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After Pressure From Blue Dogs And Others, House Leaders Delay Unveiling Health Care Bill
Late last night, House leadership decided it would postpone the release of its completed draft of health care reform legislation, after Blue Dog Democrats--and a variety of other concerned members--raised a number of objections to aspects of the proposal.
The bill was originally supposed to be unveiled late last night, but will now be postponed until at least early next week.
Leadership characterizes this as part of the negotiating process--and that's fair enough. The House is still on a much clearer, more united course toward passing legislation than is the Senate. But after weeks of smooth sailing in the lower chamber, this is the first serious speedbump.
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
"The House is still on a much clearer, more united course toward passing legislation than is the House"
That sentence has a nice dadaist ring to it, but I don't think that's what you were going for.
July 10, 2009 9:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
The momentum was moving away from them, they had to stop it, after all, this is something that might actually be good for the average American. We can't have that!
July 10, 2009 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you are relatively safe with this comment. Freerider patrols these posts carefully but he only attacks when the criticism whether implied or explicit is aimed (or might be taken to be) at Obama. Close one.
July 10, 2009 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
So what if he does. I totally agree with FreeRider almost 99% of the time,
July 10, 2009 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you agree 99% of the time with maliciously beating up on those who have a slightly different opinion ..... have at it.
July 10, 2009 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is what happens when you don't have your Blue Dogs spayed or neutered.
July 10, 2009 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
...or put down in a primary.
July 10, 2009 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Only the democrats
July 10, 2009 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Only the democrats
July 10, 2009 10:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
lets stop calling them blue dogs and call them what they are, republicans. You got to give credit to republicans for at least one thing, getting their people in line. This idea was never a thought for the democrats
July 10, 2009 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
These "blue dogs" should be targeted for defeat in the their next election cycle. They are obstructing the will of (a majority) of the people. It's a shame our House and Senate Leaders are ineffective push-overs.
July 10, 2009 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Could someone please post a list (or a link) of the "Blue Dogs" who signed this letter? I've looked at the letter itself, but I can only make out a few of the names. (These guys all think they're doctors, apparently -- maybe that's why they want to delay healthcare reform!)
-- ARG
July 10, 2009 1:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://tinyurl.com/mbcaga
:)
July 10, 2009 3:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, that is an extremely obnoxious answer. According to wikipedia, to which you essentially linked, there are 52 blue dogs. There are 40 signatories to the letter. Therefore it is very much a reasonable question to ask who actually signed it. Further, when you google "blue dog democrat list of who signed letter" this page is first!
So, yes, I do want to know if Hagan (my senator) signed the letter or not. I can't parse the signatures to find out, and was looking for help. Especially after she said that she would support the public option, I would like to know if she is backing off.
:)
July 20, 2009 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes aiding the American people TOO much is a serious problem. These guys make me sick to my stomach.
July 10, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Any time rahm doesn't get his way, he sicks the blue dogs on the legislation. He's the one that empowers them the most and he made damn sure some of them either stayed in office or gained office when he was the head of the dccc. It is no accident. They are an enforcement arm for him and he's trained these bastards.
Z
July 10, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
I totally doubt that Rahm had anything to do with it. Maybe they felt empowered by his statement the other day but I doubt he went behind the Pres's back and did this.
July 10, 2009 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whose to say that he went behind the president's back. obama never had taken a definitive stance for the public option and never really said anything that emanuel didn't in his recent, much ballyhoed remarks in response to emanuel's trigger talk.
obama came out and lent his eloquent words to his stimulus proposal as well and blue dog cooper said that emanuel told him to vote it down. emanuel then "negotiated" with the blue dogs and we ended up with a mush more business friendly stimulus that was gutted much of what was needed to create jobs but instead gave big business more tax cuts. So obama gets his headlines and soundbites and comes off really trying hard to serve our interests and yet keeps his big donors happy as well ... and we get screwed. Do you see how the rahmbama game works?
And I think it is way past time that folks recognize the lack of logic in believing that obama is both a very smart man and a good man. emanuel is known all around dc as being the dlc's master of deceit that serves big business interests while providing cover for the dems therefore serving party and personal power and big business interests all at the same time. Well he didn't fall like an asteroid from the sky into the chief of staff position, obama hired him. And guess what, emanuel is playing the same decietful games he always has and he is still serving as chief of staff and still screwing the american people. An accident?
