EEG is flat, Doctor. We’ve lost him. Call it.

And Rahm didn’t know it was happening, because he and his boss would never grab their ankles to please Republicans and their corporate masters.

This crew just don’t get it , the public doesn’t want their crappy sell out to the insurance industry bill.
Geez WTF!!

I’ll be supporting anybody who runs against Nelson, Lincoln and Baucus to ‘Massaschusetts’ them. Goodbye, assholes.

The problem is that nothing that any of those idiots vote for would be popular with the majority of the country. This bill is already too far to the right, which is the real lesson of Massachusettes. They haven’t moved on progressive legislation and they’ve been rejected for it. Fuck Snowe, Collins and idiots in the Democratic party like Nelson Lincoln and that clown Liberman. These people are going to get their asses kicked come reelection so they don’t give a damn.

MaxTax in that dual-lateral-CinnaBun™ hair-do…
Works for me.

Thanks to the above mentioned politicians , we now have a Republican Senator representing our state
,representing me !

“Serious question: has there been a weaker, more impotent and pathetic majority in the history of the United States Senate legislative bodies?”

Oh, my dear BT, you must not remember the Dems of 1967/68….
My frustration level today is equal to my frustration level then. There is politics and there is namby-pamby-ism and I wish to God the Democrats would figure out the difference!

Once is happenstance, twice is a trend, thrice is intentional.

They don’t give a damn ,because they probably already have nice cushy insurance industry jobs lined up. Why do you think they want to push this bill ? It’s nothing more than a huge give away to the insurance industry ,but if they want those jobs its got to pass.

That’s an interesting collar she’s got on. I wonder if it could be rigged to beep when she strays too near the fence.

G’WAN Sooze! SHOO!

I gotta go !

These people make me sick !

Good history there. I’m beginning to think the dems that lived through the Republican revolution are in fact suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, they can’t remember why they were elected. They are still trying to please their masters. What was that famous quote about them getting used to their minority status and liking it?

It looks like whoever said it was right.

JHFC. Out.

Call Olympia Snowe!

When Massechusetts revolts from your crappy, weak, neoliberal POS bill, the only rational thing to do is…develop more bipartisanship! Yay for Democrats!/s

“scaled-down.” These are the people who started compromising with something less than their fall-back position….

Insanity.

Oh, and if Obama says “bi-partisan” tonight, I’m just going to puke.

GAHHH!
Lieberman again.
Old man, STFU, Die in a nursing home covered in your own filth and blow away.

If I was a drinking girl, “bipartisan” would be worth a double shot.

Aww c’mon. Just set the spittoon north by northeast and see if ya come even close to my miserable effort. I’ll even loan ya voinovichy ta double the score.

…

pat the kitties. somehow it helps. ours are basking in window-sunshine, while outside the wind’s pickin’ up. those who have coats are donning them to chase the chill. and these dopes are… what? They’re not gonna twitter thru the next speech are they?! i hate that. no snark. none to spare…

You’d be on the floor within the first 5 minutes.

Or, you could use ‘bipartisan’ as your “take a drink” word……

Riiight! This is the same Olympia Snowe who personally gutted $200bil out of the stimulus bill that would have gone directly to states in exchange for her vote. The reason: the bill was “too big”. What a rocket scientist. Let’s hope she’s not involved with NASA or nuclear weapons of any kind.

As for the Dems who want her “assistance”, I think it may be time to call Mdm. DuFarge out of retirement and grease up the guillotine.

great minds……..

Maybe…but I’d be a lot happier. A boozy fog would probably help for this SOTU (or STFU as some have renamed it).

More like: When voters mess up your giveaway to lobbyists and those lobbyists get pissed off about their gravy train stopping before it got to their station, develop bipartisanship.

Just offhand, I’d say you probably oughta have a bucket somewhere close around…

Yeah – I might have to go for the “take a drink” thingy….if I watch at all.

So we are in agreement that our legislative bodies are perhaps the most pathetic in the history of the country?
I often read on this blog how we should encourage the liberal members to stop the Senate bill, as well as stop any plan that revises the Senate bill to be more in line with liberal goals, because if that happens liberals will get a win and somehow sneak a public option (paid for by taxing the rich nonetheless) past the “weak”, “impotent”, and “pathetic” majority.
Forgive me if I make Ms. Hamsher disappointed with my activism because I don’t think it will work.

Thank God I teach tonight–it saves me any temptation to watch the speech.

OMFG, JHC, and JM and J:

So the whip count now on blocking reconciliation is: Lieberman, Nelson (NE), Nelson (FL), Lincoln, Baucus and who else?

