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Rep. Keith Ellison Sings Christmas Carol For Health Care And Public Option (VIDEO)
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) does some health care caroling.
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Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) promised health care advocates who visited his district office he "absolutely would" fight for putting a public option into the final compromise legislation
Ellison also joined the group in a health care carol set to the tune of Jingle Bells.
Some lyrics:
"The time has come/For change you know/It's happening this week. We can't wait/We can't wait/We can't wait at all Health care now/For everyone/Listen to our call"
The Star Tribune has the video, which shows Ellison snapping his fingers as he joins in. Reader LR alerted us to the story.
A note to readers that we are very interested in things like this you see in your local papers and on television, so please send tips our way via this email address here.
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wbgonne
December 23, 2009 9:04 AM
Sen Boxer just explained that there IS a public option in No Health Insurance Co Left Behind. You see, the bill strengthens Medicare. And Medicare is a public plan. Ipso facto: public option! OTOH, it depends on what the meaning of "is" is. If Obama isn't careful he'll start to LOOK like Bill Clinton soon.
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Indie Pro
December 23, 2009 9:44 AM
The senate bill entrenches a privatized system. Love of Privatization used to be the goals of the GOP, but I see it is another trick picked up by the DLC. That's why there is no Public Option.
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wbgonne
December 23, 2009 9:57 AM in reply to Indie Pro
That is precisely the problem. Obama and the Democrats never stood up for government's role in health care. They accepted the premise that government involvement was bad and, once that happened, the rest was a fait accompli. That is what I mean about Democrats not having the courage of their convictions. Democrats act as if they are ashamed of their own positions. And NOBODY is going to follow people who "lead" like that. I think Rahm is reliving the Clinton administration and turning Obama into Triangulating Bill Clinton. Although at this point, I'm being to suspect that Obama may just be a DLC guy all the way and all the transformational rhetoric was just marketing spin.
In any case, they are digging a bigger and bigger hole for themselves all the time. Now Obama is making the risible claim that he never said that a public option was necessary. They are going to start an internecine war in the party. Maybe it is inevitable. The Dems have drifted so far right their positions are barely distinguishable from those of the Republicans (when the Repubs are sane). The Dems have to remember what they stand for and then stand up for those things. Proudly, not sheepishly and apologetically.
Very very disappointing. And very dumb.
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Indie Pro
December 23, 2009 10:13 AM in reply to wbgonne
have you seen this diary at DKos that brings up the uncomfortable truth about the Dems platform:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/23/818328/-Never-forget-the-Planks-of-Democratic-National-Platform
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wbgonne
December 23, 2009 10:55 AM in reply to Indie Pro
Sad.
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ericf
December 23, 2009 1:12 PM in reply to Indie Pro
What bugs me about all the griping about Obama or congressional Democrats in general is the Senate used to be a majoritarian body. It isn't now. It's supermajoritarian, and that means getting a big majority 58 senators to agree toe expand Medicare, a very big accomplishment, isn't enough.
So face facts: without somehow getting rid of the filibuster, there is nothing, nothing at all, that would get a public option/Medicare expansion through this Congress. Pressuring Ellison is just the most useless exercise. Pressure or bribe or blackmail Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman, or find two Republicans willing to get kicked out of their party. Otherwise, the only available options are to take this incremental (but, frankly, still significant progress) and the opportunities it will create to expand Medicare etc., or kill the bill and wait until the 2020's for the next chance --- and the fight will be just as hard then.
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