POTUS thanks Progressives for Their Advocacy.

[Clio the Leo]

Obama Tells Liberals Public Option Doesn’t Have Votes

* In a private meeting at the White House this afternoon, Obama told a roomful of House Dems he doesn’t think the votes are there to pass the public option, and urged them to take the long view and to support the Senate bill as merely the beginning of reform, Dem Rep Lynn Woolsey tells me.

Also: Obama thanked the assembled, mostly liberals, for their ongoing insistence from the left over the months that the bill be improved, Woolsey says. “He thanked us,” she recalled. “He said the bill wouldn’t have been nearly as good as it is if we hadn’t advocated.”

Woolsey, the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who was present with around seven or eight other liberals, says Obama compared the health reform fight to the passage of Social Security and Medicare.

“He was very clear: He thought this was as good as it’s going to get,” Woolsey said, referring to the plan to pass the Senate bill and fix it via reconciliation.

“He encouraged us to understand that this is the beginning of health care reform, not the end of it — and that we will fix it later, as we have with Social Security and Medicare,” she continued.

“He doesn’t believe the Senate has 51 votes for the public option,” Woolsey said, characterizing Obama’s remarks to the assembled.

But Woolsey says she’s now a definite Yes on the Senate bill, provided the reconciliation fix is adequate, even if it lacks a public option.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/terrorism/obama-tells-liberals-public-option-doesnt-have-votes/

[ShortnFiery]

1. The Senate Bill stinks. Please do not thank either Progressives or Liberals.

I want no part of it. :(

[FrenchieCat]

3. POTUS wasn't speaking to you,

and there isn't any doubt that you didn't do squat.

[cliffordu]

10. Well, you didn't do anything to move it along, so

you don't deserve any part of it.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Because he made it clear early on that it was disposable. nt

[CoffeeCat]

4. We know it's possible for a President...

...to aggressively advocate for something, because George Bush
went hells bells all over the country, trying to convince us
to privatize social security.

Bush held tightly controlled press conferences, town halls and
big media events--touting the benefits of privatizing. He usually
had senators and congress critters with him--backing him up.

What a PR coup it was. There were events in dozens of states,
a big plan with talking points and slogans.

Thank my lucky stars, Bush's plan failed--but geez, at least he
got out there and gave it his best effort.

Kinda hollow--hearing that something failed, when you never really
advocated for it in the first place.

[mkultra]

5. kind of proves the meaninglessness doesnt it.

[boppers]

19. Please define the word "on"

As in "I didn't marry you on the premise of being rich".

Now apply it to "I didn't campaign on the public option".

[Cha]

6. Yay!

Thank you Liberals~

[denimgirly]

7. One day Liberals the world will take you seriously.

Washington might spit on you but the people still love you and one day the people will have their say.

[progressoid]

8. So basically at best we have a centrist White House.

“He said the bill wouldn’t have been nearly as good as it is if we hadn’t advocated." So without us progressives this bill would have been an even bigger travesty.

That's fucking pathetic.

[babylonsister]

13. Would you prefer to return to the good old days of a r/w WH? I wouldn't.

And good luck ever getting a self-described progressive elected-ain't gonna happen.

I'm pretty happy and grateful with who is running the show now. My BP thanks me.

[denimgirly]

14. Some days i think the good ole days haven't actually ended.

[babylonsister]

16. So sorry you missed the past few years on DU. You'd realize

how infinitely worse it was under a r/w admin. This ain't nothin' in comparison.

[Lugnut]

9. SS and Medicare are fixed?

I beg to differ. SS COLA criteria falls very short in providing seniors with real world annual increases. Medicare still fails to cover one's whole body. You know - the one that includes eyes and teeth. Medicare's reimbursements are so shabby a countless number of physicians refuse to accept Medicare patients. If that's fixed I'll eat my hat.

:grr:

[Sebastian Doyle]

15. Once the DLC is done with them, they'll both be fixed

...in the same sense that your doggie is when you get his balls snipped off. :(

[babylonsister]

17. Funny, for all their faults, I wish I was old enough to qualify for

either of them, since I will soon have nothing. Seems to work pretty well for a lot of people. :shrug:

[Lugnut]

18. I can't imagine not having both of them.

They are not what they could be.

When you're facing higher utility bills and property tax bills, gas prices heading for $3 a gallon, higher drug prices and premium increases for the Medicare supplemental coverage you must have the no COLA increase for 2010 and 2011 is causing real hardships for seniors and the disabled. Getting older or being disabled are hardships by themselves without adding additional burdens that are beyond your control.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Robeson]

12. This has been awesome theater.

[yurbud]

20. since it's going to be done through reconciliation, it's a lack of DEMOCRATIC votes

did he even try to twist their arms?