59-5 = 54 ; can’t lose more than 3 more unless VP Joe breaks the tie.

If it is a popular reform bill (fixes for public option and all that) and if it is assured to pass in the Senate under reconciliation (51 votes), I think that the GOP firewall might break to allow the vulnerable ones to “vote their conscience”. That is the only way it will be bipartisan.

Max, Joe, and Blanche are just setting up the football again for Charlie Brown.

I might not have the stomach to watch it tonight either. I’m tired of being seduced by words backed by nothing.

Indeed.

I feel the same way about watching this STFU as I did watching Bush, which is quite a feat. Who says that BO hasn’t accomplished much in his first year?!

Baucus et al can’t handle not being the straws that stir the drink. Sorry, but reconciliation has passed you by!

We can not allow any further legislation to become law that forces americans to purchase products from people writing the laws forcing people to buy products. We have just assured that they can spend any amount of money now on their favorite bribee by our extreme court. We are forced to pay for auto insurance when the system is completely corrupt and a large percentage of the claims are fraudulent. We are forced to pay for health insurance whose only assurance is that if they think you smell funny, you are no longer covered.
Insurance was for ships going to waters with pirates. Even Lloyd’s wouldn’t cover them in war zones. It became the second largest swindle of all time.

i dunno. ain’t it one-a those weird little flat fish with both eyes on the same side?

I will not be watching tonight. There’s just so much I can take.

Color me unsurprised.

IF there is anyone currently identifying themselves as a Democratic party member, or as a “progressive” or a “liberal” who STILL believes that the so-called “Democratic” party Senators & Reps are “looking out for” their constituents (by that I mean, sentient beings who voted them into office and possibly donated to their campaigns), then I guess they must also believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny, too.

This is beyond pathetic and has moved into some other realm that could possibly be identified as a clusterf*ck, but even that is not an accurate enough term to depict the wanton craven mendacity of these scum sucking bottom-dwellers.

I refuse to watch/listen to the SOTU. I am waaaaay beyond having my intelligence insulted by being fed crapulous stupidity wrapped up with nice little bows. Beyond the pale.

It looks like the Senate Democrats went a little too far and now the executives in the insurance and pharmaceutical industries want to make sure the shitty health care legislation passes.

Oh, please. Like this didn’t come from the Oval Office.

Another directive from El Deuce.

Will Popeye’s fickle girlfriend please just go away?

heh. i knew i’d seen that hairdo some place a’fore.

I’d probably watch if these REtards from congress wouldn’t clap their friggin’ hands every five words. I just can’t take that smarmy crap. On the other hand, watching Eric “Game Boy” Cantor twiddle his Blackberry would almost be worth the price of admission.

I know it sucks, but you just can’t handle the R’s “SUPERMINORITY”.

The people have spoken.

I dunno, Olive Oyl never had that much meat on her bones. Hair is right, though…

These senators between 50 and 59 are unfuckingbelievable. Words can’t describe what losers they are.

As for BO, I’ve gone cold turkey on his speeches–tired of being teased. From now on, “I’ll listen to your actions and mute your talk.”

Nothing more to say.

This may be the most-deliberatly NOT listened to SOTU in recent history.

After Bu$h, who could depend on the twenty-six-percenters at least saying they’d listen … this is a major accomplishment, well into B+ (negative)territory.

Those who watch and listen might want to keep a barf-bucket handy, and a clear path to the bath …

The speech, even before it is given, is widely percieved as being of no value, trifling, insubstantial, and pointless.

DW

promise?

Black is white, up is down….

What do we call this? “Snatching defeat from the jaws of…”…stasis?…inaction?…marginally possible non-defeat?

Whatever. It’s definitely snatching defeat.

Others have suggested and I have ranted at length that perhaps we are witnessing, or have already witnessed, the erasure of the line between elected officials and corporate lobbyists, courtesy of our corporate-owned Supreme Court. We didn’t even have to wait for an election to occur for our former public servants to recognize and embrace their new status as servants of industry. What other reason can there be for their determination to prevent any of the popular features to be adopted? They will defy the voters and deter the will of the People at ALL COSTS! Who does that benefit?

These Senators are conspiring to crush the (non-wealthy) American People for the benefit of AHIP / PhRMA. I would like to hear their explanation.

Don’t worry about Olympia meddling with NASA. Obama’s working behind the scenes to “sell” it to private corporations, Lockheed and an Israeli company.

The big plus for the American taxpayer is it will cost us more than leaving it as a government agency. That’s the part Obama likes most, corporate profits.

