Blanche Lincoln whines about Blue America/outside group ads, but votes for cloture on health care
By John Amato Saturday Nov 21, 2009 2:00pm
[H/t Heather]
Blanche Lincoln was complaining today about all those outside group ads that were attacking her, but in the end she says she'll vote for cloture today.
Blue America has been running another massive media blitz in Arkansas demanding give us an up or down vote.
Lincoln: For months now groups from outside my state have assigned various motives for my deliberations on health care and tried to define the meaning of my vote. According to the last tally there has been more than 3.2 million dollars worth of media ads that have been purchased from my home state of Arkansas by groups from outside of our state. certainly none by me. And most with my name in the ad. These outside groups seem to think this is all about my re-election. I simply think they don't know me very well. I'm focused on my opportunity to to influence the final version of health care reform legislation in a way that most helps my state. That's why the people of Arkansas sent me here.
--I will not allow my decision on this vote to be dictated by pressure from my political opponent nor the liberal interest groups from outside Arkansas that threaten with their money political opposition. The multitudes of emails and ads that we have received, Unbelievable types of threats about what they're going to do and how they're going to behave.
She's trying to feign shock that her name showed up in ads targeted at her in her own state over this issue. Jaysus. Our problem is that we know her too well. If she were truly representing her state, then she would get behind the public option and stop joining with the Republicans, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and Lieberman to kill it. She does have a D in her title and she should start acting like one. Why is Lincoln so against the public option and using right-wing language to define it?
She has an opportunity to be part of a great moment in our history. She's a politician looking to survive. She hates that she's running for re-election at this time. Well Blanche, sometimes you have to do the right thing and not put your own political career before the entire country's health care. Right now she's saying she won't vote for it. If she joins with the Holy Joes, then she votes at her own political peril.
Here's Blue America's new ad that is running now.
Here's our Blue America Act Blue fundraising page on health care.
(h/t Heather for the video)
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When they pass this piece of crap you can congratulate yourselves, mightily.
You've been hoodwinked again.
. .
Based on this bill alone, I agree.
Based on what happens in Committee...we'll see.
My hope was the anti-trust exemption would be taken from the Insurance companies; perhaps the Gov would help fund new insurance companies (yeah, right). And perhaps they would expand Medicare, close the donut hole. And take the matter up again next year.
Looks like they're gonna deep-6 the anti-trust, let Insurance companies keep their monopolies. Medicare still leaking oil and listing to port. No single payer, and, with the help and support of Blanche and Holy Jo-Jo, and the other Poster-Boys for corruption, there won't be even a bad public option.
BUT! They will mandate everyone buy insurance from the Monopolies. The insurance companies who just raised prices by 1/3 must be laughing their asses off.
Pretty amazing, isn't it? The worst of all possible worlds. There were three types of things in play:
1. Things that would actually work. (National HC insurance exchange with a public option.)
2. Things that won't do much good but which are EASY. (Removing anti-trust exemption.)
and 3. Things that are nothing more than corporate giveaways, and virtually guarantee that HC insurance costs will increase.
Leave it to the Senate to ditch the first two, and leave the last one. Seriously...ONLY THE SENATE would do something like that.
Look, maybe it's not single-payer, but it does two things:
1. It opens the door to more reforms down the road;
2. It shows that the minority nutbag Republicans can't control legislation through sheer lying and bluster. Yeah, I know it's not perfect, but it will at least give the Dems some credibility (and possibly confidence?) on having some balls.
Heaven knows, they may even come to realize that they are the MAJORITY, fer Chrissakes!
Sheesh, Alice! You ought to know that with these spineless Dems, ya gotta get 'em to take baby steps at first. And, yes, we can always vote out all the conservative DINOS in 2010, but it's not 2010 yet.
As Bugs Bunny used to say, "Unlax, already."
UPDATE: OK, I went to another site and saw where Lincoln is saying she won't vote for public option. Fine. As long as a public option is in the Senate bill, and Reid will let it go to reconciliation, then my above comments stand. If, howver, the public option gets stripped and we get some crappy thing like triggers, co-ops, etc., then I will withdraw said comments. Should be interesting, to say the least.
They don't seem to need her vote to pass the bill, with or without the public option, but only to block the filibuster.
She must have a big list. She's holding out for more.
While I want a single payer, and I think that's what you want.
We have to be patient. We need to work this through. In steps.
I would like to see single payer right now.
But it wont happen. The Dem party has been infiltrated by mod gopers.
I just saw your update. we're still on the same page.
the utter bullshit coming from this woman's mouth. I felt as if I was watching an episode of Leave It To Beaver. What world do these people live in? Certainly not mine.
Exactly!
I think the lady (and I use that term generously) is begging for a primary challenger?
I hope Arkansas is listening.
"feign shock that her name showed up"
(In my best Gomer Pyle USMC)
Surprise, surprise, surprise!
:)
Blah, blah, blah, blah,
drama, drama, drama, drama,
do the right thing...
then shoot yourself in the foot.
