Rahm To Reid: Give Lieberman What He Wants

I suppose that you think the Democrats should fully participate in the testosterone battle over health care. That means killing what remains of the hcr that exists right now after half a year of battle just to get back at Lieberman. Grow up. Getting revenge does not mean hitting yourself.

I'm no defender of Lieberman. I'm also no fan of the continued existence of the Senate. The Senate itself has no value to America. It is simply a useless left-over relic of aristocracy that is a dagger at the heart of our country and at the America people. Joe Lieberman has just proven why the Senate should be removed from any position where it and individual egoistic Senators can continue to damage America.

I am angry at Joe Lieberman (May he and his family rot in Hell forever), at the murderous insurance companies and at the conservatives generally. I am as angry as I was at the shooter who killed JFK that Fall Tuesday afternoon in 1963. I also blamed and still blame the city of Dallas and conservatives for JFK's assassination. That was a level of anger I had never again had. Until now. That level of anger is back.

But I also remember when Medicare was passed, and I have watched as it saved lives ever since. I also know about the still existing provisions in the Senate bill that will cram reforms down the throats of the insurance company gutterslime. Kill that now in a fit of self-destructive anger and we won't get those reforms back. Lieberman and the Insurance companies will win again.

The remaining reforms still cover almost everyone in America and they still prevent the insurance companies from skimming a lot of the money from the healthy while shoving off the sick to the government or to no one but god. I refuse to sacrifice that just to feel a sense of sanctification because sanctimonious Joe and the insurance companies he serves want that to happen.

This is time to remember the old saying: Revenge is a dish best served cold. Lieberman is the new Benedict Arnold. It's time to salvage what can be saved from the last six months and then to target Lieberman, the insurance companies and the conservatives. It's time to support FireDogLake if you haven't already.

We also need a new organization entitled something like "Give Lieberman was he deserves!" (or "Get Joe!") as a pressure group to focus political pressure on getting him and focusing public opprobrium on him every time he leaves his home or office. The organization should make sure that Lieberman is not forgotten and that he is not allowed to get away scot-free. It can be done. People still remember Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard and make sure he does not get forgotten. But the way to get Joe is NOT to kill what is left of hcr right now. That will just make his current win even bigger.

The Democrats also need to focus this anger at Lieberman towards the GOTV effort for 2010 and 2012. I'm not the only one this angry, and I still to this day blame the City of Dallas and Texas Conservatives for killing JFK. Anger like that needs to be harnessed politically - because it will be, one way or another. Lieberman and the Party of "No!" are good and appropriate targets.

It's even more difficult to see when you have dozens of teabags dangling off the brim of your hat and when you have conservative bullshit smeared all over your face and eyes.

But more to the point, Wall Street's got no hold on or claim to me. *You're* supposed to be the badass bond trader, remember? That's what you said on Sunday.

Man, you're a pathetic troll. You can't even keep your lies straight from one day to the next.

That's silly. Many other non-TPM readers are following the story as close as we are. TPM is just one blog on the internet. You seem to believe it's the only one. People who follow politics closely also post on forums and messages boards and on comments sections of online media. Then of course there's people who write in letters to the editor for newspapers. You couldn't be more wrong.

Not bullshit. True. Ian Welsh describes current Dem strategy perfectly: go for the money. A lot of liberals are enabling this.

Right, I understand that this is like debating birth certificates with tea baggers,

Once again employing Propaganda Rule # 47: When you've got no rational arguments, pathologize the opposition. izzatxeaux notes directly downthread that the medical loss ratios are already gone, per Elmendorf's contortions with CBO numbers. Does Stroszek respond to that, either to deny it or to explain it? No: all you get is the sound of crickets. Which shows that Stroszek continues to talk out his ass as he grabs desperately for the next excuse.

The medical loss ratio is already gone - per Jon Walker, Elmendorf did some baffling contortions with CBO numbers and reduced it back to 80%

Medicaid expansion is already gone

now we have WH directing Reid to take away MediCare Buy In

and who in their right mind thinks these are the guys who are going to enforce anything wrt recission ?

You are not paying attention. The single payer suggestion is NOT NEW! It's been debated and discussed and not enough people in Congress want to touch it. It's like going to a yard sale that says CASH ONLY and you try to pass them a check.

And what really blows my mind is that despite NOT getting a half assed public option, some on the Left want to scrap the current HCR and go for single payer. What's that like? that's like asking the bank for a $20,000 loan when you were just denied a $10,000 loan.

It's not about spin. It's about reality. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. They can spin it any way they want. The truth will out.