One could almost literally see the thought bubbles above Obama's head on Sunday, in the Rose Garden: "Now it falls on the United States Senate" -- God help us, I know these charlatans firsthand -- "to take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line" -- Yeah, if the baton were lathered with earmarks, maybe, and the finish line were a pot of fundraising gold -- "on behalf of the American people" -- Who writes these fantasies? -- "and I’m absolutely confident that they will" -- Well, not really confident, more like hopeful, actually, a bit disillusioned, no, in reality, downright discouraged and depressed.
Whether or not one believes that President Obama deserves this particular Congress, one must concede, simply put, that he asked far too much of it. Revamping such a huge and broken segment of the American economy -- health care -- is a job for dispassionate lawmakers with an eye toward what works nationally, not poseurs and popinjays with an eye only for reelection back home.
In a rather perverse apology for legislative chaos and, now, unconscionable compromises, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel recently observed, "Let's be honest. The goal isn't to see whether I can pass this through the executive board of the Brookings Institution. I'm passing it through the United States Congress with people who represent constituents" -- and, it diplomatically went without saying, lobbyists drenched in special-interest cash, both of which influence how legislators attempt to educate those constituents. So round and round it goes, and it always comes back to the money.
Obama and his progressive agenda were simply asking too much. He believed, as I did, that eight agonizing years of George W. Bush and a shambled economy would trump parochial Congressional interests this time around, but he was miserably mistaken -- again, as were many of us; on Capitol Hill, it's been business as usual, with none of that New Dealism spirit which blessed Franklin Roosevelt's historic first term.
And it's not just the money. It's an attitude thing. This nation is sitting on a speeding train headed directly for one helluva wreck -- a consequence principally of gross income inequalities and chronic financial concentrations and their unmitigated power -- but you'd never know it from the pace and procedures of the United States Congress. Ho-hum.
At any rate, back to the subject of the opening paragraph: health-care legislation, an attenuated progressive version of which has now stumbled to the U.S. Senate, whereupon Republican Lindsey Graham, with ineffable lucidity, declared it "D.O.A."
Indeed, even the Senate's homegrown versions are likely dead, given that Majority Leader Harry Reid, with an exclusive eye toward surviving his electoral desert of 2010, came out of nowhere and inserted an "opt-out" public option. Or, he might go with an opt-in. Or, he might settle on a trigger. Or, the public option might -- will? -- get obliterated altogether.
He doesn't have the votes. It puzzles me that so many rank-and-file progressives still seem to be cheerleading a public option that arithmetically has the same chance of passage as my hometown Kansas City Chiefs have of making it to the Super Bowl this year. But I suppose GroupThink-idealism does have a way of clouding otherwise sound judgment. Still, it's a trifle depressing to witness so many who are so self-fooled.
But here's something that puzzles me even more. Let's assume for the sake of argument that Mr. Reid does find the votes for, at best, a public-option opt-out or opt-in or trigger. Again, when it comes to the U.S. Senate and a public option, these are best-case scenarios -- not even the more liberal House could find the votes for a robust plan. And, best case, they mean either a continuing patchwork of national health care -- they mean governors like Mark Sanford or Tim Pawlenty helping to determine who does and who doesn't receive care -- or progress deferred, interminably.
This is what grassroots progressives are cheering on?
These are regressive options. If Congress codifies any of these plans, it'll be institutionalized for years, even decades. Any progress made toward single-payer or Medicare-for-all-who-want-it or even a genuine public option will be developmentally arrested for a (another) generation.
But, perhaps grassroots sentiments are evolving. Yesterday I received not so much as one disagreeable email in response to my piece about "stripping" the public option, as currently conceived, from health-care legislation; and last night I noticed that even the fiery Ed Schultz had finally come around to my, and many other liberals', way of thinking: anything less than a robust plan just isn't worth passing, he conceded, as did guests Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Sen. Bernie Sanders. The downside to Schultz's "endorsement" is that one can never quite get a firm handle on what information Ed is processing, as additional guest Rep. Barney Frank discovered yesterday evening in one of the funniest train-wrecks of an interview it has ever been my pleasure to witness.
Now, back to that other train wreck: Congress.
Buzz this on Buzzflash.net
Our only hope...
...is for Americans to flock to the Green and Libertarian parties, who still exist despite the collusion of the major parties and the mainstream media to ignore them and bodily eject them from public forums. With public financing of elections and the inclusion of parties that stand for something other than holding onto power, we would see substantive and constructive public debate instead of Democratic weaselry and Republican wrecking.
