“I am deeply disappointed with the Majority Leader’s decision to include a public option as the focus of the legislation,” Snowe said in a statement. “I still believe that a fallback, safety net plan, to be triggered and available immediately in states where insurance companies fail to offer plans that meet the standards of affordability, could have been the road toward achieving a broader bipartisan consensus in the Senate.”
You’re not fooling anyone with your word salad, your highness. You’re deeply disappointed that Harry Reid finally learned how to count, mustered enough cartilage to stand up to the Rahminator, just this once, and left you hanging out to dry. You were rather enjoying all the forced attention and extruded praise the Democrats were lavishing on you in order to get your vote. The Democrats had ordered a sedan chair (and four Nubians) for you so you wouldn’t have to walk around Capitol Hill. Barbara Mikulski was going to peel you grapes. For the last month, Copernicus was wrong; the planets revolved around you.
Not anymore. You’ve had your day as the sun. Now it’s the public’s turn.
And spare us the sanctimonious, post-mortem clucking about sacrificing bipartisanship for a public option. Bipartisanship? With THESE Republicans? Riiiiight, if it’s one thing the Republicans have proven time and again over the past ten months, it’s that they’re deadly serious about working toward a “bipartisan” solution to health care reform:
“Senators and Congressmen will come back in September afraid to vote against the American people,” DeMint predicted, adding that “this health care issue Is D-Day for freedom in America.”
“If we’re able to stop Obama on this it will be his Waterloo. It will break him,” he said.
Now that’s hearty, bipartisany goodness!
But don’t worry, your majesty–you won’t be alone at your pity party. I understand AHIP’s Karen Ignagni is so exhausted from her good cop/bad cop routine, she’s in the corner, rocking back and forth and babbling nonsensically about “bipartisanship”, even as her minions, from whom she has had to distance herself, have accused fence-sitting Republicans of giving comfort to the enemy. If that’s how the health care reform opponents define “bipartisanship,” then I need to get a new dictionary.
Right now, though, in honor of the small step in the right direction the country took today, I’m going to enjoy a celebratory slice of freshly baked cake.
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Tough.
Peel your own god-damned grapes.
Watertiger!
Fuck Olympia Snow! Fuck the Republicans! Fuck bipartisanship! And, most of all, fuck the Blue Dogs and ConservaDems!
What the good doctor said.
I don’t blame Snowe for taking what the White House seemed so anxious for her to possess – all the power that comes from being handed… all the power.
As for Any Democrat who would shy away from reminding her of the last two election cycles – not so much.
They need to get with the program or get the fuck out of town. We elected them to push forward a strong progressive agenda and they damned well better get with the program. The moderates and independents did not finance their campaigns. The moderates and independents did not go door to door, stuff envelopes, and man the phones for them. The moderates and independents did not turn out in record numbers to vote for them. Progressives did and they better wake up and smell the bacon.
And fuck Joe Lieberman! (I’m sure he did something today to deserve it.)
I think he is covered under at least two or three of those I listed.
That’s like saying you put out enough salt to discourage the snails.
oh great. now i’m gonna have to photoshop a snail shell on lieberman.
LOL!!
I would frame that and hang it in my office.
Extra credit if you manage to incorporate the words “I’m meeeeeeeeeelting!”
Some twits at Dkos trashing pundits including Jane over the PO.
List of Pundits who Declared the P.O. Dead
I’ll agree to “Fuck bipartisanship!”, but ain’t no way I’m gonna fuck Olympia, Repugs, Blug Dogs or ConservaDems.
They can go fuck themselves!
Given the way they all think alike, I believe that’s just indeed what they do.
like a slug in beer…
“Bipartisanship” clearly has been redefined to mean, “you Progressives bend over, grab your ankles, and take it without blubbering.”
Kudos to Progressives for keeping their sphincters shuttered this time.
What he said!
Holy Joe is more than just like a slug.
It was redefined that way 30 years ago. It is long past time that the left stood up and said, “No more!”
Thank dog for the Intertoobz.
Jon Stewart doing a good job skewering McCain on Ted Stevens’s replacement in the campaign to kill net neutrality.
OMG – switched to local weather – 48 degrees tonight! We’ll freeeeeze!
Or, I’ll be surrounded head to toe by nice, warm, furry kittehs.
It is quite likely that someone’s voice was heard, not just being squeezed at home.
I imagine smoke and sparks flying off the keyboard that day, and this voice echoing in someone else’s attempts at sleep.
Well, I won’t defend her. But, it doesn’t seem right to beat up on the best of a very bad lot.