Why does the 83-dimensional chess player's games always end up with the corporate interests getting their checkmate? Why does obama constantly say one thing and do the exact opposite? Well maybe he is a deceitful piece of garbage, and a very intelligent one at that, who is not a good person at all despite his misleading oratories.
Z
July 10, 2009 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whose to say that he went behind the president's back. obama never had taken a definitive stance for the public option and never really said anything that emanuel didn't in his recent, much ballyhoed remarks in response to emanuel's trigger talk.
obama came out and lent his eloquent words to his stimulus proposal as well and blue dog cooper said that emanuel told him to vote it down. emanuel then "negotiated" with the blue dogs and we ended up with a mush more business friendly stimulus that was gutted much of what was needed to create jobs but instead gave big business more tax cuts. So obama gets his headlines and soundbites and comes off really trying hard to serve our interests and yet keeps his big donors happy as well ... and we get screwed. Do you see how the rahmbama game works?
And I think it is way past time that folks recognize the lack of logic in believing that obama is both a very smart man and a good man. emanuel is known all around dc as being the dlc's master of deceit that serves big business interests while providing cover for the dems therefore serving party and personal power and big business interests all at the same time. Well he didn't fall like an asteroid from the sky into the chief of staff position, obama hired him. And guess what, emanuel is playing the same decietful games he always has and he is still serving as chief of staff and still screwing the american people. An accident?
Why does the 83-dimensional chess player's games always end up with the corporate interests getting their checkmate? Why does obama constantly say one thing and do the exact opposite? Well maybe he is a deceitful piece of garbage, and a very intelligent one at that, who is not a good person at all despite his misleading oratories.
Z
July 11, 2009 5:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
What a bunch of pusilanimous whores those blue dogs are. Cowards every single one of them and money grubbers too.
July 10, 2009 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Before we go off the deep end, remember that those looking to wait on the bill before voting on it are not objecting specifically to the public option. They are concerned about cost containment. Somehow this is being widely seen as an attempt to kill the public option, but no such effort is being made.
July 10, 2009 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
40 sigs. Do you guys really think that Rahm has forced these legislators to take a position that is not in there political interest? LOL.
It's one thing to feel strongly about this issue. It's another to believe that the ringings of the echo chamber reflect national or various local political realities.
These BDs are not scared of a challenge from the left--they're scared of Republicans! And they have good reason. 2010 is shaping up to be a tough year for Dems.
And courage? how much guts does it take to be a progressive when you come from a gerrymandered district where a Dem wins reelection with 70%?
Here's a prediction: 80-90% of districts that see a Dem incumbent challenged from his or her left flank will be lost to the Rs.
So, good luck with that.
July 10, 2009 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's amazing that the Blue Dogs put "bipartisanship" in their list of reasons to delay the bill. Only Democrats would want the help of the party that treated them like animals for 10 years. Never mind that the Republicans are extremists and completely out of touch with America, never mind that the Democrats were given a majority in both houses because Americans want something to actually get done. No, we've still got to find a way to gum up the works by bringing our crazy uncle along on the trip.
It's nothing short of mind-boggling.
July 10, 2009 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's no wonder why this economy is not recovering when you have so many people out there misrepresenting information on everything from health care reform to stimulus package spending.
Typical Hannity is at it again. Watch!!!
http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2112
July 10, 2009 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
My mind boggles too.
I am afraid just like with the stimulus that watering down what solves the problem just perpetuates the problem, and you get blamed for not solving the problem. This bi-partisan crap is so damned frustrating. Making nice with stupid people just makes you more stupid. The Republicans could have given a shit what Democrats wanted all the while they ran the show. It was always ramming a vote down your throat with a 51-49 majority and screwing anyone who dared object.
Healthcare is literally a LIFE AND DEATH matter for so many people I am amazed that so many people play the same old political games. The truth here is that conservatives worship money and profits above all else. Getting healthcare for millions of sick people is not as important to conservatives as getting a nice fat profit on the sick and dying. Christian/Conservative=PUKE!
July 10, 2009 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is time to, first, rebrand these DINOs as Lap Dog Democrats, or Blue Ball Democrats.
It is time to, second, primary these DINOs.
July 10, 2009 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink