Odd

[AllentownJake]

When things are going well Dennis is an alien conspiracist who married a child bride to be laughed at.

When things aren't going so well Dennis is the biggest threat to the democratic party ever.

Wish I could someday enjoy such a dichotomy.

[Jim Sagle]

1. Dennis who?

:shrug:

[Ozymanithrax]

2. He never got more than about 2% of the vote. He is a threat to nobody.

What I don't get is the worshipful attitude many have for the guy.

[vadawg]

3. alien mind control, hes magically delicious

[Ozymanithrax]

7. Those damned Kebler Elves are always after me Lucky Charms.

[kratos12]

4. Dennis is a good man but

he is allowing ideological rigidity to trump pragmatism.

His position gives comfort to a Republican minority that is hellbent and giving the average american family NOTHING in the way of HCR.

This bill isn't near perfect or what I personally want, but it's a first step in the direction of reforming the system, killing it basically results in giving up the reigns of government back to the Boehners, Cantors and Grassleys.

Does anybody here think their gonna get a better deal from them?

[Oregone]

5. As long as "pragmatism" is a euphemism for capitulation

[metapunditedgy]

6. More like a euphemism for "paying back the lobbyists for their favors."

Nobody's capitulating.

[kratos12]

8. Snark plus 50 cents will get you a cup of joe

The only thing that ever matters is the votes, Dennis will vote no and thus preserve his own personal ideological purity at the expense of a whole heck of a lotta people.

Feeling superior is a good feeling but it will be of cold comfort for us all as Dennis returns to his role of bitching about an unresponsive Republican majority.

[laughingliberal]

10. Right back atcha, Mr "don't follow politics much, do you?" nt

[laughingliberal]

9. Yeah. We capitulate and soil ourselves at every Blue Dog Asshat who says 'boo'

but a progressive who tries to use some leverage to improve the bill for people is villified on a Democratic website. It is odd.

[kratos12]

12. You say capitulate

yet what mechanism exists to MAKE the Ben Nelson's of the world do what you want them to do?

Nelson, Lincoln, et al are either bought or have made the calculation that this is what they are going to do and there is no real way to change their mind.

Hell, if the Nelson payoff didn't underscore this point I don't think anything will for you.

But please tell me, how does Obama MAKE the Blue dogs do his bidding.

[laughingliberal]

13. As I keep saying, I guess we won't ever know what could have happened if the President had shown up

for the debate back in the summer. Now that we are talking about going reconciliation in the Senate to fix the bill, we don't need the asshat Blue Dogs. When we were debating the Public Option in the summer we were told it was impossible since we needed 60 but only had between 55 and 58 who would vote for it. Well, that means we have the 50 we need to do it under reconciliation, now.

Tell me, why does the President come out and say we don't have the votes for PO under reconciliation when there is still an active campaign to get Senators to pledge to support it? Is calling defeat in the 11th round of the heavyweight championship your idea of a good game plan?

If the deal with PhRMA and Rahm calling liberal, public option advocates 'fucking retarded' doesn't clue you in which side the White House is really on, I don't think anything will for you.

[kratos12]

17. This is why

If Obama came out now solidly behind the PO and made it clear that he would support insertion of a robust PO via reconciliation the Stupaks of the world in the House would refuse to adopt the Senate bill.

It's all about the votes, and as of yet we don't have 50 in Senate and we don't have a majority in the House, at least not for a robust PO.

[laughingliberal]

19. Stupak voted for the HCR bill in the House. It has a public option

Why would he vote against it now?

Whether the votes are there in the Senate or not right now, it is not helpful for the President to come out and declare it dead while there is still an accurate campaign to get the votes in the Senate. I think the votes are there. I think the White House is working double time to dissuade them.

[sabrina 1]

22. The Ben Nelson's are not the problem. The problem is the WH

which is capitulating to the Insurance Industry at the expense of millions of American lives.

When this bill passes and everyone's premiums go up one later later, and every year after that, and we have a Republican majority, maybe then people will wake up.

I wish they would do it now while something can still be done. Dennis is right as always not to allow himself to be influenced by anyone and to do what is right.

I wish we had 300 of him because if we had, no one would be talking about forcing the poor to pay for something they cannot afford and which will still not help them to get health care.

I cannot believe that any Democrat would support a bill that discriminates so blatantly in a matter that involves people's lives.

Have they really grasped what this bill will do? What the poor will be able to afford in this 'marketplace' as opposed to the wealthy? Does wanting your team to win really mean that much? It likes it. Romneycare and Obamacare are Republican ideas and since I've been aware of politics I've never seen a good Republican idea. Dennis is right not to vote a Republican Bill. I would not do it either.

I don't recognize the Democratic Party anymore. The only thing that makes sense and that could have done, is a Single Payer system. But, we have needed real leadership to get it done.

[pscot]

11. The media had been ignoring him

while Bunning and Stupak got all the attention. Now, all of a sudden he's on Countdown. He's important enough for reporters to talk to again. Woowoo.

[laughingliberal]

14. And a hell of a lot better issue to fight for than Bunning or Stupak have.

Republicans or Blue Dogs make a demand and the Democratic response is:

Oh, but wait, it's a Republican and an asshat Blue Dog!!!Hurry! Soil yourself and give them more concessions! woowoo!

[HughMoran]

15. He really did get on TV tonight and stated smugly that he'd have no issue killing HCR

I think this is fair game for him to get his fare share of criticism, don't you? I mean, Obama deserves a night off from the constant barrage of criticism, doesn't he? (I will leave the use of the word "hypocritical" up to the reader.)

[laughingliberal]

16. Gee, if an asshat Blue Dog who wanted the HCR bill to include an outlawing of abortion

went on TV and said that we'd be soiling ourselves and rushing to write that into the bill and Rahm would be in Reid's office overseeing it. Wonder why it's only the progressives who get vilified for trying to use some leverage on behalf of making the bill better?

[kratos12]

18. Overstatement

Not true.

[laughingliberal]

20. 100% absolutely true

Joe Lieberman went on Fox on a Sunday morning and said he would join the Republicans in a filibuster if there was any PO or Medicare expansion in the bill. Rahm was in Harry Reid's office THAT NIGHT ordering Harry to give Joe what he wanted. But don't let the facts get in the way of the talking points.

[Individualist]

21. +1