Of all the stupid, over the top theories of the HCR bill

[whosinpower]

Being floated around here, and other places - that Obama somehow secretly worked with Lieberman to get rid of the public option or the medicare 55 change - that this is what he really wanted in the first place....

well that has got to be the all time stupidest things I think I have read in a long time.

Mandating that everyone must buy health insurance, or face a fine without a public option or the medicare enhancement is political suicide.
I'll repeat that - it is political suicide. I know this. You all know this. Obama is not stupid. He knows this too.

They sure are doing a good job - eroding his popularity. I have even read that some would prefer that he lead like Bush did. Good grief.

Now the bill becomes a toxic pill - both sides of the aisle clamouring to kill it - which is, by the way, exactly what the insurance companies want. They don't want pesky things like regulations and they have made a ton of money without those millions who would be forced to buy their junk, thank you very much - no - the very best thing for them is to kill the bill.

They can smell the blood in the water now. Power players are eager beavers looking to derail and erode everything that Obama stands for. He is dangerous. He used to be popular. He spouted off progressive ideals - therefore, he must be taught a lesson on how things really work in Washington. That is what is playing out right now. Everyone wants to exercise their own little piece of power, and take their own chunk out of him.

Lieberman did what he did, because he is a spiteful vindictive little man. Those are his true colours.

Who could of foreseen that a broken corrupt republican party with no leader could do such a bang up job derailing and bringing the work of government to a grinding halt - and every one is blaming Obama - the guy who just a few short months ago was hugely popular. Who could of foreseen how many would so quickly condemn and abandon him? It boggles.

Seems to me that the senate bill must then go to be reconciled with the house bill - is that not correct? They are not the same. So, there will be changes made there - and then they must go back to the house and the senate for another vote - is that correct? If this is the case, then we still do not really know what the final HCR bill would be. Obama is not stupid. He knows what is at stake. So do the democrats. They know if they fail to deliver something that would help the majority of Americans - they are toast. If they fail to deliver anything - they are still toast.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. moon bombings.

earthquake machines

miniature nukes in the wtc

vaccines causing autism

Obama/Lieberman conspiracy

[SemiCharmedQuark]

18. Free Masons Run the Country!

[DebbieCDC]

2. Poor Obama, the little victim

Read Glenn Greenwald today in Salon and have your eyes opened.

[Richardo]

3. Your last paragraph says it all.`

No one knows what is in or out of the "Health Care Bill", because it has not been written yet.

[Oregone]

7. I disagree a bit

At least there is a broad consensus of what will be. This was the reform pushed (not by Obama) by Democrats in the primary. This was the reform Mitt brought. This was the reform Nixon tried to bring. This is the new directions, and now it has gained momentum to go nation wide. Mandated and subsidized private insurance. We all knew it was coming. Everything between now and the signing is meant to shape public opinion and maybe settle which corporations are going to get what reach arounds.

[jberryhill]

11. Dang, we need a zombie Richard Nixon then....

To get this reform passed and to get our boys out of Viet, uh, Iraq by opening negotiations with the people we are fighting.

[lapfog_1]

4. Rahm believes in the power of the dollar to win elections.

And his experience is that corporate dollars are easier to get than $25 or $50 from "the people".

More importantly, Rahm believes that if he can make deals to keep the corporate / lobbyist money on the sidelines, Dems win.

Hence the sellout.

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. I guess that explains why the White House is attacking Howard Dean and

praising Joe Lieberman. Makes perfect sense if you live in the bizarro world.

[NYCGirl]

15. I didn't see them praise Joe Lieberman. Do you have a link? NT

[nightrain]

6. the thing is... I think Obama wants a "success" so badly that he would

call just about anything a "win". That's just dumb. We are more astute than that!

[jberryhill]

8. I do not "condemn" or "abandon" President Obama

I am, however, no longer interested in anything he has to say on the subject of health care reform.

That's one issue off the list.

What's really weird here is that criticism of this bullshit bill is taken as criticism of Obama.

Ummm... I STRONGLY SUPPORT the President Obama who was going on about a "robust public option" a while back. Yesterday, he didn't bother to mention it one way or the other.

So, where does that leave me? I'm supposed to repudiate my support of him several months ago, or what?

I think he's a great guy, and I'm proud he's president.

This bill still sucks ass.

[truedelphi]

9. I wish I shared your optimism.

You see Obama as a stateseman /visionary, who is just working within the political process.

I see him as a Black Male Di Feinstein. Who has a lot of back room meetings and during those meetings that he sees that the real work is doen.

Otherwise, how can one explain taht he came into office with a 62% mandate, with 76 % of all the People wanting some form of Universal Single Payer HCR, and that he managed to back away from that momentum and address not his base, but the base of the Republicans?

He is either naive, which his winning last year's Dem nomination against a hugely stacked field of contenders show that he is not, or he is corrupt.

Unless he has some weird new, modern day political affliction, call it dyslexia of the soul.

[Cha]

10. Whatever the rage du jour is..

that's all that matters.

President Obama and our country are going through a rough time now but it will pass. We knew it wouldn't be easy..just the opposite.

[janx]

12. This came from an article about Feingold in which the journalist

picked and out-of-context quote (as usual) and ran with it.

The rage du jour often arises from a situation like this.

:hi: How are you, and what do you think of the current brou ha ha? Send me a PM! :hug:

[Cha]

16. That's what a lot of the energy is run on around here..

Demagoguery, gossip, and flat out lies..but why should that put a damper on the jollies they're getting off on?

I did:hug:

[janx]

17. It has always been that way.

And thanks for your note.

[ROakes1019]

13. conference

The House will adopt pretty much the Senate bill because the Senate bill probably couldn't survive another trek through the Senate. I have been angry so many times during the health care thing, and I'm on Medicare so I don't have a big stake in it. I do have an interest in the drug Med part D thing but I've been buying my meds from Canada ever since the part D thing passed. I don't quite understand why the reimportation amendment was such a big thing. Anyone in the US can get a 90 day supply from an accredited pharmacy in Canada for the exact drugs he would have to pay 3 times as much for in the US. But back to the conference--I just want to see something, not too bad, pass. Otherwise, the Dems will be mortally wounded in 2010 and 2012. A bill, no matter how insufficient, can be worked on later. We cannot let the Repugs win this one.

[quiet.american]

14. Rec'd, if only to counter-balance all the wild-eyed shite flinging around this place.

(And I pretty much agree with you.)

[freddie mertz]

19. That is Russ Feingold's theory, and it explains a few things.

I hope it's wrong, but am having difficulty reconciling the any bill I sign must have a robust public option" with the "sliver" speech and all the cave-ins we have seen since, every one of which the WH seems to have either supported or given the green light to.

I supported the president on healthcare up to July 2009, and have opposed him since August.

[Popular Front]

20. Lieberman is the one to blame

Not Obama.

[jonestonesusa]

21. Lieberman is a Senator, not even a Democrat, certainly not the president.

The President has to step up and take the blame on this one if he lets one senator out of 60 potential votes dictate changes to the HCR bill not only in the Senate, but for the entire country that has to live with the consequences.

What happened to the buck stops here?