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Dennis is getting the full-court press.
Obama invited Kucinich and undecided Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to the ultimate pressure cooker as he tries to nail down a majority for his top domestic priority.
What was said at 35,000 feet is anyone’s guess, and Kucinich is — for once — not talking. The president talked one on one with Kucinich aboard Air Force One on the flight, a White House spokesman said. But Obama’s onetime presidential rival just smiled as he walked across the tarmac upon arrival in his home state.
“I’m looking forward to hearing what he has to say,” Kucinich said. A spokesman in his D.C. office said the congressman was politely declining all requests for interviews today.
But there was a public hint of the kind of pressure he is under. When Obama introduced Kucinich at his rally in Strongsville, in the congressman’s suburban Cleveland district, someone in the audience called out, “Vote yes.”
Obama, not missing a beat, turned to his traveling partner. “Did you hear that, Dennis?” he asked.
Wonder why Blanche Lincoln or Joe Lieberman never get this kind of treatment.
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Good morning BT.
I feel very strongly that if Kooch was president, Rove, Cheney, dipshit, etc., wouldn’t be walking the streets, going on TV and revising history. I could be wrong, I often am, but I honestly believe in him.
I know, I’m a dumbass.
DK was polite yesterday but he is still voting no. Obama can go smooze a union crowd all he wants but it still is a bad bill. I wonder why no one in the union had signs about his proposal to tax their health care plans.
Mornin’, BT
Today is the 7th anniversary of the killing of Rachel Corrie by a Caterpillar D9R bulldozer operated by the IDF in Gaza.
Reporter from Hotline (I think) said on WJ this morning that Kucinich was ‘wavering.’
democracynow sez Iran will execute 6 protesters.
The Iranians have this thing about stringin’ people up.
I don’t think it’s fair that Democrats are targetting DK when they should be pointing out some of the bluedogs.
I have a write-up on what is in the Senate bill. It’s full of all kinds of facts. Follow the links and you can find lots of answers.
Why would they say that? Anyone who stands up in a presidential debate and say they believe in UFO’s does not waver, in my estimation.
Nasty place. (Cahnstance is chasing ping pong balls this sunny morning. After dn is over, we’ll both be outside.)
Yeah, we just string people along.
Probably making shit up, like all reporters do these days.
No shit. I think that’s going to be my line for the day.
My mother used to say If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I think I’ll change the Nice to Truthful.
Thanks for the reminder SD.
I appreciate your drawing attention to it and the ongoing civil case.
Gotta get some of those. Hate goin’ to Sports Authority, talk about a sterile retail atmosphere. That leaves China-Mart.
Have I told you lately how much I dislike Likud and the IDF?
I’ve found they like to bat at wine corks also.
Barbarians, they should at least torture them first like in a real democracy.
My supermarket sells them (Stop ‘n Shop).
I was pleased and a little bit surprised at Moore’s takedown of the bill. And very moved by his contribution to the Free Clinics in honor of Keith’s dad. Must have been a generous check, from the look on Lawrence O’Donnell’s face.
Got plenty of those. *g*
Ours are the same though we find we have to replenish the “toys” quite frequently.
Glenzilla had a good post on the relationship between Israeli hostility in Gaza and the safety of US troops.
when all else fails, kick the DFH.
when I was 28 in ’88 I actually thought the DLC stuff was gonna be a new way AND they’d make gov’t work & run (remember re-inventing gov’t with LIEberman’s running mate??) AND put an end to the Prop 13 / Raygun b.s. about gov’t – oh yeah
AND work towards a fair business climate AND not let us bottom 90% of working stiffs get shafted … ha ha ha.
they just took care of a different set of power point jockey consultant elitist fucks.
rmm
Someone from the audience spontaneously shouts out “vote yes.” How convenient. Obama likes to govern as the village scold.
I heard a cute ad the other day for a cat toy, “fits easily under couches and behind the fridge.” Don’t remember what it was, caught the end on the fly.
It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.
Yep. DFHs make great scapegoats.
Great characterization of O. Sooo true.