Anybody listening to the Villagers and the president (never mind the GOP) during the health care debate knows that those of us in favor of a public option are the EXTREME Left.
“DAMN that Hamsher woman!”
/Rahm Emmanuel
The Snowe Presidency, and its mascot Trigger, will always be remembered fondly by AHIP-Americans.
Hmmm. 48 will be 8 degrees warmer than our high tomorrow and ten degrees warmer than Wednesday.
48 degrees is still short pants weather in my neck of the woods.
There was no way she was ever going to vote for a public option, so why the hell was the White House and Dems being so f**king obsequious to her?
whoops. that was meant to reply to oldgold.
i’m a moran.
Yeah. When you refuse to be outworked, this is what happens.
Well, speaking for myself, I actually am the “extreme left” in American politics. Of course that means that I would be center left in Europe.
I don’t imagine Rahm saying “damn.” I think all his sentences require a minimum of two f-words.
When it gets up to those temps in the spring, my students break out the t-shirts and shorts.
It is puzzling, kinda like asking why did Obama want Rahm as COS?
Knowing Rahmbo, instead he probably said:
“DAMN that Hamster woman!”
True, most other people aren’t still wearing shorts here but as long as my arms are sufficiently warm I’m good.
I don’t think Public Option means what you think it means.
Until we see the bill, and some one examines it, I remain skeptical it will be of any value as Reid endorses.
What IS the Public Option, the one Reid endorsed today?
Just what IS it, what’s IN it?
When we find that out, we can better judge whether to praise or rage.
The Koz list is kabuki in of itself, in review in a snarky way, previous quotes about the death or life of the PO.
We didn’t know what it was THEN, or NOW.
And yes, I’m anxious to learn just what it is, too.
*G*
Rahmsputin.
Or Rahmsputum, depending on your point of view.
Shorter Olympia – “I said: Whoa Trigger! Now I’m PO’d!”
If you do get that cake, make sure you watch your back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O8o-G4l2f4
I’m worried about you.
after i photoshop a snail shell on Lieberman, i’m going to put Princess Amygdala hair on Snowe.
Please make sure you graft some of those little antennae on him.
I vote for “Rahmsputum.”
bipartisanship…but it took so long to bake it…and I’ll never have that recipe again! Oh no!!!
not to worry, the American public is feeling pretty, well, American as they consider their health care options.
Here’s some nicely sliced cake for you, watertiger.
I know, I know – I grew up in Indiana and Pennsylvania – not Montana cold, but cold.
I’ve become a wuss, though – feels cold out there in the fifties – although it is also damp; got 2 inches of rain today!
My kittehs are also wusses, I guess, being native-Texan kittehs — they’ve slept on the bed for a couple weeks now, and it’s only been in the 60’s at night. No more seeking out the cool tile, or smooth wood, as in the summertime – yesterday I brought in a slipcover warm from the dryer and draped it over a chair to put on later — in a minute there were three crowding onto the warm fabric, with a fourth approaching.
What really pisses me off about this is that all the polling data has consistently said that the American people do not give a rat’s ass about bipartisanship, but do care very much about getting results, especially real healthcare reform.
Nice one!
Works both ways. Even though I spent the first 35 years in Oklahoma, I get overheated now when the temps get into the high 80s and I absolutely do not know how to deal with humidity any more.
That is a good question, but its hardly her fault that they chose to do so.
Although I disagree with her position, she was always clear as to what it was in term of the PO. So, the fact that the Administration chose to pursue her is on them, not her.
Oh my, another rat’s ass crack… “g”
I hear ya, bro!
Yeah, that’s the part that has puzzled me about the WH tenacity in insisting on the fig leaf of one Repub = bipartisan, and we MUST have bipaartisan. I just don’t get it.
Yeah, polls USED to show some interest in bipartisanship – but – wait! Weren’t those taken during Republican control of Congress, when they were freezing out Dems completely from any legislation? Maybe the public hasn’t really changed at all….
What do they thinnk last year’s election meant, for heaven’s sake?
That’s right.
It’s one thing to deride someone for being Conservative, and riding her electoral whatever for all it is worth.
She is no Lieberman. And Obama is solely responsible for whatever power she wields.
Well, Obama, Reid, and others in the Senate Democratic leadership.
Snowe has been jilted.
And we are suppose to have snow in northern Arizona tomorrow night.
As far as Dems in Congress go, they love her because she gives them every excuse to do absolutely nothing.
That is not Obama’s dilemma – he is supposed to do absolutely everything.
We are supposed to get it up in the mountains tonight and maybe here in the valleys later this week.
