Progressives Urge Obama to Man Up On The Public Option
By Susie Madrak Friday Oct 30, 2009 2:00pmI'm always happy to see the progressives step up and demand what they want - you know, instead of falling into the fetal position. Greg Sargent from The Plumline:
At a private meeting at the White House yesterday, top House liberals urged President Obama to more aggressively throw his weight into a public campaign on behalf of the public option, a leading House progressive said in an interview.
Dem Rep. Raul Grijalva, the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, says that this point was made “emphatically” to the president in the meeting yesterday with House liberals, and that his help was urgently needed in bringing centrist Dems on board.
“We need the full engagement of everybody in this discussion — that includes the White House,” Grijalva said in characterizing the message that was delivered to the president. Grijalva described the meeting in an interview with Democracy Now.
Dems have largely refrained from making such a blunt case publicly, not wanting to appear critical of the president. But Grijalva appears to have no qualms about making it.
“We really do feel that engagement from the leader of this nation is vital if we’re going to end up with anything that approaches a robust public option,” Grijalva said.
Strong stuff. I’ve asked Grijalva’s office what the president’s response was, and will update you if I learn more.
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... they'll have one.
if obama is now pushing for the trigger
option to implement health care that settles
it for me.......he said he is not influenced by
the lobbyists......LIAR
If you look to the right of this page, you'll see Grayson's picture and the words "GUTS" (Grayson Has Guts). It's obvious to me that our president lacks "GUTS" when it comes to supporting single payer, or a strong public option. An LBJ he is not.
Unfortunately, the people who will lose (because of Obama's lack of commitment) are the 44,000 people who die each year because they don't have health insurance.
man urges goose to lay golden egg
results are not golden
Sad......
Do we expect an executive order or signing statement?
we need SINGLE PAYER!
yes we do........period
If the 78 members of the once upon a time single payer caucus, the so called progressives, were serious about single payer they would say so.
They would stand up and say: No single payer, no dice.
Then the discussion would start again from scratch with single payer.
Everywhere, single payer, including at Fox Noise.
But no one is serious, they intend on getting along by going along with this bull shit.
it's imperative... don't settle for less!
He needs to forget about bipartisanship, the trigger, and Rahm's influence. Quite right, man up.
It's not Rahm that has Obama scared, it is the CEOs that put him in office, you know the Great American Oligarchs who own this country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q
Why Obama wouldn't see the wisdom in this is beyond me.
He needs to reaffirm his position and take charge.
He could start by swatting down a few annoying gnats like Lieberman.
And he had the chance the day he took office to punish -- and, yes, I do mean punish -- Lieberman. And I can think of another half dozen or so dogs who should be made to heel. If Obama wants to be a one term president, he couldn't choose a better course than this reaching across the aisle bullshit!
caught Lieberman screwing his wife he wouldn't say a fucking thing and that is why I'm voting for WHOEVER runs against Obama in'12! I voted for Obama because he offered change! Some change! The middle class DIES and he throws money at the banks & Wall St.I will be voting against EVERY incumbent on my ballot from now on! Every congressperson & senator whether they are republicans or democrats are all crooks who listen to their corporate masters and they don't give a flyin' fuck about the folks who actually voted for them!
Its been clear from the beginning that the Obama administration doesn't want any kind of meaningful reform of the health insurance situation in America if it means he or the dems take the credit/blame for it. That they'd make any reform passed useless with a trigger that will never happen just to create the laughable fiction of 'bi-partisanship' with one token republican vote is just disgusting.
I'll tell you the reason neither the WhiteHouse nor senior Dem congressional leadership are mad at Lieberman is because they're all grateful he's stopping them from doing something they obviously don't really want to do.
If Rep. Raul Grijalva want Obama to make ultimatums or start acting like Bush it isn't going to happen.
To pretend Obama isn't engaged just exposes the fact that someone is uninformed.
The fact that you need to go the extreme (make ultimatums or start acting like Bush) to make your point shows your point is weak if not completely indefensible.
Obama's range of options short of the extremes you've listed are numerous.
But is too invested in crafting a bill that makes everyone and his dog happy.He needs to take a more hands on approach and really start calling the shots.This bipartisan experiment has run it's course and then some.
i beg to differ. i believe he does want meaningful health care insurance reform. this reform process has a lot of moving parts. there are other players involved in this process.
...The other players don't want healthcare reform. You can't negotiate with people whose main goal is that you fail.
FilthyHarry.
Uhhh, I feel guilty, I may have started this 3 days ago!
Holy Hypocrite
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/30/lieb...
Sorry Hillary, but Obama will go down in history as being the first woman elected President of the Untied States of America.
Sexist comment. Unacceptably sexist comment.
I can't believe C&L would post a link to Democracy Now when they could be posting about a ball game or a vampire sitcom!
i continue to be surprised.
Dick tells a whopper.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/30/chen...
I'm afraid that Obama will not ever "MAN UP". He want everybody to like him even though the right wing will never like him. Maybe he is too pragmatic. Maybe he is a chicken shit. Maybe he is afraid for his life.
I, for one, didn't vote for bi-partisanship and I'm sick of Obama beating that dead horse to death! As much as I despise Dumbya the guy didn't kiss anyone's ASS but said "Fuck you, it's either my way or the hi-way"!Health reform is a joke, we're in Afghanistan on a fools errand,he let the banks & Wall St. fuck us to death,won't help the mostly dead labor unions grow and become stronger! I really thought he would be the one to lead us out of this republican utopia(mess) but now I didn't think so!
but I have to agree. I didn't vote for bipartisanship either. The Republicans have almost destroyed this country, why the hell would anyone want their input on anything? Those guys are pure poison and want nothing more than to see the Obama Administration crash and burn.The numbers that were in in the HCR Bill were posted here and I wasn't impressed. Still looked a little pricey to me. I want the $500/yr plan that crooks in Congress have.
President Obama needs to eighty-six any plans for bipartisanship. It just isn't going to happen. He also needs to take control of his party and stop letting them run him. He can start there by getting rid of Pelosi, Hoyer and Reid. He needs to walk away from the Middle East, as much as is possible. He needs to get our country and it's Government out of the hands of Big Corporations, Inc. and back into the hands of The People. I was convinced that this country finally had a President for the People, so far it looks like my vote was wasted. Please Mr. President...grow some balls...I want you to succeed.
From the secret deal with Big Pharma to having Max Baucus take point, Obama owns this bill.
And the "man up" meme is a narrative of Democratic weakness. I don't accept that narrative and I don't believe the Dems are weak. I believe they are doing exactly what they want, and servicing the constituencies that are truly important to them.
Obama and the good guys are pissing into the wind , they are too few and they simply do not have enough votes to pass a meaningful and real health care reform bill , period . Wall Street and the Insurance industry has bought and paid for our government , the corrupt are in the majority .
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