There is something school marmish about him, isn’t there?
It’s the pointy finger thing. I was on the receiving end of plenty of that with my son’s school troubles. Drove me to say that the next time some school official wags her finger at me, I’m gonna bite it off.
Maybe this
Oh, you and I are too much alike sometimes. I said that to a woman I worked with, years ago.
Some People!
Dunno, but that’s a cute toy.
I thought Obama was going to change the course of the Titanic clipping along at full speed but all he’s done is dip a canoe paddle over the side to try and steer clear of the iceberg.
I heard that, too, and hoped he was talking out his ass. I can’t believe the down-right gullibility of some of those callers.
Does the woman with cancer that Obama referenced in his pep talk realize that this bill would do nothing for her until 2014, if at all depending on circumstances; silly things like cost of insurance. As long as insurance companies are allowed to raise their rates on a whim, no one is safe. Except of course the fine people “representing” us.
Did you emphasize your point by wagging your finger at her? *g*
According to the CIA Factbook the U.S. is now 50th in life expectancy. #1 in military spending of course. U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A………….
I haven’t seen anything in the press since the 12th. If we ever needed a little judicial activism…
Maybe Obama will find a way to pass his steaming heap without voting in the house? Voting is so last century.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031503742.html?hpid=topnews
I hope that Kucinich hangs tough. obamarahma has blown it as far as I’m concerned, and not just on HC, but he has allowed it to become such a big deal in the wrong way. I probably won’t be voting in the presidential in ’12. I was glad to see MM make those points; his response seemed to leave o’donnell gasping. obamarahma’s bill shows him for the corporatist that he is, so the like-minded people such as lincoln, LIEberman, etc. are never pressured.
I do have one quibble with MM: he gave rahm the credit for the dim surge in ’06 and ’08. This rewrites the election history and erases Dean’s 50-state strategy and success. The current surge of sycophantic rahm stories in the SCLM (to use Alterman’s phrase) is working hard to disappear Dean.
I’m not so much a finger wagger. But, I do believe I got up in her face when I said it. The thing that pushed me over the edge was when she told me I should not cross my 7′s. The noive.
Thank you for not forgetting, SD.
saddest moment ever RIP
her friends said she said ,,,I THINK MY BACK IS BROKEN,then she died……….
The “vote yes” big mouth was, I’m sure, a plant. Put there by the O people.
Don’t have the link to the poll but it’s results shows 80+% want a medicare buy in.
Check out wewantmedicare.com
Ya think?
a move on obamaBOT
That would have drawn a “Who the fuck died and made you king/queen?” from moi.
Based on what?
BE very CAREFUL WITH ANYTHIG STRING…wraps around the internal organs
In re Rachel Corrie: her WA senators (I am not saying their names) got upset at her death and made some noise until aipac told them to shut up. The brave senators then said no more about Rachel.
The reading of her writings was to be done in NYC, but the big money people supporting the venue said not to do it. The people that were to do it said the dairy needed the context of the Israeli govt view and chose not to do it.
So many people to say that to. So little time.
saw a RickSteves progam on Greece and Croatia,and thought to myself,these people look healthy,moderat eweight,their streets have NO POTHOLES.they dont do BIG MILITARY SPENDING!
Oh, my gosh, you just reminded me of something. Year ago, we were constructing an enclosed jacuzzi area in the back yard and had string strung between stakes. We had a desert tortoise who lived back there and he ate the string. I sat for a long time gently and slowly pulling the string out of his body. It was really yucky.
This’ll curl your hair:
Bill Moyers and Dr.Marcia Angell
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03052010/watch3.html
The play is available in paperback. At our weekly gathering tomorrow night I’m gonna bring up putting on My Name is Rachel Corrie in the park or one of the venues downtown. Not the first time I’ve done so but we had a lot of other stuff goin’ on. Never. Give. Up.
Foreign exchange income from illegal drugs in Mexico possibly exceeds that from oil. Very good guest on democracynow. Charles Bowdon.
im raising a baby tortoise too………so adorable eats out of my hand
Off to the great outdoors to start spring pickup. Have a great day everyone.