You want the riskless scenario of a coward where you can have your corporate cake and eat it too. It's too difficult to step back from the slop trough and do what's right and too easy to buy into political ease and convenience, where you reward yourself today at the expense of those in the future who have to do the heavy lifting you couldn't be bothered to do. How's the shorter version of that go---I've got mine, now f---k you?
Our family has been involved in Democratic politics for 70 years and you and some of your Democratic colleagues are a disgrace to all that my parents and grandparents worked for. It used to be that progressive ideals were the centerpiece of the party, no more. They are an afterthought to be readily discarded when inconvenient. Good thing that you were not in service during the New Deal or in 1964, I'm sure you'd gladly vote against the WPA, Social Security, and Medicare, among others becau=se it's just easier to stuff your purse full of contributions than hear the suffering of your constituents that, unlike you, do without.
Political courage seems to be lost on you and many of your apathetic, selfish colleagues who gladly sell America out for nine pieces of silver so your good time will continue uninterrupted.
Do me a favor, Blanche. Get out of public service and stay out until you learn that your first priority is to serve the public, not your selfish ambition.
"first priority is to serve the public"
I don't think I could use up all the fingers on one hand counting the politicians who understand that.
Whatever happened to "personal integrity" IN politicians? I guess it is just a fading light of nostalgia.
For too many, political service has become a way of furthering selfish ambition at the expense of the public they are supposed to serve. Small wonder that so many of the public are apathetic and uncaring when they realize that their suffering and genuine concerns makes no difference to the tin eared phonies that they elected.
Robert F. Kennedy's birthday was yesterday. Here's a message from him to the political Judases and cowards of our time:
"Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change."
excellent quote
I know this is way off-topic but I just couldn't wait after I read it for an open thread. Here's a quote, guess who said it....
"If they were to put it in front of me I'd probably watch it."
Billy Arnone. Who is Billy Arnone? Carrie Prejean's brother. What was he talking about? Her sex tape.
2 things. One, gay marriage bad, making sex tape and brother viewing, good. Two, you can tell she comes from the average Christian family. They have different last names. Apparently there must have been a divorce or child out of wedlock.
Oh my - is that what the Xtians mean by brotherly love?
If he is only a half brother could he watch it with one eye closed?
*runs screaming*
His OT comment made it possible for Blanche to hit ten comments in the first hour, a new high for her!.
It's spineless congresspersons like her that will make this bill watered down to worthless.
Who the hell is she trying to kid? She should be ashamed of herself for acting like a stubborn, "independent idiot". she, joe liverwarts, nelson and the rest of those spineless weasels we have in Congress.
Blanche Lincoln's name means "dumbass." The AR stands for "archaic." She's old school. The United States is one country, meaning liberals and progressives from every state have a right to sound off, contribute money, and call onto the carpet any and every elected official that stands in the way of the will of the people.
Well, she's shocked; shocked, I tells ya' that people across the country are fed up with her stinking GOP Skel style of politics. Let her, Holy Joe and Nelson engage in all the GOP clusterfucking they want, just so long as they are not allowed to stall America's progress!
Ditto all of the above!
1. She's very frustrated and irritated about the ad buys
2. I'm glad I helped to fund them
Blanchie---this is only the beginning. I'm retired now, and I have no problem with going to AK to help unseat your azz
Exactly!
Sen Blanche Lincoln: "I'm focused on my opportunity to to influence the final version of health care reform legislation in a way that most helps my state. That's why the people of Arkansas sent me here."
And...
"I will not allow my decision on this vote to be dictated by pressure from my political opponent nor the liberal interest groups from outside Arkansas that threaten with their money political opposition."
Senator, will your decision be dictated by your 3rd largest contributor (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) and not the Arkansans that want the Public Option?
"I will not allow my decision on this vote to be dictated by pressure from my political opponent nor the liberal interest groups from outside Arkansas"
No, you will allow your decision on this vote to be dictated by pressure from the campaign contributors from Wal-Mart and the insurance companies.
... Will she be a "conscientious objector"? ;)
Welcome to... The United States ♥
PS.
Don't they have that free clinic thing going on today in AR?
The one Bill Clinton is side-stepping cuz it's been politicized.
...this is one unbelievably fuggin' historic Senate. Historically bad.
I wonder if all those "outside groups" are Commies.
Blanche believes in the right of every American to die prematurely after being forced to buy insurance from a corrupt and abusive private insurance companies.
Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah...what a phony.
What nerve these people have. They forget we may be from different states and districts but what they do effects all of us. Your damn right I signed that petition. I would do it again.
contributionsbribes you have taken from the Health Insurance Industry. Then, the ads will stop. Otherwise, Blanche is nothing but just another greedy, special interests loving sellout.What's wrong Blanch are we fouling up your gig ? It's a beyotch when outsiders , intelligent and educated people , get involved isn't it !
.....is different than being a Governor. Her vote affects people in ALL states, not just Arkans-ass.
If she doesn't want pressure and influence FROM THE VERY PEOPLE HER VOTE WILL DENY HEALTH CARE TO, then she should resign and run for Governor, or become an official rep for the health care "industry", rather than a paid part-time whore.
"Butcha are tarred and feathered Blanch, ya are"
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