Like Anthony Weiner says: There won't be a do-over on health care for Democrats and the public option
By David Neiwert Thursday Oct 22, 2009 1:00pm
Rep. Anthony Weiner did his usual stellar job being the progressive voice on health care yesterday on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews. In typical Villager fashion, Matthews want to paint the public option as the "ultra liberal" position on health care, and Weiner helped set him straight:
MATTHEWS: OK, let me ask you this. What percentage, do you think, of Democrats in this country are liberals and what percent are moderates?
WEINER: I have no idea. I think...
MATTHEWS: Do you think most are liberals.
WEINER: I have to say...
MATTHEWS: Do you think most are liberals?
WEINER: No, here's what I think. I think when it comes to health care, the moderate position is choice and competition. I don't believe the public option is the liberal position. The liberal position is what I have, single payer for all Americans. This is the compromise position.
Of course, the whole point of painting the public option as the "far left" position is that, in Villagespeak, the liberal position is always doomed to being compromised by "centrist" Democrats. Which was the upshot of Matthews' interview -- namely, that liberals should be prepared to give up the public option to appease "centrists" in their own party.
Weiner had the perfect answer to that tripe:
WEINER: I think that we need to make the argument to my Democratic friends that this is an all-or-nothing strategy for us as Democrats. We run the country right now...
MATTHEWS: OK...
WEINER: ... House, Senate and the presidency.
MATTHEWS: OK...
WEINER: And if we can't do this (INAUDIBLE)
MATTHEWS: I've been talking around the Hill, talking to staffers and some members, and I've gotten to the point of disbelief. A lot of people like you believe that in the end, no good Democrat from wherever they are in the country is willing to be the man or woman who brings down the president's number one political ambition for this year, health care. And in the end, you folks believe that there'll be such tremendous pressure on all the Democrats, Nebraska, North Dakota, Arkansas, Louisiana, they'll still have to vote with the party. Do you believe that?
WEINER: Well, let me...
MATTHEWS: Do you believe that?
WEINER: Let me say yes but phrase it a different way. There's a divide here. Some people think a watered-down health care plan could be a success for us. Some, like myself, believe if we don't get this right...
MATTHEWS: OK...WEINER: ... we're not going to get another chance for 20 years.
MATTHEWS: You're a good spokesman. Thank you, sir.
Blanche Lincoln, we hope you're listening.
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Get the Wall Street Mafia out of health care.
HR 676 single payer is the minimum!
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OBTW - the Far Left position, which is what I ACTUALLY want, is FULL NATIONAL HEALTH.
Then at the same time, in taking back the government for the people of the commons, we will need to dismantle the Corporate State, the Perpetual War Machine and Corporate Personhood.
In the documentary the Corporation the question is asked: if Corporations are people, what kind of people are they?
The answer: psychopaths!
Wikipedia -
"The psychopath is defined by an uninhibited gratification in criminal, sexual, or aggressive impulses and the inability to learn from past mistakes. Individuals with this disorder gain satisfaction through their antisocial behavior and lack remorse for their actions."
See: Republican
Exactly .
never think of much less cross them if they did. That is how they get away with their behavior: Normal people do not believe anyone would do the things they do. Think of Jeffrey Dahmer, for instance.
Tonight Matthews is going to have Grayson on his show. Rep Grayson will hand Chris his ass on a platter if Chris tries to be too cute and smarty pants with him.
including the blatant lies he's spewing to Weiner.
...online, and they say Hardball is a repeat tonight.
?
Even the stupidest thing he says is music to his ears.
mind." He just had Ron Reagan on with some GOP hack, and it got to be like a Springer show. Catch the rerun. Amusing, as Tweety lost control.
That GOP dude still supports the Iraq invasion
I'm pretty sure that GOP guy was the master of ceremonies last night at the Keeper of the Flame dinner where cheney got the big award. The place was full of cheney fans and all that cheney stands for. The group also gave David Addington a lesser award, but that tells you what they were all about.
I wonder how he got his name, that Scooter? Do you think he drags his ass over carpeting? I also wonder what his award was for--"Felon of the Decade?" "Non-Snitching Award?" "Don't Get Out of Jail Free?" "The Patsy?"
Matthews talks a lot to try to make himself look relevant when he has a guest on who is smarter than he is. He has the Joe Scarborough syndrome.
If you guessed Tom Delay, good for you. Tweety worships the ground Delay walks on. Delay is & was a disgusting excuse for a human being(Google for Delay, Jack Abrahoff & the Mariana Islands for a taste). I would love to see Lawrence O'Donnel replace Matthews & Rachael Maddow replace the MTP corporate shill, David Gregory.
I believe you meant, Tweety worships the ground Delay dances on, didn't you?
the floor he shakes his wobbly ass on.
Matthews is an idiot. It's not about liberal and conservative. It's about human freaking beings.
I wonder, if a health care bill passes with a public option or even better if HR 676 were to pass, would the millionaires and billionaires riot? :-)
... we should be prepared to shoot it down before it becomes our one bite at the apple.
Why does anyone bother to come on Matthews' show? He never lets anyone finish their thoughts.
I guess each guest thinks this time it will be different. Sort of like the beaten wife or spouse syndrome.
yelling at each other and Tweety could not be heard.
when the GOP hack told Ron Reagan that his father would be ashamed of him.
Cheney has been "got to." His knickers are in a big twist. I am really going to enjoy this if he continues to run off at the mouth. I hope his political whore of a daughter keeps talking, too.
Fine if they keep talking but please don't make me have to listen to either of them.
defend him in public. Why would anyone choose to align themselves with this war criminal and profiteer? Apparently Cheney has not made enough money for himself or his corporate masters, as he is advocating an escalation in Afghanistan now. Blackmail must be involved somehow.
During the show before Beck, Fox had some speed reader reading the bill that came out of the senate finance committee. I'm not sure what the point was.
Maybe because repubs can't read?
.
!!!!!!!
for corporate politicians hence corporate America.
There's "resistance" for a public option Chris? Really, we didn't know that these Blue-dogs are in the pockets of the Insurance industry, and thanks for not pointing that out.
Keep cherry-picking polls. Don't talk public policy, equity or economics. Keep lobbying for red-staters in N. Dakota and Arkansas right to deny themselves health care. Keep fighting for the rights of people to become moderate zombies who no matter the issue is, will always take the temperature by waiting to see what narrative punditville will come up with.
Hey, whatever gets you the male 35-54 demo Chris. GE is proud.
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