Train Wreck
Your right, it is a train wreck. It's almost comical to watch these people twist themselves into pretzels trying to explain what's going on. The latest example is Nancy Pelosi trying to hype the election results last week as a great Democratic Party victory. Really Nancy? My biggest concern in this health care reform is twofold. First, let's not throw out the good stuff that already makes our health care the best in the world. Second, take the public option out of the debate and create a truly competitive delivery system that every one can live with. casino en ligne
Betrayed
We asked for single-payer universal health care (HR676), and that was contemptuously brushed aside by the pharma and insurance assholes via their lackeys in congress.
We then asked for at least a "public" option, but what we got was a piece of crap so bad Dennis Kucinich voted AGAINST it!
As usual, those we elected to be our best advocates and look after our interests sold out to the same crooks we're trying to get out from under. Criminals, the sorry lot of them.
The train wreck of P M Carpenter
Carpy, when are you going to get that job you always wanted at Fox News?
You're not a progressive. You're not even a Democrat. You're just a Neocon-Fascist propaganda parrot!
Why does Buzzflash keep you around? Don't they know they could be getting much more in the way of donations if you would just go away?
Surely you jest?
"Obama and his progressive agenda ..."
Umm, just what might that be of late?
really
He must be talking about the 30,000 more troops to Afganistan he will surely be sending. Real progress for GE and General Dynamics! Feel the wind of change!
Hopeless Barry
One guesses that after decades of regression, anything else looks progressive now?
PMC does deserve a positive comment for this insight:
" ... one can never quite get a firm handle on what information Ed is processing ..."
Why does anyone bother to call Big Eddy, when he obviously can't carry a conversation on anything of importance?
The Interesting Dynamic...
Is that republicans will likely not be punished by the electorate for obstructing en masse everything the dems are trying to get accomplished, most of which is popular; no, it is the democratic leadership that will be blamed for not being able to herd its discordant cats--i.e. the corporate bought off and in some cases C Street cultist (Stupak) bluedogs.
Weak. Weak, weak leadership. That's how the media will frame it, and honestly, that's what it is. The democrats have no party loyalty. The democrats have no party discipline. They have no reinforcement or punishment mechanisms in place to discipline members or any leadership with the moxie to carry such a thing out anyway.
So when this thing goes down--if it does--Wolf Blitzer will correctly lay the blame where it belongs--at the feet of democrats. 177 house republicans will vote no in complete lockstep--but it will be the fault of DEMOCRATS if it doesn't pass.
As it should be.
As far as whether a good liberal should accept the likely pile of swill bill that makes it through conference, that's everybody's individual call. As for me, I can accept a public option with a state opt-out provision but a "trigger" is unacceptable.
The Stupak amendment is COMPLETELY unacceptable--there is no way I could sell out my liberal sisters that way.
So every liberal has a breaking point on this bill. And the democratic leadership seems determined to find it.
At some point being a "democrat" has to mean something. And the real question the Leadership should be asking is of the bluedogs:
What does being a "democrat" mean to you? And why will you not vote with your brothers and sisters in the democratic caucus?
Ah. I see. They are NOT your brothers and sisters. Your family lives on K Street. And C Street. And across the ideological aisle.
Because of this dynamic--this lack of democratic party loyalty and discipline--this country is very nearly ungovernable under democratic leadership.
That is the way it will be framed by the Wolf Blitzers out there. And they will be right. The only question then is the extent of the asswhipping the center-right electorate will lay on the dems for it, as the liberals watch from afar and ruefully say, "I told you so."
LMAO
So you didnt receive 1 disagreeable e-mail about your latest screed against progressive change? You obviously dont read the comment threads on your own column. You are a prize carp. The true engineer on the trainwreck of bloviating!
Yes thats it! we are evolving to your neutered way of thinking. Not! As far as todays screed goes, the opt out public option is really a good idea. You say the likes of Sanford and Pawlenty will be able to determine who gets care? Good! lets see how the people in their states like being held hostage, while the more intelligent parts of the country see the benefits. It wont take long for these roadblocks to be driven from power. The repugnant party knows this, which is why they howled so loud at the very idea. It would back them right into a corner. But backed into a corner is where we belong, right carp?
no kidding
I wasn't going to read the column - just the comments - until I came across your reference to the "disagreeable email." Then I had to hunt it down just to verify the gall of "Carp" to make such a statement. I said yesterday "Carp"'s true calling is FOX "Democratic" (read: apologist pseudo-liberal) analyst the better to join the ranks of the other miserable excuses for advocates FOX can exploit. And speaking of his using Congress as a convenient target in order to excuse Obama of no-guts-no-glory conduct, this column is the actual "train wreck" of which he speaks - the daily spectacular implosion can hardly be ignored. And while we're in the midst of cliched metaphors, if "Carp," who doesn't dare backtrack now, digs himself any further into his storyline, he'll soon find himself all the way to China.
