If you’re fighting those who want a better bill in defense of this bill, you own this bill, not the bill you’d like to see but are doing nothing to advance.

Senator Barbara Boxer, touting the Nelson “compromise” abortion language and confronted with Planned Parenthood’s opposition to the bill, claims that “not all the choice groups oppose this bill.”

Saying that it’s imperative to pass any health care bill because it helps some people ignores those that it hurts — while insurance company stocks jump. But that’s what happens when “stakeholders” get to carve up the health care bill first and foremost, while the people it’s meant to help are secondary to whatever Aetna wants.

People in the “pass any bill, regardless how bad” camp often talk about “fixing it later.” They point to previous progressive change like social security, Medicare, and the civil rights legislation as proof that progressive reforms start small but grow into something better. This mantra is repeated as an article of faith, but it is not based on a true, dispassionate examination of history. For every progressive reform that slowly grew into something better, there is a counter example of reform efforts that, due to poor design, withered or died over the years.

How have the major health insurance company stock performed since Joe Lieberman announced he’d filibuster the public option?

Don’t tell me to make a compromise that, in the same situation, you would not make and, funny enough, were not asked to make because it’s never The Man being told his vasectomy won’t be covered or his Viagra won’t be covered or his prostate surgery won’t be covered.

Is it.

No, it’s women…time after motherfucking time…who are told that our reproductive health care must be uniquely regulated, despite legality, by The Man…and that we, despite our needs and that same curiously overlooked legality, must take one for the team…again.

Fuck that.

I don’t know why Jane’s so cranky — Wall Street’s happy. The stock market’s collective view seems to be that health-care providers will indeed profit, or at least, that they will suffer less than originally believed. Since the end of October, the broad U.S. stock market has gained 8%, judging by the S&P 500 index. [...]

Rudy, still has so much to lose.

Featuring videos by Don’t Tell Darlings and Elliott BROOD.

And he’s not beneath using the ghost of Ted Kennedy to get it.