is called fallacy:appeal to authority.

Logical people have beliefs based on the merits of the issue.
And this bill flat out sucks and nobody is going to change my mind just because of their status or authority.

[damonm]

45. I see...

So the fact that Sen. Sanders - who, as an avowed Socialist, is an EXTREMELY unlikely corporate whore - finds things to like in this bill does not lessen your desire to throw out the baby with the bathwater. OK.

[Kolesar]

44. Senator Sanders said the Dems should pass public-option through "reconciliation"

as a means of going around the Sore Filibusterlieberman.

I watched Rachel Maddow last night. More than once. I had insomnia

[mvd]

46. I agree with him on voting for this bill

But I wouldn't vote for a bill without a public option. I'd hold out for more incremental changes like getting the pre-existing condition denials disallowed before voting for a bill with no PO. Progressives can disagree. That's why I see where Obama stands, I see where Kucinich stands, and I see where Sanders stands.