Remember Max Baucus and Ben Nelson refusing to vote for the public option in 2009?

[boston bean]

Almost tanking ACA. Well, now we have Manchin and Synema.

We are going to end up somewhere on these bills, I hope.

Wildcard this time is the progressive caucus seems to be much more entrenched. Not a bad thing. But both sides of this could really screw the pooch. Or they can do their damn jobs and do the best they can under the circumstance and stop the threats, and playing who blinks first.

We are all Democrats. If these bills fail we are screwn and deservedly so.

[marble falls]

1. Baucus had the highest take from the insurance/health industry his last year in the Senate ...

... of anyone else in Congress. And he went along with Bush's prescription Medicare benefit, with no plan for paying for it and making it impossible for the Fed to negotiate lower pricing with the pharmaceutical industry.

[zipplewrath]

2. And they were wrong

My problem with these "conservative/moderate/independent" democrats is that if you go back in time, they were always wrong. They were wrong on gay marriage. They were wrong on the ACA. They were wrong on medicare negotiations of drug prices. They were wrong on AoUoF for Bush II. But somehow they are the "thoughtful" ones.

[boston bean]

3. I agree. But we did get something that has helped millions.

I was probably one of the most vocal critics on DU at the time criticizing Dems for it.

I learned my lesson. We are watching the sausage being made and no one will be happy in the moment. Especially repug who to this day still want to overturn ACA.

Dems could have done it all in a reconciliation bill but decided not to do it that way.

[zipplewrath]

4. And I struggle with that

What I object to is the portrayal of these moderates as somehow "reasonable" of "considerate" or other such characterizations. They are wrong, but unfortunately are in a position to obstruct what is "right" and force the others to concede to their minority positions. They were wrong, they are wrong, and yet in these discussions this is never acknowledged.

[boston bean]

5. They are not honorable, but they are a force.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. PRIMARY BEN NELSON!

Yeah I remember.

What has Nebraska given us since then?

Ben "I always vote with Trump but he's terrible" Sass and who else?


We need to start attacking the living shit out of vulnerable Rs. DAILY. It's the only way out of this I see.

[boston bean]

7. Lieberman really fucked us over on the public option too.