MUTINY!
18 August 2009 10:07 am by Taylor Marsh
–updated below–
“A bill without a public option won’t pass the House,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), a member of Energy & Commerce Health subcommittee. “Not only are they weakening their proposal, but they are also weakening their hand. This is legislative subtraction by subtraction.” – Liberals Revolt Over Public Option
Progressives are mad as hell about Obama’s shrug off of the public option, and some have no intention of taking it.
Barack Obama has ignored and now insulted his progressive base for the last time, that is if he wants to continue to have any support from the activist wing of the party going forward. His domestic agenda depends on these people.
The comments around here have been angry, even over the top, with what I’m hearing outside just as bad.
kris says:
17 August 2009 at 6:11 pm
It will not happen djjl. The spineless, pathectic excuse for a President is willing to compromise everything away. We shouldn’t be surprised. He’s done it on other issues. I find this Presidency disgusting. Anyone notice that pharmacutical stocks went up today? Hmmmmm…wonder why.Jane Austen says:
17 August 2009 at 6:19 pm
He promised us hope and change. Of course I always said if I wanted hope I’d go to church and I wondered what he was going to change, maybe diapers, because his message was lofty but not substantive. Now with a spineless Congress our hope and change President is proving he’s equally spineless, doesn’t know how to fight for what he believes in, if anything. If there’s no public option, if this bill comes out a hodgepodge of crap, if he screws over the American people, I’m done with him.(update) lynnette says:
18 August 2009 at 1:49 pm
Well, Taylor, you can add my name to Kris and JA’s. I thought I would never say this, being a lifelong Democrat who has only voted Democratic – I think it’s time for a third party in this country that will focus on the needs of the people – not corporate America. If such a candidate comes forth for the next election in 2012, he or she just may have my vote. I didn’t vote for Ralph Nader because I wanted the Democrats to win in 2000 and 2004 but I have come to the conclusion that he is right about the Democratic party. The Democrats may not be as beholden to the corporations as the Republicans but they sure are headed in that same direction. When incompetence on Wall Street gets tons of money and the working class in this country can’t afford health insurance/get access to good health care any more, when we have a Democratic president and Congress (with 60 Democratic Senators), something is very wrong in America. Incremental change – hell. The dam is bursting and all our politicians want to do is patch a crack. When will they ever learn? My trust for them is going right down the toilet. Howard Dean is about the only person who I trust on the health care issue, and I wasn’t a fan of his at first. I’m open to other views but this is my opinion after much thinking and reading of the facts on the ground.
People are fed up with Obama’s lack of “leadership” on health care, with the only Democratic leadership coming from outside the White House.
Darcy Burner at the Progressive Caucus Foundation, the PCC and Adam Green, as well as Jim Dean of DFA, have banded together to push Congress to standing up for the public option. If you want to know who’s fighting for you, these are the people and groups. So, if you want a progressive Congress, they deserve your support. Another strong supporter who has worked tirelessly for the public option is Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake, as tenacious as anyone on this issue.
Meanwhile, Obama is likely spinning from the mutiny, though he’s earned it. Never has a party leader gone back on so many promises also thinking that the people who brought him to the White House would just shut up and take it.
Obama has shown more passion for Republicans and bipartisanship than he has his own Democratic caucus and activist base. The disrespect dripped from Sebelius’s mouth over the weekend, backed up by her boss, with the counter strike swift decisive.
Are you hearing us now, Mr. President?
We all better hope so and that a public option is included, or the coming health care victory lap, once Obama gets a bill, will likely be louder on the right.
