This bill appears to be legislation that the president wanted in the first place

[BigBearJohn]

“This bill appears to be legislation that the president wanted in the first place, so I don’t think focusing it on Lieberman really hits the truth,” Feingold said, as quoted at The Hill.

Feingold said the standards for the bill "could have been higher. I certainly think a stronger bill would have been better in every respect.”

While progressive politicians on Capitol Hill have long grumbled about the president's largely hands-off approach to the health care debate, the complaints became very vocal when the White House appeared to pressure congressional allies to capitulate to Lieberman's demand that the Medicare buy-in be removed.

But Feingold, considered one of the most liberal members of the Senate, appeared to change the channel on progressive anger towards Lieberman, and focused on the president, who has long made it clear he would be willing to support a bill that has no public option for health care.

Feingold is among a number of Democratic progressives who have voiced disappointment with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision to remove the public option, and then the compromise to the public option -- a Medicare buy-in -- from the bill.

http://rawstory.com/2009/12/feingold-obama-health-care/

[DrDan]

1. good for Russ - the WH has turned their cannons away from lieberman and onto progressive D's

turn about is fair play.

[Jamastiene]

2. ...and the circular firing squad remains, well, circular.

Nothing like marginalizing half the party instead of fighting the other party.