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Progressives Want Rahm Unleashed In Favor Of The Public Option
Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 23, 2009, 3:15PM
Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel
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Members of the progressive lobby are calling on White House Chief Of Staff Rahm Emanuel put some of his legendary pressure on Congress to pass the public option.
The NAACP, the Campaign For America's Future and MoveOn.org dispatched a letter to Emanuel's office today asking backup in the fight for a public option. From the letter, as reported by The Hill:
"We respectfully ask that the Office of the President take a stronger stand on a robust public option in order to enact true health care reform this year."
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Walter Mitty
October 23, 2009 3:25 PM
Fat chance. The White House doesn't want a robust public option because that is anti-business and that business would floor the 2010 and 2012 elections with silly amounts of money to defeat Democrats everywhere and anywhere.
The White House is going to keep Sen. Snowe's vote, even if it means they piss off the progressive base, because they believe the progressive base will still vote for them no matter what the White House does to piss them off.
Bet the house on it.
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_jonny_5_
October 23, 2009 5:06 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
Bet the White House on it...No Kidding
It might not be a bad bet to make.
Repubs(especially Far-Righties) will feel emboldened and through the 2012 Primaries will put forth an extreme-right candidate (Palin, Huckabee, Bachmann)
and Viola!! Are progressives really going to stay home, or vote for the Repub, because the HCR was weaker than they wanted??
It's the House and Senate that need to fend for themselves because they are going to feel the pain in 2010 if they don't do something strong. Even if Obama is anti-PO I doubt he'd VETO it. It really is the congress(both Houses) that needs to be pressured...
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theone718
October 23, 2009 7:12 PM in reply to _jonny_5_
I won't vote for Barack Obama if he passes a bill without a PO.
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_jonny_5_
October 23, 2009 7:29 PM in reply to theone718
Since he isn't in the legislature, do you mean you won't vote for Obama if he signs a bill w/o a PO?
He should veto the HCR he's been pushing for?
Somehow I think the thought of the Palin or whomever in the Oval office will change you tune.
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Indie Pro
October 23, 2009 3:26 PM
you gotta try
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tosh
October 23, 2009 3:47 PM
Are they smoking crack? Wake up: Rahm doesn't want the PO. He's been unleashed to enable it's defeat, or at best further watering down.
For their next trick, they're going to ask that the Fox be unleashed to get Hen support for a Vegan diet.
John
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oleeb
October 23, 2009 4:29 PM in reply to tosh
You're exactly right. People want to believe that Obama is the good King being misled by his evil adviser Emmanuel when the truth is that neither of those two DLC Democrats are all that interested in changing our rotten healthcare system. They wish to perpetuate it! Just look at the centerpiece of their bill: insurance subsidies paid for by our tax dollars. It is a direct transfer of wealthf rom taxpayers to the insurance companies. And in return what do we get? Certainly not enough to justify the outrageous outlays the subsidy scheme requires.
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again
October 24, 2009 7:02 PM in reply to oleeb
can't agree more, especially about the wealth transfer
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Why oh why
October 23, 2009 4:42 PM in reply to tosh
HRC Wants Sarah Palin Unleashed In Favor Of Gay Marriage
Wall Street Wants Michael Moore Unleashed In Favor Of Bigger Bonuses
Amnesty International Wants Dick Cheney Unleashed In Favor Of Human Rights
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rbeats
October 23, 2009 3:57 PM
LOL
Right.
This guy is in the WH to work for Wall Street. A Strong PO would initially be a big blow to Wall Street, and his direct network.
The memo to Obama should be "Fire Emanuel, now!"
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CT Voter
October 23, 2009 3:59 PM
I'm curious about something. For everyone who says Rahm doesn't want the PO, that he's working for Wall Street, what makes you say that?
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rbeats
October 23, 2009 5:05 PM in reply to CT Voter
Besides his history?
I would say, show me where Rahm has not stepped in the way of the progressive agenda?
He has done everything in his power to weaken any ideal put forth by progressives.
And lets remember it was a progressive mandate that was given to Obama in 08'
You wouldn't recognize that now, since Rahm hast watered everything down to suit his corporate agenda.