Even those of you who have given up on Daily Kos might wish to read Obama in Cleveland, Kucinich 1, Obama 0, in which Natoma Canfield (misspelled Cranfield by the author) figures prominently.
saved the big banks in the crunch
if its KOS i wont give em a hit ever
This guy was really old. And, the saddest thing is that he hibernated under a shed every winter. After the big earthquake of 94, we went looking for him and his tunnel had collapsed and he didn’t make it out. Really sad.
My son has an amphibian turtle. Red Eared Slider. He’s pretty big and cute too.
Mexico is a failed state. It won’t be long before the U.S. moves in.
Keep a hat on that winterized head of yours. Take good care of yourself.
From earlier
The parallel universe
How much worse is it now than it has been?
Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.
US KIA Irak: 4,383
US KIA Afghanistan: 1,021
Iraki and Afghan casualties: estimates vary to over 1.5M
US MBS 2010: 9,300 and counting
Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.
Namaste
Aww, that’s cute.
Kassandra, did you see the explanation of Zed in the last thread?
That is a great post! Sad to think how Obama has squandered the opportunity to do something really transformational for the American people. Thanks for passing along.
gonna have her in one ofmy shows,just hired an editor
have a lovely day!
No…hit me again, please…. it’s hard to keep up around here.;0)
Zed is the first comment in a thread. Dates back to old blog software that numbered the first comment “0″ which was loosely translated into “zed” (incorrectly, since Zed is the last letter in several alphabets). Go skim the comments in that thread for some other FDL nostalgia.
Has Barack Obama been asked this question?
Why Lieberman,Conrad,Baucus,Lincoln or Harkin did not get the works like Dennis Kucinich is now being given by Obama WH?
Was/has this question ever asked of Barack Obama?
Just what kind of Democrat is Barack Obama? Is he really even a Democrat?
Or is he just a rat?
Can we have a better political press? Please.
We Americans do have a “free” press. Being it is “worth nothing” so much of the time.
Please pass it forward.
Yep.
“I don’t think it’s fair that Democrats are targetting DK when they should be pointing out some of the bluedogs.” Who do u think runs the party friend? The Fucking BLUE DOGS and the biggest B-Dog of them all OBamarahma himself!
SIGN THE BILL DENNIS so the rest of the corrupt MF’ers in the party can collect their 33 pieces of fucking silver already! God, I despise these people.
let us play a game who is the democrat and who is the republican
Dennis Kucinich = DK
Barack Obama = BO
DK is for the Public Option
BO is not for the Public Option
DK is for Drug Importation
BO is not for Drug Importation
DK is not for the Individual mandate
BO is for the Individual mandate
DK is for abortion rights
BO is not for abortion rights
DK is for ending wars
BO is for more war
I think the record more than shows that DK is the Democrat and BO is the republican
Welcome to Insane world DK is the real Democrat and some so call progressives want to support the Phony Democrat BO. Only In America.
Enjoy the spotlight, Dennis. They ignore you 364 days of the year. They laugh at your ideas. They dismiss you. They trash you. They barely tolerate you. They marginalize you. Even most progressives ignore you, most of the time.
From the bottom of my heart, thanks for standing up for what is right.
I thought Moore delivered a well deserved smackdown to O’Donnell when he said “I’d thank him [Kucinich].” O’Donnell seemed stunned.
An even better question is, “Why are we letting GOP psychopaths hijack the HCR debate? And why does everyone keep insisting this is a political issue when it’s obviously a human rights issue?”
Dennis is going to do what Dennis does, be the only one who consistently represents the American people. Everyone else is slime. Ron Paul and Dennis are the only two candidates who should be able to sleep well at night knowing that their offices are secure.
Kudos to you Dennis, keep up the great work!