The WH talked about the need to provide cover for the Blue Dogs but really it was to provide cover for themselves. Obama’s alleged support for a PO always rang hollow since he never worked for it. He would not have picked Rahm for COS if they were not on the same page. We kept hearing reports that the WH favored triggers… so it appears they have more in common with Snowe than they do with Progressives. No real surprise there.
Agree completely. Our lever isn’t a majority in Congress pressuring the President – it is our pressuring Obama to wrangle his Congress.
The only thing I can come up with on the bipartisanship holy grail is that maybe the dems want to somehow someway send a message, a really really weak message, that moderate republicans are reasonable and needed in congress and by courting Snowe, they’re saying “see? this is how it works…” and somehow encourage prospective goopers to be more moderate ie sane in their dialogue.
but it’s totally lost on everyone. if that’s their intention. which it probably isn’t. sigh.
Actually, I think that the power brokers realize that Americans are really and truly pissed off. The public option will be the pacifier. The banksters stole our money with the agreement of the politicians, and now they’re doing penance.
A public option for only 10 million will not be the remedy.
He would not have picked Rahm for COS if they were not on the same page.
I am not sure about that. I think he likes having people around him that he knows and he knows Rahm from Illinois. He also has brought in a number of people with divergent views. That said, he certainly has not shown any great enthusiasm for a truly (or even moderately) progressive agenda since the stimulus bill and even that was pretty weak tea.
republicans: we won’t do anything right
dems: we won’t do anything.
Watertiger: You’ve had your day as the sun.
This is so very clever … really and truly brilliant !
Moderate Republicans are as useless as tits on a boar hog. Better to have mad dog Republicans or actual Dems.
The baggers have already had some pretty ugly sessions with “moderate” Republicans – they simply will not stand for it. Tail wagging dog and I enjoy it.
If you experience an erection lasting more than four hours you should seek immediate medical attention… or so I have heard.
A- Fuckin’- Men !
This time of the year I tend to stay out of the mountains, so I should be OK. 8-)
I would like to agree with that. Maybe I’m more cynical. His flipping lordship, duke of whatever, speaking about tolerating inequality is just stupid and tone deaf. But at least something is getting through their incredible thick stewed heads.
I think a lot of power brokers are so insulated they have no idea what reality is. And even if they did, they must have a problem with object permanance because the only way they know something is true is if they experience pain for themselves. I hope BO and congress do make the salary cuts stick so they feel some real pain.
The mountains thing must have worked out okay for the Donners if they had a party…
ROFL … Seconded !
I think it is pretty clear that the Senate leadership finally got the message that the left (aka the Democratic base) were seriously pissed off and they need us to get elected. I am not actually sure that the White House has gotten that message. I think they are still dreaming of moderate centrist independent unicorns.
You know, it occurs to me that the best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people.
Billy Ray Valentine
Yeah, I think some dems look at the GOP fundraisers and think “I gotta get me some of that.”
His slogan should have been “Change we can make-believe in.”
One of my colleagues actually excavated one of the Donner Party winter camps in the Sierras. No conclusive evidence of cannibalism (i.e., no definite burned and fractured human bone), but they definitely ate the horses and dogs.
Whew … The Bears are safe ! *g*
Hell Dem fundraisers started thinking that in the mid-70s, which is what actually caused the long decline of the Democratic Party.
Yeah, there was this Blogger who kept reminding Reid that his chance of getting re- elected was bad and getting worse, but her name escapes me right now …
Oh! is that true of all the camps or just the one your friend worked on?
And with the state of the FDA etc these days, who know? maybe we’re eating horses and dogs too.
Only until spring. ;-)
They are actually starting to den up for their long winter nap right now. Still quite a few active, but within a month or so, they will all be bedded down until the thaw.
Wow, brains and beauty. Alas, either one means she’s out of my league.
Didn’t (some) surviving members admit to cannibalism? Not something to which most people would make a false confession.
That is actually the only one that has been excavated. The party split up into several smaller groups over the winter and this is the only actual Donner site that has been located. The evidence is inconclusive at present.
I love the hibernation survival strategy. Prolonged gorging followed by extended sleeping, then emerge svelte and rested in the Spring. Perfect.
Also happily married and just went on maternity leave, after the birth of her second, on Monday.
Dems taken down by 3 Dog Night?
Want some whiskey in your water?
Sugar in your tea?
What’s all these crazy questions they’re askin’ me?