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willia451
October 23, 2009 8:45 PM
This is all irrelevant. I've said for months the real fight is in the SENATE. Discussing whether or not BO is for or against a PO means nothing at this point.
HE is not a Senator. Rahm is NOT a Senator. They have NO VOTE!!!
We need to keep the pressure up on Reid and the Senators that DO have a vote.
Obama is going to sign anything that even remotely smells like HCR. Its out of his hands.
Its the SENATE!!! I mean SHIT!!!
How many more ways can I say it????
If there was a leak that said BO was for or against a trigger, what does that really mean? Nothing!! Its just out there to play us to keep us off Reid and the Senate.
And put it on BO. Because they are pissing and moaning at him about their re-elect chances. Among other things.
Don't lose focus.
Its the SENATE!!!
Keep beating THE SENATE up and we'll continue to make progress.
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jdb316
October 23, 2009 10:44 PM in reply to willia451
The problem with your reasoning is that, now that Obama has apparently come out in favor of something weaker than what the Senate was considering, what reason is there for Nelson and Landrieu and their ilk to go for something stronger now? The only reason they would go along with even a strong PO with an opt-out clause would be if they knew the White House was behind it and knew which way the wind was blowing. Now? Why should they risk angering their constituents to support something the President himself doesn't?
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dhs
October 23, 2009 11:39 PM in reply to willia451
The real fight is in the House. The Congressional Progressive Caucus has the votes to block any bill without a strong public option. If they stand their ground there will be no health care bill at all; and no one, not even the Republicans, want to be tarred with that brush. If this Congress fails to pass health care reform, it will be armageddon for both parties.
There will be a lot of pressure on members of the CPC to give in and pass a @#$%# piece of legislation. Let's hope they have the guts to stick to their guns. After all, they are probably the only ones with a safe seat, so if Health Care Reform goes down the tubes, they will be the only ones left standing. Everyone else in Congress is scared shitless.
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sisterkevin
October 24, 2009 9:55 AM in reply to dhs
dhs has it right: "the Congressional Progressive Caucus has the votes to block any bill without a strong public option". This is like a gun fight at 5 paces. The WH can run around all they want playing the middle against both sides but if the CPC doesn't blink the WH will not and can not afford to go into the holiday season w/o bearing gifts. It would be devastating. The WH's worst nightmare. So hang tight CPC, you'll get what we all want and need. Beware the art of persuasion. The POTUS, sadly, cannot be trusted.
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bmull
October 24, 2009 11:35 AM
What a pathetic joke. All the HCAN groups have been thoroughly humiliated by this process. They should be calling for a general strike. Instead they're "respectfully requesting" a hearing.
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salame
October 24, 2009 1:20 PM
Michael Moore and Ed Schultz are on the right track.
Screw us on the PO and we will actively work against those that side
with the insurance lobby.
And that includes the prez and his sidekick Rahm.'
I hate to even consider it, but, damn, olympia snowe gets more respect
than those of us who contributed, knocked on doors and worked the phones
for an agenda that serves all of the people.
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again
October 24, 2009 7:21 PM
I agree with rbeats and salame (I hope that's a beef salame),
I have a large number of conservative friends and acquaintances who voted for Obama, a lot of them current and ex-military.
I can guarantee you that if Obama had moved forward BOLDLY with a "progressive" agenda on HCR, then he'd be in a much stronger position, even with many conservatives.
Why? Because, the VA and the PO constitute different entities and approaches, the concept of the public option is not any more radical than the concept of VA hospitals, which we've come to know and deeply appreciate. If you ask me, both are actually profoundly conservative ideas - bulwarks against socialism.
But that would have required Obama and the administration actually communicating that message. Which they have consistently failed to do.
He showed them his vulnerability. The right HATES that. Be strong and they will respect you. Wimp out to corporate interests and they will react. Badly.
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Tanjaoui
October 25, 2009 12:27 PM
I very often use ontheissues.org to locate a politician ideologically. It puts Emmanuel firmly in left-liberal territory, but maybe it isn't taking all of his votes into consideration.
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cawleybo
October 26, 2009 6:58 AM in reply to Tanjaoui
I respectfully suggest you find a different source.
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