Why isn't Obama demanding that a strong public option be included in any bill? n/t

[brentspeak]

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Maybe that was part of the deal he made in closed-door discussions

with the insurance companies before the bills even came to the floor?

:shrug:

[IndianaGreen]

9. Bingo! And he won't own up to the truth to the people that elected him

NY Times Reporter Confirms Obama Made Deal to Kill Public Option

Miles Mogulescu
Entertainment attorney, writer, and political activist
Posted: March 16, 2010 12:57 PM

For months I've been reporting in The Huffington Post that President Obama made a backroom deal last summer with the for-profit hospital lobby that he would make sure there would be no national public option in the final health reform legislation. (See here, here and here). I've been increasingly frustrated that except for an initial story last August in the New York Times, no major media outlet has picked up this important story and investigated further.

Hopefully, that's changing. On Monday, Ed Shultz interviewed New York Times Washington reporter David Kirkpatrick on his MSNBC TV show, and Kirkpatrick confirmed the existence of the deal. Shultz quoted Chip Kahn, chief lobbyist for the for-profit hospital industry on Kahn's confidence that the White House would honor the no public option deal, and Kirkpatrick responded:

"That's a lobbyist for the hospital industry and he's talking about the hospital industry's specific deal with the White House and the Senate Finance Committee and, yeah, I think the hospital industry's got a deal here. There really were only two deals, meaning quid pro quo handshake deals on both sides, one with the hospitals and the other with the drug industry. And I think what you're interested in is that in the background of these deals was the presumption, shared on behalf of the lobbyists on the one side and the White House on the other, that the public option was not going to be in the final product."

Kirkpatrick also acknowledged that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina had confirmed the existence of the deal.

This should be big news. Even while President Obama was saying that he thought a public option was a good idea and encouraging supporters to believe his healthcare plan would include one, he had promised for-profit hospital lobbyists that there would be no public option in the final bill.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/ny-times-reporter-confirm_b_500999.html

[LibDemAlways]

26. Honesty and principles are two things sorely lacking in politics.

Obama, unfortunately, is just another two-faced politician, participating in a backroom deal to fleece the public. It's shitful, but short of insurrection, which Americans don't have the stomach for, we're simply screwed.

[gravity]

2. Because he doesn't have the votes in Congress nt

[Windy]

5. +100 for truthtelling! nt

[brentspeak]

6. So, what's the point of this bill?

[treestar]

10. ding, ding!

I remember Congress, which was to be a co-equal branch of government, not answerable to the President, or any "strong-arming."

[IndianaGreen]

11. That's the talking point from the Ministry of Truth

Obama himself admitted he killed the public option during his recent interview on Faux.

[gravity]

12. Because he didn't have the votes in Congress

If you want someone to get mad at, get mad at Joe Lieberman

[Donnachaidh]

15. because he doesn't WANT a public Option -- he kills them!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/whos-killing-the-public-o_b_334372.html

Talking points cover the fact that O and Rahm made a back room deal to kill any PO.

[The Hope Mobile]

54. +1 nt

[Kalun D]

35. BULLSHIP

they had reconciliation, they are using it now, they could have used it then

[boppers]

17. Obama can't kill anything the supermajority wants.

Veto doesn't work that way.

[krawhitham]

21. [phone]

[pampango]

46. Exactly. With 178 republicans, 54 Blue Dogs (there's a majority) plus numerous other

conservative and moderate Democrats who tremble when they hear "socialized medicine", single payer or a national health service (as much as we want one) wouldn't stand a chance unless we believe that the magic of our ideas will win the day despite the nature of congress.

[GreenArrow]

50. That's the excuse, but not the reason. n/t

.

[katandmoon]

3. It would be to the detriment of the health insurance industry

[mucifer]

4. There is supposed to be a vote on this in a few months. Maybe that is the deal he made

with Kucinich.

[denimgirly]

18. Bets are this doesnt happen. At least not for 5-10 years

[subterranean]

7. He hasn't been demanding that since last spring.

Why would he suddenly start demanding a strong public option now? He's made it clear for months that he doesn't think it's important.