The wet dream of Grover Nordquist. Drowning the federal government, by
Mr. Bait and Switch, Obama.

hmmm. anyone check the labels on their clothes? ohgollygee. the future is now.

Riiight! This is the same Olympia Snowe who personally gutted $200bil out of the stimulus bill that would have gone directly to states in exchange for her vote. The reason: the bill was “too big”. What a rocket scientist. Let’s hope she’s not involved with NASA or nuclear weapons of any kind.

As for the Dems who want her “assistance”, I think it may be time to call Mdm. DuFarge out of retirement and grease up the guillotine.

Too many notes.

Just cut a few and it will be perfect.

I always watch these speechy things. Even the Bush word-manglings that were sold as formal addresses.

I enjoy Obama’s speeches. However, it is just too painful to hear the right words totally dissociated from right actions to manifest those words.

She’s been eating better since she’s been in the senate. Has pretty good health benefits too, I hear.

Dear me, they really are quite pathetic aren’t they?

“Serious question: has there been a weaker, more impotent and pathetic majority in the history of the United States Senate legislative bodies?”

*****

Scratches head

*****

Ummn, I assume that’s like a rhetorical question, right?

Teddy’s Prop 8 liveblog is up on the FP: Liveblogging Prop 8 Trial Wednesday Morning Two 1/27 (47)

Well it seems Yglesias [tapping into the jungle drums?] has brought in some new names to scuttle dem health care plans:

“…Landrieu, Bayh, Lincoln, Lieberman, Pryor, [how could we have forgotten him!], Begich, Nelson, McCaskill—have expressed varying levels of unease with the idea…”

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/01/house-progressives-willing-to-back-modified-senate-bill-centrist-senators-resume-customary-posture-as-villains.php#comments

…and then where does our below the radar “…30 yr Republican who voted with Bush 95% of the time and campaigned for and voted for Mccain/Palin… SPECTER stand?

Truly why the hell should democrats turn out in November for this guy?

TPMDC: Poll: Toomey Momentum Grows In PA
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/poll-toomey-threat-grows-in-pa.php

You couldn’t save this Democratic Party from itself even if you wanted to.

51 after Baucus, 50 after Bill Nelson; gonna need Biden in the chair.

McCaskill might be persuadable; I don’t think she’s ever seen a reconciliation used. Begich, I don’t know whether the reluctance is on policy or procedure.

Specter will be for reconciliation is my guess. Sestak has him on the left flank. Toomey on the right. Passage of good health reform helps the Dems and hurts Toomey. A lot of Dems probably won’t turn out for Specter. The question is whether Specter’s organization swings behind Sestak or Toomey in November if Sestak takes the primary.

It is and has always been intentional.

“impotent and pathetic majority”

That’s a disguise. We have two republican parties. One of them is forced to come off as impotent and pathetic in order to do what it’s gotta do, while the other one just behaves republican because they ARE republican. The blue dog democrats behave like blue dogs because they ARE blue dogs, while the other democrats pretend to be impotent and pathetic in order to get the job done.

Executive – check
Judicial – check
Legislative – check
Fourth Estate – check

Power: 100
People: 0

I have a lot more respect for Snowe than I do for some of our dimcrats. At least she doesn’t leave us dangling for as long and doesn’t demand things for her own state. She also never said she was for a public option and then was against it. Dems do not need her, they need to find their balls. I have my doubts that will ever happen.

I agree – I do not understand why they still pretend they need 60 votes rather than do Pelosi’s budget recon fix first, followed by the actual Senate bill being passed by the House. The Budget Recon is ready to go NOW!

Budget recon sets limits on everything and can not be stopped as shown by the 19 times beginning with Reagan that it has been used

Debate in both houses is limited to 20 hours, and no Senate filibusters are allowed.

Nonbudget legislation is include often – the GOP used it to pass welfare reform in 1996, SCHIP in 97, opening Alaska to drilling in 2004.

The process is already started since they met the rule that the budget resolution include reconciliation instructions that direct them to produce legislation by a certain date that meets the mandatory spending or tax targets – and the Senate Finance and Health committees each are supposed to send proposed changes in laws within their jurisdictions to the Senate Budget Committee that would save $1 billion over the next five years. In the Senate, the bill may be challenged on the floor by any senator who asserts that a provision runs afoul of the “Byrd Rule.” with the chair making a decision. The resulting bills become a final conference report which goes to the floor under a strict timetable for action and with a prohibition of any amendments. The compromise measure is also subject to Byrd Rule objections. Once passed, the president signs.