Well, that didn't take long. The Senate "compromise" is already dead. Joe Lieberman said no to even a triggered public option:
And Olympia Snowe said no to the Medicare buy-in:
About that trigger. You know the one that would have been pulled to create a public option if the Office of Personnel Management-run program didn't offer satisfactory insurance plans? Guess whose finger would have been on it?
"I've told them that I can't support a trigger--no, actually, to be more explicit: If they say that it's unlikely to be [pulled] then it's unnecessary," Lieberman said. "It's an irritant."
And Olympia Snowe said no to the Medicare buy-in:
"Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said Thursday that she does not support the Medicare buy-in because it would "aggravate an already-serious problem" with the program - the low reimbursement rates for hospitals and doctors...Snowe said she could not see a way for Senate Democratic leaders to even tweak the proposal to win her vote..."I can't see it," said Snowe, who met Wednesday with President Barack Obama. "I am talking to a lot of my providers this afternoon and I know they are mighty unhappy."
About that trigger. You know the one that would have been pulled to create a public option if the Office of Personnel Management-run program didn't offer satisfactory insurance plans? Guess whose finger would have been on it?
"The plan emerging from negotiations among moderate and liberal Democrats would put a key part of the planned health insurance exchanges under the supervision of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). And jurisdiction for oversight of OPM falls to the centrist-dominated Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which Lieberman chairs."
You hit that nail on the head!
Quicker he learns that the better chance he has of hanging 'round DC for 8 years instead of just 4.
RHM, right as usual too.
It's possible that right now, Obama has only one viable solution.....
.......
One word.............................NINJAS
Right about Rahm. Rahm.....RAHM? What kind of name is that?
The WH Chief of Staff should be named Rock or Duke..yeah..DUKE.
Just 'cuz guys helped get you elected, doesn't mean they know how to "kick ass and take names" inside the beltway. Axelrod too. Frankly, Bush did himself some good service with that dick Cheney as VP. With the way he treated his friends (hunting) think what his enemies musta felt.
Obama IMO is a one term prez already. He has carried too much water for bush, his policies and his personnel. His idea of allowing Congress to work it out amongst themselves with little to no arm twisting by the WH on legislative matters is not leadership in any sense of the what is right for the party or for the country.
To me, the money quote is Snowe's -- "I am talking to a lot of my providers this afternoon and I know they are mighty unhappy."
I wonder if her constituents' (or really any of the recalcitrant senators' constituents') happiness or well being is ever on her/their mind(s).
Harry Reid is hanging on to hi seat by his fingernails and will do almost anything to try to keep it. He needs to wake up and just do whats right for the people. That has to start with taking Liebermans chair away from him if he doesn't follow the party line. If he thinks that letting him hang in there will buy his vote hes dumber than a box of rocks. Joe just doesn't want to lose his annual stipend from Aetna.
Following up on what Carguy said:
The President, in listening to his advisors is doing all of those who voted for him a disservice. Rather than following through on campaign promises and using the political capital of his office to get things done, he is trying to use diplomacy with the right wingers. He has to realize that there is no more loyal opposition, whatever he proposes they will oppose. It is just that simple. If he can't realize that he will be a one term president. Meanwhile nothing real gets done, the public suffers and the big companies get their way, again.
Carguy, dangerous? Moi?
You last paragraph is spot on! When Obama brought Emanuel on board, we all should have seen rough times ahead.
I am like Carol, but probably not nearly as dangerous as she is.
1) Shortstuff is right. The democrats need to kick Lieberman's ass across Pennsylvania avenue and remove ALL his privileges. If he is not FOR us we don't need him.
2) Whatever special treatment Snow got for her previous "lip" support needs to be revoked for the same reason.
3) Obama needs to circle his wagons and see exactly WHO is in HIS camp and immediately commence firing volleys at the "opposition" regardless of what color uniform they are wearing.
It's very painful to say that IF no movement is made to indicate that the democrats and Obama can GET THINGS DONE, there will likely be changes at mid-term and Obama could quite likely be a one-termer.
And, if he can't learn how to effectively "fight back" against these moronic right-wingers and run his own party, deservedly so.
Pesonally, I put a significant part of the blame on Emanuel and Axelrod. If these guys are telling Obama where to "steer the boat", they've got the wrong set of charts.
Now I am seriously pissed!
Who gives a flying rat's ass what Lieberman thinks? Reid needs to grow a pair and get this done - NOW!
No matter what, expecting ANY Republican to make a difference adopting any health insurance reform is a losing strategy. Simply won't happen.
Republican agenda will oppose any plan, period. They will "drown the fish" at any cost.
Democrats need to rally Democrats to get the needed votes.
The ex-boxer from Searchlight, Nevada is going to lose his senate seat in the next election, anyway. What is to be gained by compromising with Joe Lieberman? Harry Reid will have a record of failure AND be sent home to retirement unless he tells Joe to vote for the bill or lose his chairmanship.
This is the one chance Democrats have to show America we can govern and that we can deal, semi-effectively, with some of our nation's most pressing problems. If we can't pull this off, we deserve to lose and the country deserves the bunch of know-nothings and whack jobs that the GOP will place in office.
Perhaps, one of these days, the Democrats in the Senate will learn --- they can't keep everybody happy.
It's been my experience, even with working in my community, as president of my civic organization -- sooner or later -- you will offend someone-- regardless of the course of action -- you choose to pursue. You're going to upset somebody.
I also knew who the people were, that would most likely be angry and upset. And, when I chose a course, and when they got upset -- I knew I was doing my job right for the entire community.
Harry Reid should cut his losses with Lieberman. It won't matter what the rest of the Democrats in the Senate do ... Joe Lieberman, who is the water-carrier for Aetna Insurance, is not going to be happy.
It's time Harry did what is best for the entire country.
The United States Senate, as it stands at the present time, as a deliberative legislative body ... is the world's biggest joke.
Lieberman needs to GO. And before leaving he needs to be stripped of his chairmanship.
He deserves nothing more than to be errand boy/gofer. What an absolutely little vindictive asshole he turned out to be.