Dennis is a national treasure and a lone champion of the people in a sea of fascists. Thank you, Dennis. You are the personification of honor and bravery.
not only that but his wife is HOT
Dk should stand strong against this give away bill that allows Insurance companies to raise rates for the next 3 years and to deny coverage for pre existing conditions for the same period of time. Let us all face it fellow Lib’s we elected a sellout and a weak leader who wouldn’t know Real Change if it looked him in the face.spent the first year of his term kissing repuk asses and cuddling up to the wall Street Bankers.
And what other legislative giant for the people can lay claim to, loaning a single museum some films, naming a local library and a resolution honoring a dead guy? Ted Kennedy must have trembled in his shadow.
Unfortunately, Dennis Kucinich shares the same initials as the DailyKos website, so I keep reading “DailyKos…” at first in my head when I see DK.
Yeah, I’m really glad, and actually surprised, Michael Moore stood behind Kucinich. I hope his infatuation with the president is worn/wearing off. I think one of the problems with his movies is he’s bought into the Republicans=bad, Democrats=good, others don’t matter, other forms of action barely matter. He really needs to break out of this to reach more people. It shows he has a better grasp of the problems we have and isn’t using his movies to help a political party, which matters to non-party-loyalists (most of America). Capitalism, for example, relied on Democratic insiders for critiques, then presented Obama’s rise to power as some sort of revolution by the people (via voting for a corporate/party-backed candidate), and the implication he was (secretly) socialist. Of course none of that’s true, and many Americans are smarter than that, especially now.
His segment on the worker on factories was perhaps the most important part of the movie, but it was too short and stuck in the middle. He could have cut the Obama part and included this at the end. If we want to take back power and achieve true democracy (not choosing 1 of 2 nearly identical rulers once every 4 years), it starts at the ground level. Decentralizing the work place is one major step.
MIKE AND DENNIS ARE RIGHT. Thanks Mike for not being one of these people that feels “embarrassed” by peer pressure to go along with something that is not what we were told it would be. This current campaign on the bill has been set up as a MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY deal, and those that don’t take it are being portrayed as people who want to hurt the subset that will be helped by the bill at some “extensively in the future” date.
This is not adequate by a long shot and it does not address the grievously criminal activity of deciding who lives and who dies at what price that has be conducted on the American people by the Medical Health Care Monopoly like some kind of hideous horror movie that involves extensive and horrendous torture of body and soul. This all being enforced by Republican in a heavily funded effort to demand a monopoly while pretending they are all about the free market. This whole conversation is disgusting, immoral, and contemptible.
OT, I know but can’t help it — did you scroll down far enough to see photos of the author’s cats playing with different colors of the toys?
Catch the names of the cats?
One’s “Ann Richards,” and the other’s “Aung Sun Suukyi!” If he’s selling those toys, or the knitting pattern, I may have to scrape up some dough to buy a couple, just out of solidarity.
I noticed that.
especially confirmed that BO is the Republican, when he appeared on Fox yesterday. BO made it point to say he is a CENTRIST, and he didn’t listen to the LEFT who had stuff about health care they wanted in the bill that would “disrupt the process.” I can just hear O talking to insurance CEOS in the back room: “Hey guys I’m booting billions your way. You know where I stand.”..while the cancer patient in Ohio loses her house, and kicks the bucket.
O was ready to target Kucinich in no uncertain terms as the last impediment/roadblocker to his sweeping, health reform legislation.
When Kucinich probably realized that his vote could make a difference, and not be a symbolic one, he got gun shy. On Amy Goodman’s show last week she put the question to him about his potentially being the deciding vote, and he
looked a little hesitant. When the going got tough, Kucinich buckled. He also realized he would be hung out to dry because the other so called Progressives would not back him up. I bet Obama threatened K with a lynch mob originating in the White House. K also knew all along about O’s back room deal with insurance and pharma that no P.O. could emerge in the bill. It was killed along with single payer or anything resembling.
K had no “movement” behind him in Congress. We all know about these corporate Dems..
Still, despite all the pressure, K should have stood, head high, and voted NO.
Obama’s plan was not to target any Blue Dogs.. It was going to be Kucinich, and on Air Force One, K got a glimpse of what was to come.