The Party Of Fail

[berni_mccoy]

Republicans might be known as the "Party of No", but Democrats have just become the Party of Fail. With their inability to include the Public Option in the Senate bill or even a meager compromise of a Medicare buy-in, they have completely and utterly failed at health care reform. It is time to put this bill out of its misery. It is time to kill the bill. I'm sorry I believed the would have done the right thing and destoyed opposition like Lieberman or used perfectly good practices like reconciliation. Instead, they just fail. Epically.

[VMI Dem]

1. We need to have more like 80 in the Senate. And an even more timid President.

[LakeSamish706]

2. What we really need to do is get rid of these dessenters in the party, and that includes

blue dogs, DLC'ers etc.

[MNDemNY]

3. Yup this thing has got to go.

Welcome back into the Democratic fold, berni.

[TwilightGardener]

4. You can be in the Democratic fold and want the bill to pass, believe it or not.

[MNDemNY]

5. Not this bill.

I do not consider DLC "in the fold". Maybe you do.

[TwilightGardener]

6. Doesn't matter what you consider to be "in the fold"--some Democrats

do believe that it might be best to pass something that falls short of the mark but still provides some coverage for those who have none, and then take a stab at a public option through reconciliation. That's what I think should happen, anyway. I'm not ready to give up.

[MNDemNY]

7. carry on, but how much more are you willing to" negotiate "away?

Have you NO standards?? I think all you want is a "win" for the Prez, and a Rose Garden Bill Signing.

[TwilightGardener]

10. I don't care about a Rose Garden signing--just progress and improvements.

I see a lot wrong with having mandates with no real caps or controls on insurance co profits, either by law or by public option competition--seems like a bad setup. That said, I also see an immediate problem with the system as it exists today, especially people not having coverage at all, due to umemployment or health or expense. It's a disappointment, but there we are.

[MNDemNY]

13. This bill has no progress, and certainly no improvements.

I stand by my hypothesis.

[sabrina 1]

9. And when that doesn't happen, what will you say then?

Each step along the way, defenders of the capitulators in the Democratic Party have asked for patience. 'Wait until this, or wait until that'. And each time we lose another round, they retreat a little further with another excuse.

There will be no reconciliation or public option. The Private Insurance Industry spent millions to make sure they won, and they have.

Keep on believing that Dems actually were working for us if you want to. But the truth is, the people have no lobbyists in DC and far too many willing to give them a pass. All that adds up to the people losing. Maybe if we were united, if there weren't so many apologists always, we might be able to scare them into at least throwing some crumbs our way. But as long as there are apologists for every failure to represent those who elected them, the Corporations lobbyists will earn their money.

The goal posts have been moved about as far as they can be moved. We lost, Private Insurance won. Democrats will celebrate at the WH when this bill is signed.

[TwilightGardener]

11. Well, then I'll be kinda bummed--won't be the first time, won't be the last.

[phasma ex machina]

14. "defenders of the capitulators in the Democratic Party have asked for patience."

All hail the almighty "big tent!!"

:sarcasm:

[eridani]

15. "Coverage" is useless tripe

People need CARE!

[RufusTFirefly]

8. They didn't fail. They succeeded

Most of the people in positions of power and influence in the party had no desire to pass any meaningful health care reform. They took the most promising reform off the table at the outset, struck a deal with the pharmaceutical industry to undermine major cost-savings, gave their reform a title that would put an insomniac to sleep, and then proceeded to dismantle or remove any aspects of the already pathetic bill that could in any way be seen as a threat to the multi-billion dollar Illness Industry.

[onethatcares]

12. you left out the most important part

then they will move to the pharma/insurance side if tossed out of "public service" and continue to reap untold hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary,perks, for themselves and their families.

Oh, they won alright.

[Kablooie]

16. They've now become the party of Joe. He has been unofficially made the head of the DLC

The party of NO vs the party of Joe.

[democracy1st]

17. A Goldman Sachs admin would never be able to come thru for the people!

[mdmc]

18. I have health insurance. I want health care. I got health insurance reform

but it won't effect me.

I will support this bill if it gets insurance for the uninsured. But it is not a game changer - it is reform that is long overdue.

[SoCalDem]

19. Republicans are a "exclusive" club.. Dems are an "anything goes" party.

Which one do you think would have the most cohesive group?

It's always been that way..at least for a very long time..

When your main goal is NOT SPENDING MONEY on any group but your own little gang, and your main tool of governance is a "no" vote, your group will always wield disproportionate power.

Dems have always been made up of many factions who don;t always agree with the other factions:

Unions
Women's Rights
Racial Equality
Sexual Orientation Rights
Anti-war
gun control
education
poverty issues
health care issues
etc..

and there are dems with varying degrees of fervor for their "causes", and within the group there can be (and are) people who are for the issues of some of their brethren, and actively opposed to others.

republicans just want to cut money to everything except tax cuts for their rich donors/friends/relatives/corporate sponsors, and are only interested in spending money for "war stuff".. they can and do want to stop spending money on just about everything else, so their loyalty is rarely tested within their group..

That's why they "win"..

Boo Hiss NO! is so much easier than to try and craft legislation that helps people, but must be paid for by others..

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

20. Bernie, I know the success of this bill means a lot to you personally

and this is reflective of ENORMOUS disappointment for you and your family. Mine too.

We need to let them know of our deep,deep anger, frustration, disappointment and sense of betrayal and then we need to channel those feelings in some purposeful way that will bring us and all Americans the reform we desperately need and yet which our President and Congress seem unable to deliver for whatever reason. Except that we all know the reason.

[rudy23]

21. Wow, that's very big of you to admit.

This means a lot coming from such a strong supporter of the President. I was once a strong supporter, too.

[bigtree]

22. no joy in reading this for me

. . . I want you to know that.