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Key Blue Dog Boasts: We Held Health Care Hostage For 10 Days
Via Firedoglake comes the below video, of Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), the Blue Dog's health care point man, boasting of holding House health care legislation hostage in the Energy and Commerce Committee for 10 days.
Ross also repeats a common, but strangely tone deaf, "critique" of a robust public option, tied to Medicare, nothing that "Medicare has really good rates, because they're negotiating for every senior in America." How horrible.
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
I love dogs. Our second dog was a rescue dog from a puppy mill. This isn't a dog of any kind. This guy and all of his blue dog coalition are fucking skunks and scum bags! I am contributing heavy to every opponent of the blue dogs in 2010 who are blocking health care reform!
August 7, 2009 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Right. Calling them blue dogs is an insult to dogs of any color.
Can we call them Blue Skunks instead?
August 9, 2009 9:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Proving once again that Ross is the representative from United Health: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_33/b4143034820260.htm?chan=magazine+channel_top+stories
He's not a "centrist," he's an unprincipled whore.
August 7, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely nailed it.
hope he's enjoying his 15 minutes, because he's going nowhere after this is over.
August 7, 2009 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Unfortunately, I suspect that if he loses his seat in the House, he'll have a cushy lobbying position with a medical industry front group waiting for him. And, if he plays his cards right, he could eventually land in someone's DHS (with his resume it could be either GOP or Democratic). Scum like this always rises to the top in our political system!
August 7, 2009 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
He just provided a great soundbite for a progressive ad, "We held the bill hostage for 10 days." That coupled with revealing the money he has taken from the health care industry should go over well with his constituencies. He is a Blue Cross/Bue Shield whore.
August 7, 2009 4:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
The guys isn't even getting serious opposition from the GOP the last several election.
We really should primary him. Get a nice big ActBlue account going for someone and pass around the hat.
John
August 7, 2009 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Keep in mind that Ross represents the state with the 3rd lowest median income in the country.
That makes this argument even more baffling.
"I'm fighting to make sure you pay more for health insurance"
WTF?
August 7, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
And he's bragging about it? He's actually proud...Wow.
August 7, 2009 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
The definition of a centrist is part for the people and part corporate whore.
August 7, 2009 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Representative John Barrow from Georgia needs to lose the next election. He has sold his soul to the company store.
August 7, 2009 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
A dog's only product is shit.
August 8, 2009 10:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
His boast wasn't;
"I kept the swine flu from spreading."
or
"I kept the Wall Street bankers from screwing you."
or
"I stopped mountain top coal mining."
or
"I cut 2% from the bloated Pentagon budget."
or even,
"I kept the Federal Government from illegally spying on you."
no, it was:
"We held the bill hostage for 10 days..."
August 8, 2009 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
John,
Wouldn't ya say this guy is asking for a primary challenge? His number one interest, from listening to his statements, was to kill any possibility now or in the future of a single payer system and thus to protect the interests of the health insurance companies.
How is it he figures he deserves to be a Democrat?
August 8, 2009 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
oleeb,
exactly. This guy sounds like another Ben Nelson.
If health care reform dies we should start pointing fingers at these people.
I think Health Care Reform as a whole is easy to criticize, you can say almost anything you want, as you see is happening. Democrats should publicize the finer points like eventual closing of the donut hole, no more pre existing condition exclusion, keeping your own insurance and doctors,
how reform will keep people from going bankrupt due to medical problems, an easy to understand explanation of "voluntary" end of life consultations....and calling liars, liars.
Regarding Palin's death panels; Imagine Obama coming on national TV and saying "Sarah Palin is a liar." Maybe he can even invite her to debate on national TV.
August 10, 2009 7:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why does this guy even have a seat on ANY committee? Given this behavior, I'd hope the House leadership removes him from any positions of responsibility and tells him to go pound sand.
Seriously, can anybody imagine a GOP rep, in say 2004, doing this?
DeLay and co. would have his office moved to a cardboard box on the sidewalk before the sun went down.
August 8, 2009 3:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
This dude seriously needs a facts of life update. He can get on board or be politically neutered. The fact that he'll just sell his soul even more & become a lobbyist if all else fails makes me even more pissed. How 'bout "Blue Shield/Blue Cross Dogs" to be more accurate.
He's despicable!!
August 8, 2009 7:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Rahm, could you explain to me again why it was "Fucking stupid" to run ads against these guys?
August 8, 2009 7:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
No wonder that when I called his office to complain no one answered the phone. The guy could care less what the people think. What good is it to have sixty seats in the senate if we have a dirty dozen who won't stand with the people.
August 8, 2009 8:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
HI! My name's Mike Ross and I am an obstructionist.
Is that a problem?
August 9, 2009 1:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
reserve some of this ire for Steny Hoyer - he is the Blue Dogs patron and made this month of Town Halls possible.
August 9, 2009 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do not disparage any congress member from holding up a bill in an attempt to improve it. I would not have any complaint with Ross's 10 day delay privided that his efforts would benefit the bill.
However, Ross seems to be saying that he had to fight the bill in order to weaken the public option so thzt private insurers would not be faced with such strong competition. He seems to suggest that a strong public option is so efficient that it would drive private insurers out of business. So his goal is not to make the system more efficient but to prop up the insurers!His real audience appears to not be his constituents but his health care contributors.
August 9, 2009 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is time to Vick these lap dogs.
August 9, 2009 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I called his office to complain no one answered the phone. The guy could care less what the people think. What good is it to have sixty seats in the senate if we have a dirty
dog puppies care
October 2, 2009 10:18 PM | Reply | Permalink