What's the solution when the people have no voice?
The corporations win _again_ even when we elect the "change guy," so what do we do _next_?
It is discouraging. A person could feel better about getting any old turd of a bill through Congress if we had the example of seeing Big Pharm's graft cut out of Part D. How's that coming along? And since that's working out so well, I think we can envision what mandatory health insurance will bring us.
Sorry, PM, you are completely mistaken...
Sorry, PM, you are completely mistaken. Team Emanuel/GolddamnSachs/obama Co. has been SABOTAGING real reform for months now - as they intended. They have SQUANDERED the BULLY PULPIT to even make the case for _real_ reform; their leadership is so (intentionally) INEPT, that you would have NO idea that a clear 60% _MAJORITY_ of Americans WANT some sort of "public option" or expanded Medicare for all - the MAJORITY voice is NOT being heard in this debate, BECAUSE OF THE INTENTIONAL SABOTAGE by Emanuel/Obama co., in exchange for which Emanuel has "negotiated" some $20 million in kickback/extortion bribes ("campaign donations") from Big Pharma & big insurance, to the Obama "Democrats" in 2010 and 2012.
Proof? Proof is EVERYWHERE you look!
Here Congressman Weiner WITHDRAWS his _Single Payer Bill_ from consideration, even though it has been IGNORED and NEGLECTED and should therefore be considered harmless. http://www.healthcare-now.org/statement-on-the-withdrawal-of-rep-weiners-single-payer-amendment-to-house-bill/
Clearly Rahm TWISTED Weiner's arm off "IF you want any more of those GolddamnSachs & Wall St. and AIPAC donations for your next campaign, Congressman Wiener, you will PLAY BALL, or we will FIND SOMEONE ELSE to TAKE YOU OUT."
(btw, the Emanuel/GolddamnSachs/AIPAC "Democrats" did a SIMILAR "friendly hit" on outspoken anti-war genuinely liberal Democrat Congressman Robert Wexler - in no uncertain terms HIS AIPAC/Wall St/DCCC campaign donations were going to DRY UP if he persisted on his anti-war path, so he got "kicked upstairs" - 'promoted' to some AIPAC funded think tank that pretends to present an anti-hawk POV.)
More proof? Here the most bribed Senator in Congress (at least from Big Pharma & 'health' industry sector - $3 million in donations past 6 years or so) Max Baucus LAUGHING, as he slams the gavel down and calls for MORE POLICE, to ARREST doctors from SinglePayerAction.org protesting his, Baucus' 15:0 FIFTEEN-to-ZERO EXCLUSION of Single Payer advocates, from even the MOST PRELIMINARY of "Democrat" "reform" hearings, in favor of hearing DOMINATED by LOBBYISTS, duh! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKP05AyfRsI&feature=channel
The Emanuel/Obama White House had DOZENS of opportunities to SPEAK OUT IN SUPPORT of the doctors (several more arrests several days later)- this Obama & Emanuel REFUSED to do.
(btw, the Emanuel/Obama White House also REFUSES to speak up for former Alabama Dem. Governor DON SIEGLEMAN, the most prominent victim of Karl Rove's LYNCH-MOB DoJ PROSECUTORS, Siegelman CONVICTED by the US Atty. WIFE of his 2002 gubernatorial candidates's campaign director! http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/09/hbc-90001209 in a courtroom of a Republican judge Governor Siegelman had once chastised for blatant conflict-of-interest corruption!! STILL, 10 months after inauguration, Emanuel/Obama co. PRETEND NOT TO NOTICE Governor Siegelman's plight!!!!!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Siegelman
The MERE FACT that the Senate FINANCE COMMITTEE bill (negotiated by uber-bribed Sen. Baucus) was, early on, deemed THE MOST IMPORTANT of all the Senate Committees working on health care reform (Senator Kennedy's HELP Committee be damned) indicates that THE FIX WAS IN by team Emanuel/Obama co. from day 1. (And some kind of appreciation for TED KENNEDY putting the INGRATE Obama over the top in the Dem. primary, huh?!)