[treestar]

8. Why? If it were there you'd still be complaining

It's insurance, not care.

You would have to pay a premium.

You'd still be complaining.

[Mojambo]

13. Because he was bullshitting about it when running for President.

It's a broken campaign pledge. Period.

[PolNewf]

14. Because he was banging his head against a brick wall n/t

[sabrina 1]

16. The Private Insurance Industry paid out

hundreds of millions of dollars to make it go away. Obama himself got over $20 million from them. They placed their bets on Democrats this time. McCain only got one third of that. He wasn't as good a salesman.

Some information on how the Ins Ind. worked and paid to stop a PO from being part of Health Care Reform:

http://hcfan.3cdn.net/a9ce29d3038ef8a1e1_dhm6b9q0l.pdf

Insurance industry officials see great opportunity in serving government-run programs because other
markets are not growing. That is because private buyers of insurance are steadily being priced out of
the market. During 2009, the five insurers boosted enrollment in government-subsidized programs
administered by private plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, by 688,000. Medicaid growth is the
biggest single driver of increased national health spending, according to a study released Feb. 4
by the policy journal Health Affairs.

The Obama administration has just handed them soaring profits for the foreseeable future, with public money, as they will now get to control the subsidies we keep hearing about, which political operatives neglect to be honest about. We could have had a Single Payer system that would have cost far less with them OUT of the picture. So, why did Democrats do this?

It was a brilliant maneuver. A Republican dream that Democrats have made come true. It cost them a lot, but they will be well rewarded with our tax dollars as well as the premiums that some will still be paying as soon as this bill passes.

[denimgirly]

19. Recall: the House passed a Bill w/PO and the Senate had 50 votes for the PO..but it was STILL killed

Why? Because Money swings all votes. Corporations paid out and the politicians listened...again

[Aramchek]

20. This bill is about to pass with flying colors. That must just eat you up, eh.

[Skittles]

38. on the one hand, it's nice to see angry teabaggers

on the other hand, it is still a piece of shit bill that reforms nothing

[Writer]

22. brentspeak, if you are intending to constructively criticize the President, then you should present

a solution to what you see wrong here. What's the solution? How would you make that solution happen?

Edit to add one other thing: As I remember, Joe Lieberman refused to vote for the bill until they removed the public option. And they needed his vote to reach 60 to vote for cloture.

[kestrel91316]

23. You're asking this particular DUer to present a solution when he complains about Obama???

:rofl:

[Writer]

24. It's worth a try, I guess.

:shrug:

[Ikonoklast]

27. He would send those in Congress that didn't vote the way he wants

to the FEMA re-education camps.


People here have a very strange idea as to how our government works. They want Obama to be a dictator, like Bush tried to be, and get angry when he respects the other branches of our government.

Without the votes, and a smart president knows the number beforehand, the proposed legislation is dead on arrival, a losing proposition, and not worth pursuing.

The votes for a public option were never there.

Blame the Senate, blame the House.

A smart man knows which battles to fight; those that can be won.

[Kalun D]

39. bullship

Obama was front center pushing the $700 Billion "bailout" for the crooked bankers. Then he was front/center arm twisting the dems for the new defense appropriations. Then when it comes time for the real health care reform like he promiesed? CRICKETS. Obama is no-where to be seen.

and they have reconciliation, they are threatening it now, how come they didn't use it then? the didn't need 60, all they needed was 51.

Obama is a bought and paid for corporatist, it's really sad seeing how many DUers believe the wholly owned corporate television and all the propaganda it spews.

[Ikonoklast]

41. The votes weren't there.

Repeat this to yourself until you understand.

The votes in the Senate weren't there.

You have shown you do not understand the process. See post #22.

If the public option was included in the Senate bill, they would never have 60 votes for cloture, and the bill would essentially have been killed.

Only after cloture is passed limiting debate and amendments can they go the reconciliation route with a simple majority on a finalized bill coming out of conference.

And there was nothing on Earth that can change that fact.

[The Hope Mobile]

55. +1 They had the votes then and could easily have them now.

Its obvious that this isn't what they (Obama and Rahm) want.