This is the craziest party that could ever be
Don’t turn on the lights ’cause I don’t wanna see
Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
“That ain’t the way to have fun, no”
how about fork obombya and his lackeys[i.e., the demtillian party]?
today, i received my letter from blue cross/blue shield.
though my company had no increase in claims[in fact we had a distinct decrease, it seems that because of the current economic conditions, because we were forced to lie off 10% of our personnel, and because we had all gotten a year older, blue cross found itself compelled to raise premiums 10%.
and my insurance agent advises me that there is no sense in shopping – all of the major medical insurance providers are raising their premiums 10%-15%.
i expected this. there was an article in the weekend edition of the wsj that reported that all private medical insurors were going to raise their rates in advance of any legislation. pre-emptive gouging?
now, some of you may think that the pubic option will be a benefit. personally, i think that is a mistaken pov.
somewhere, we must clamor for a total reshaping of health care in the united states of amerika. re-fashion it to reflect the care and costs of france, switzerland, japan, the netherlands, et alia.
what the demtillians, the reptillians have been doing is a form of mutual masturbation. giving them, and only them, pleasure. as far as they are concerned, the populace can just go bankrupt or die. and to further parse grayson, do it so fast that it becomes unnoticeable.
perhaps the time has come to really move overseas. lafayette, nous sommes ici.
We dodged a bullet by not having Reid put triggers in there, but the battle goes on. We have to contact our senators about supporting certain amendments (like the Wyden free choice amendment) to improve the bill any way we can.
A couple of the survivors made the claims, but there are some reasons to be a bit skeptical of their accounts (Publicity whores looking to make a killing on the lecture circuit. Sound familiar?).
thanks for the link, i’ll check it out.
Yeah and you get to pig out on elk and huckleberries!
*plays “One is the Loneliest Number” by 3 dog night*
OK, so we have Harry where we want him.
Now we squeeze.
Congrats to all. Looks like I’m destined to remain hunkered down in hermit holler. Oh well, I might be stuck in a rut but it’s my rut and by golly, I like it.
oh, nice set up for the Lewis Black quote I just saw:
“don’t never take no cut-offs, and hurry on as fast as you can.” Virginia Reed.
Dang, I’m more of a people person myself.
Taken down by chasing corporate money when faced with the overwhelming Republican fund raising advantage at the time. Led to more corporate friendly policies and abandoning core Democratic constituencies (see Clinton, William, for the epitome of this strategy). Ultimately led to the rise of the so-called Reagan Democrats who fell for his race baiting and fear mongering after the Dems abandoned them.
Great quote by a very funny man.
Jeez, I didn’t know Mama told Me was written by Randy Newman…just read that.
Time for me to toddle off. More young minds to corrupt in the morning and I need to be fresh and rested for the task. Take care all.
Nighters.
Time for Bob and me to power down too. Splendid evenings to all.
nite you guys
Durbin said that the progressive groups forced their hands. That means our activism is REACHING them. Keep up the great work, everyone.
Why should a back water senator have such a weighty presence?? shit just the peninsular below San Francisco has more citizens than the whole state of Maine!!! Just goes to show ya the founders didn’t get everything right..
G’nite Sir ! G’nite Ratfood & Bob
BO might have been courting Snowe for the next Big Fight … moving away from Fossil Fuel.
If you think Health Care is a big fight, wait’ll the Energy Lobbyists come front and centre.
I’m with those who are withholding praise for Reid until we see what gets signed into Law. I don’t think Reid suddenly grew a conscience. I think he saw that Pelosi & the House Dems, along with us were about to make his live a living hell and so he chose the option that gives his political career the best chance of surviving.
Just suppose Snowe was crowned Princess because she said “trigger[s]could have been the road toward achieving a broader bipartisan consensus in the Senate.”
And just suppose some (many?) democrats believed her. And THEN they found out that her opinions and her vote was being discounted in every republican office on the hill.
If it had worked, she would have been Queen. And we would never have seen a public option, even an opt-out public option.
We have batshitcrazy republicans and conservadems to thank, imho. And under that scenario Snowe deserves to be dumped because she didn’t deliver. She is as much in touch with her peers as Rahm is with democrats.
Help, help, we’re being repressed!!! Monty Python style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAaWvVFERVA
Here are 45,000 reasons for Olympia and her sidekick Sue to start rethinking the notion of ramming right wing corporate persecution down the throats of a deep blue constituency that voted for Obama by a 58-40% margin.
http://www.actblue.com/page/obamafight
Snowe falling on seethers.
GREAT POST WONDERFULLY WRITTEN! TRUE AND LOVELY!
LOL I blasted Ignagni and Snowe today too. What twits! But as one of the writers said above, one can hardly blame Snowe for taking what was offered to her on the platter.
