Greg Sargent's Plumline: More from Kucinich on his decision...

[flpoljunkie]

Update: Kucinich revealed he’d met four times with President Obama, mostly going over his objections, but said he’d been persuaded in part because at one recent meeting he recognized how difficult Obama’s challenge is.

“I left it with a real sense of compassion for our president and what he’s going through,” he said. “We have to be compassionate towards those who are called upon to make decisions for this nation. It’s not an easy burden that he’s taken up.

Kucinich said Obama didn’t make any promises to take up the public option later.

“What he committed to was to continue to work with me on the broad concerns that I have,” he said. “He didn’t make any specific commitment.”

Update II: Kucinich said that ultimately he couldn’t escape the argument that “something is better than nothing.”

“People are looking for some hope that maybe something can be changed,” he said, suggesting that he may have been persuaded by Obama’s frequent argument that passing reform is essential in order to prove to Americans that government is not entirely dysfunctional.

Kucinich conceded that he decided to swallow the bill because failure would be a threat to Obama’s overall agenda. He said he has “a real desire for our president to succeed,” adding that “one of the things that bothers me is the attempt to deligitimize this presidency.”

Kucinich said Obama had offered him nothing concrete in exchange for his vote. “There was no Nebraska or Louisiana type deal,” he said.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/breaking-kucinich-to-vote-yes/

[Clio the Leo]

1. "It's important that we not let this destroy his presidency...."

.... was the very LAST thing he said before leaving.

Interesting comment. Ultimately, we're all in this together.

[ShortnFiery]

4. He's already lost his second term. This is the President Obama's 30 pieces of silver.

It's over. :(

[RollWithIt]

9. Hardly.... nt

[LakeSamish706]

2. I'm disappointed because Obama could have and should have been pressing

for a Public Option and he obviously wasn't. Especially given the fact that they are doing this thing using Reconciliation.

[Walk away]

5. I thought the point was that the bill had to pass as the Senate passed it and

that any changes or additions could be done with reconciliation. That if the original Senate bill failed that most of it would have to be scrapped and we would have to start over without any hope of getting sixty votes.

Bills passed through regulation have to do with the budget and so most of the insurance company regulation would be out the window for good.

Don't they want to pass this bill and then add some more Progressive stuff with 50 votes later?

Maybe I am wrong but this is how it was explained to me.

[ShortnFiery]

3. I'm sure Kucinich's "sense of compassion" for Obama's challenges will be extended by ...

an equal "sense of compassion" by all our respective INSURANCE PROVIDERS?!? :evilgrin:

[jaxx]

6. Rep. Kucinich put his country before himself.

Thank you sir, you stand out on this decision.

There isn't a republican this side of hell who would have had the innate goodness to do what DK did today. I'm very proud to be a Democrat.

[DrToast]

7. Thank you for being reasonable, Rep. Kucinich

[pampango]

8. Pretty impressive. DK believed in and held out for much more, but decided it wasn't going to happen.

He ultimately had to decide between this bill and a "start over" led by republicans particularly after they pick up seats in November.

His take on the bill and its ultimate effect on Obama, while not exactly new, is very interesting coming from him.