[vaberella]

25. It seems you start threads to keep up animosity towards Obama.

A few people I haven't seen posting on this board since everyone is looking forward to, hopefully, a positive vote tomorrow have suddenly come back en masse to post more of their negative that they went silent on.

[NorthCarolina]

28. Public Options and Single Payer are only campaign slogans, not to be confused with actual policy

you can believe in. If DLC "New Dems" didn't rely on this type of campaign rhetoric, then what would set them apart from their GOP challenger?

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

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

[Thrill]

30. You see how fucking hard it is to get votes without it?

Thats why.

[vaberella]

32. He doesn't it get it. We have Rep. Spit on, called names...

Any other plan wouldn't even see the light of day out of that place.

[The Hope Mobile]

57. It'd be easier to get the votes with the Public Option

You see that the majority of resistance amongst Dems is because they know the PO should be on this bill.

[Skittles]

31. because he doesn't give a fuck about the public option

[Aramchek]

33. tomorrow, when the bill has passed, I will do a little dance in your honor

[Skittles]

37. wait a while

[Kalun D]

40. Dance

and your dancing on the graves of all the people in this country who die from lack of health care coverage.

Just like Obama and the crooked greed pig insurance companies that he made back door deals with.

Unlike any other nation in the developed world, when it comes to health care this country is a piece of sh*t.

Go on and do your dance of the dead. Right along with all the sheeple that believe whatever the Orwell corporate TV news tells them. "this is health care "reform""

no it's not, it's just the 3rd major predatory capitalist segment to get a multi-billion dollar giveaway from the DLC corporatist Obama admin, right behind the crooked bankers and the defense contractor oil-war death skulls.

[Aramchek]

42. did the Repukes teach you that safety dance, friend?

[Kalun D]

47. No, it was the DLC corporate whores

So just because a politician has a D after their name makes them okay? They're can't possibly be corrupt?

what's the diff between a sold out corporate whore repug and a sold out corporate whore dem?

All those dead people are different somehow when they die under a Dem admin? All the civilians in Iraq and Afghan? All the people that die from lack of health care when we spend as much money on bombs as the next 10 countries combined?

[The Hope Mobile]

56. +1 nt

[saltpoint]

34. Why doesn't Jerry Garcia come back to life and tour with The Dead?

Why do people put pears and other fruit in Jello and not Vienna sausages?

How can Jim Inhofe live with himself?

When is the Rapture?

[lordcommander]

45. Why does Rice play Texas?? n/t

[saltpoint]

58. Well yeah.

[jillan]

36. This is the best he could get with this group of Dems in Congress.

[dave29]

43. because he's an intelligent person who can understand reality

.

[Honeycombe8]

44. Simple. Because there aren't enuf votes to pass that.

I don't know WHY people can't get that thru their heads.

No, it wouldn't force people to vote for it, simply if Obama "demanded" it. The politicians still have to get re-elected in November by tehir constituents. The Dems are having a hard enuf time getting Dems to vote for a moderate bill, given the successful demonizing of the bill by the Republicans of just the moderate bill such that even Dems NOT in conservative areas are facing uphill battle to win re-election.

The citizens have not shown in polls that they support single payer or public option.

[Kalun D]

48. that's funny

Obama was front center twisting arms on the $700 Billion giveaway

the citizens were against that something like 9 to 1.

Obama was front center twisting arms on defense appropriation for the oil wars

pretty sure the citizen majority is against the wars

Where was Obama this last year on real health care reform? twisting arms or CRICKETS?

don't know what polls you are looking at a majority has always wanted real health care reform

what your polls are showing is the way the corporate whore TV is painting the issue to make people think they don't want single payer/public option
and public opinion sure didn't bother Obama when he helped ram the $700 billion "bailout" through congress.

[Rage Inc.]

49. Water under Bridge

Personally, I'm fucking exhausted! Let's just do this thing today, take a nap, and return to the battle refreshed!

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

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

[Kalun D]

52. You better wake up then

cuz there's a new emphasis by the mods to delete purely personal attacks like you just made.

[Odin2005]

53. Because he is owned by the Health Insurance parasites.