Still it is a day to celebrate but we must still keep after them every inch of the way. It is far from over. That Ignagni is the most disgusting of all. I cannot believe she had the balls to even comment on Reid today. I guess we should thank her though because I think she opened at least Reid’s eyes to the reality of what predators these people really are. I couldn’t believe it when they walked away from the Baucus deal a couple of weeks ago. He was giving them the farm and throwing in the pigs. That must have been enough to show a few people that the greed of the health insurance industry is indeed bottomless.
My lord! Here they were being handed millions of customers and they wanted to squabble over a few people that they could not get and then they were all pissy that the fine for not buying what is sure to be their junk insurance is cut in half. We really owe Ignagni because she open the door wide. There is even the possibility that we might get Medicare E thanks to her. yes, I do think its possible.
Thank you folks at Firedoglake for making this huge effort for health care reform a real possibility…
This is a milestone, hopefully this public option is a stepping stone for universal health care.
If we are going to make this a reality we don’t need the Olympia or any other GOP if their only agenda is to disrupt and disengage an effective health care reform for political reasons. All we need is our will and Firedoglake’s leadership to pave the way.
If you need me to make phone calls or whatever needs to be done to get this health care reform accomplished I will try and do my best to help you out. I know others here feel the same.
Thanks again all you folks at Firedoglake.
Dear Firedogs,
Upon reflection, everyone must agree its been a really good day. Of course it’s not over but a tipping point seems to have been reached and the energy now is mostly downhill. I am not inviting anyone to search for a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory but I am very pleased and proud and I am going to savor this for a little while. Thanks to everyone for all the fine effort and Hats Off to Jane.
Conrad C. Elledge
As long as you guys are willing to keep up the pressure…
Nothing is decided, and we all know what happens when we look away for a minute… Remember FISA. Always remember how our own party betrayed us on FISA.
Never stop kicking ass.
This modest PO acievement even if a limited one is a big deal. Not the least because it shows that collective action makes a difference and even very deaply entrenched interests can bend to the public will.
The health insurance racket continues to be a heavy duty player with loads of influence in Congress, as does the Pharma industry. So they must be shell shocked and shaking at the thought that they couldn’t keep their minions in Congress in line against a determined public.
This manner in which the victory was attained is a very important take home message, it bodes well for the remaining issues that we as a people need to pursue. Next in line in no particular order we ought to try the same approach to achieve the following: the rescending of the monopoly exemption from the insurers, breaking up of the usurious banksters and financial institutions for being too big to fail (legislation in this regard is being dicussed as we speak),the use of all manner of drivatives, the polluters, the death purveyors and the rest of the sorry monopolistic society parasites and attempt to make them bend to the public’s will.
a tall order, but one that needs to be made attempted. As I say it is a great comfort to see how one victory might lead to the next.
Shit, even I didn’t fucking guess that fucking Rahm was made of fucking wax. (Still on track to be fucking Speaker of the fucking House Tiny Dancer? NO YOU’RE FUCKING NOT.)
I just hope that our teachy/preachy POTUS learned his big, fat lesson today.
(not that I’m counting chickens or nutin)
Looks like the snake in the grass got a hole full of water! Good. But I’ve seen her in action….somehow she’ll turn this around to make it seem like she was always for the public option and an opt-out. We can’t trust her at all!
I believe the reason many in the Democratic leadership, as well as folks in the White House including Rahm and, perhaps, Obama, were seeking “bipartisanship” so desperately was that they were looking for cover for their own Vichycrats (Baucus, Conrad, Landrieu and so on). If the health care reform bill passed without a single Republican vote, then any problems in the bill cannot subsequently be blamed on anyone but Vichycrats. If they had managed to snag Princess Olympia’s vote, then every time anyone pointed out anything bad in the bill they would have been able to hide behind Snowe as the reason/excuse for why the bill had to be written that way. Snowe was their escape clause, their get-out-of-jail card, which is why they were so desperate to get her vote. Now that it looks like she won’t be there to kick around any more, they will really have to own this bill, lock, stock, and barrel, just as Obama warned a few months ago.
I disagree to some extent. You wouldn’t have seen Hillary Clinton or any other DLC president going to Prague to call for a nuclear-free world, or pushing talks with Iranians. So the stimulus is not the only liberal thing he’s pushed.
Absolutely right. When AHIP idiotically walked away from the Baucus sellout, that was the critical blunder that, almost single-handedly, revived the public option. What hubristic fools.
And, for a change, I’m so glad they are that!
So Senator DeMint warns that they will all come back and be afraid of voting against the American people? Doesn’t that just say it all. Everytime they voted against the people they represent before they had nothing to fear? Why (rhetorical question) are they voting against us at all?
Vichycrats
excellent term