Admit it, PM: The ONLY lobbies that Mr. Obama refuses to sell down the river, are the WAR lobby (and related police-state abuse-of-powers lobby - Lieberman STILL sits as Chair "Homeland Security" committee, and Obama is about to send another 40,000 US troops to his war in Afghanistan), and the Golddamn-Sachs BIG FINANCE lobby.
The more you try to IGNORE that BASIC REALITY, PM, the more you join MURDOCH, LIMBAUGH, HANNITY, BECK, and other Righty-Repubs in supporting those no-oversight bailouts, SABOTAGE of _genuine_ health care reform, expanded wars, corporatist talking points & other policy atrocities.
If you look at nothing else in my rant, PM, look at this lead sentence from this (VERY ESTABLISHMENT Neo-Con!) Washington Post article of just 2 weeks ago:
Got that, PM?! Even with his own MISERABLE job of TALKING UP genuine reform these past 10 months, the American public still OVERWHELMINGLY supports a robust Public Option - this "Change" president, with CLEAR MAJORITIES in BOTH Houses of Congress behind him CAN NOT (won't) EVEN MAKE AN ARGUMENT, for what the CLEAR MAJORITY of Americans want!
FOR SHAME!!!
(PS: Here former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich explains why URGENCY is (was) so CRITICAL in passing REAL health care reform - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/the-lessons-from-history_b_279389.html This darn president CAN NOT even SPEAK UP FOR MEDICARE, which was just ONE of MANY "heavy lift" accomplishments of President Johnson and the 89th Congress.) http://www1.american.edu/bgriff/H207WebS2009/GreatSocietyChart.htm http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=27931
Lobbyists
The performance of our Congress is the best possible argument for publicly financed elections. Get the special interest money out.
AH! What Could Have Been!
Now we know! Kansas City - the town that can't decide which state it resides in!
But seriously, Obama held the keys to conquering lobbyist cash in his hands - massive public support. IF he had actually taken advantage of this support and, through the media, led a campaign by the voters to contact their representation and press for the bill the public actually wanted, there is a good chance such a bill might have been passed. Instead, like you point out, he shirked his responsibilities to his honor and allowed the den of thieves to hack away at the treasure chest until it was little more than a pile of toothpicks. And he expects to retain a Democratic majority and re-election prospects with a record like this?
Only someone with access to the news media could have countered the lobbyists, and there is no greater access to the media offered than to the occupant of the Oval Office. But Obama chose to be nice and play fair by Republican rules and lost the whole thing.
There is now no other option than to kill this bill. There is no trying again. All that can happen now is for the corrupt existing system to crash and burn and leave all of us without medical care. We'll see how many insurance execs are still celebrating when that happens.
well said - Mr.O has SQUANDERED the Bully Pulpit for 10 months..
Well said, NeoConned!
< Obama _HELD THE KEYS to CONQUERING LOBBYIST CASH IN HIS HANDS_ - massive public support.
IF he had actually taken advantage of this support and, through the media, LED A CAMPAIGN BY the VOTERS to contact their representation and PRESS FOR the bill the public actually wanted, there is a good chance such a bill might have been passed. Instead, like you point out, HE SHIRKED his RESPONSIBILITIES to his honor and [he] ALLOWED the DEN OF THIEVES to hack away at the treasure chest until it was little more than a pile of toothpicks. And he expects to retain a Democratic majority and re-election prospects with a record like this? >
The Best summation I've read yet of how Obama COULD have used the BULLY PULPIT of the White House to FIGHT for REAL change... indeed, THE very "REAL CHANGE!" that he PROMISED us in campaign 2008!
Not only has the INSANELY CORRUPT Mr. O _squandered_ the Bully Pulpit and worked AGAINST what the American public wants for almost an entire year.... but THE ONLY PEOPLE _in support_ of this atrocity of a Obama/Baucus/Lieberman/Emanuel "Reform" bill, are the BIG BUSINESS GIANTS (and their wholly owned media whore corporations) -
__AMERICAN SMALL BUSINESS__ are BEING KILLED en mass, like armadillos on a Texas highway, by SKYROCKETING, exorbitant, runaway health-care costs!!!
American SMALL BUSINESSES ___WANT___ real health care reform - including many MILLIONS of "conservative" and Independent small business owners - but the insanely corrupt Mr. Obama listens ONLY to his Big Finance and Big Insurance swindlers!!