Democratic Senators Summoned to White House

[kpete]

Source: ABC

Democratic Senators Summoned to White House

September 10, 2009 11:38 AM


ABC News has learned that President Obama will be meeting with 16 Democratic senators (and one "Independent Democrat") this afternoon at the White House.

They are: Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Mark Warner of Virginia, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Tom Carper of Delaware, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, Mark Begich of Alaska, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet of Colorado, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Bill Nelson of Florida, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, and Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

The meeting is scheduled for 4:15 pm ET, in the Cabinet Room.

Many of these senators have expressed concern about if not downright opposition to key elements of President Obama's health care proposals, particularly his push for a government-run public health care option to compete with private insurers to drive down costs.

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/democratic-senators-summoned-to-white-house.html

[Beetwasher]

1. Now Comes The Strong Arming

n/t

[Robbien]

4. Nope. Now comes the assurance that insurance companies are safe

Obama's speech last night already included statements to the effect that the insurance companies will not be harmed. Now the BlueDogs/DLCers also want to be assured this is the fact before they pledge their vote.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bc3000]

8. You are incorrect

from the text of his speech:

"Now, I have no interest in putting insurance companies out of business. They provide a legitimate service, and employ a lot of our friends and neighbors. I just want to hold them accountable. The insurance reforms that I've already mentioned would do just that."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/us/politics/10obama.text.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1

[Beetwasher]

12. Load Of Steaming Crap

Holding the insurance companies accountable is bad??? Ok, Chester. :eyes:

[Robbien]

19. Holding them accountable means

they get to do what they want and every once in a while the WH will say tsk tsk. Meanwhile we will still have to fork over tons of dough to the insurance companies and then beg them for access to needed healthcare.

Holding them accountable changes nothing.

Which is why they are very happy today. And their investors are very happy today.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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[Donnachaidh]

25. Exactly.

They'll deal with a little verbal *bad insurance company* comments, what with the billions they will be making from mandated insurance.

[AlbertCat]

27. they get to do what they want and every once in a while the WH will say tsk tsk.

How do you know? Did your astrologer tell you that?

This is as bad as all the crap anticipating Obama's speech to school children.... before anyone knew what was in the speech. Stop acting like a Repug!

[Robbien]

30. Banksters are doing whatever they want

and the WH not only just said tsk tsk but gave them billions. The WH also said tsk tsk to bankster bonuses, then allowed them to receive them.

The WH said tsk tsk to BigPharma and then gave them a deal which allows them non-negotiable pricing.

The WH said tsk tsk on torture all the while made sure the torturers were unpunished.


I don't need to have a crystal ball to know what the WH is going to do for the insurance companies. So far there has been a real clear track record.

[WestSeattle2]

13. Those lines caught my attention, too. If the insurance

industry is in a "dither" today, it's because they're ecstatic about their new found wealth.

[Red1]

16. Nope

Keeping the insurance companys safe? As in allowing them to exist?
Didn't listen to his speech but the quote is a far cry from protecting them from their present harvesting of everyones retirement and savings.

[Robbien]

23. Oh come on

this administration does not keep anyone's feet to the fire. They allowed the Bush Admin to skip free. They are allowing bankers to skip free. They make secret deals with drug companies which gives them tons of money and allows them to keep gouging the public.

When, in the short time this admin has been in office, did anyone have to pay for their corruption? All we get is grandious talk while the rich guys keep picking our pockets.

[Iowa]

31. You are correct. n/t

[BlackX-068]

9. You are right!

Because Fox showed I THINK YOU COULD DANCE! And you didn't hear it.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JNelson6563]

7. That's not the speech I heard.

I heard there's going to be oversight and regulation. I wager the ins. industry is in a bit of a dither today.

Julie--not a member of the barbiturate left

[Tansy_Gold]

10. Insurance company stocks are up on Wall Street analysis that

Obama's speech means nothing really changes for them. No competition to drive their profits down. No effort to dismantle them. At least four years to cover for any losses they might incur later.

Sounds like a pro-insurance dream to me! :sarcasm:

[AlbertCat]

29. Insurance company stocks are up

Oh well... that's what I always use to gage the future!

The stock market is as good an indicator as Tarot cards.

[Iowa]

33. Nah, that's nonsense...

...and a straw man argument. Thousands of investors putting their money on the line tells us that the moneyed interests who are buying insurance stock expect to make money and have no fear of Obama's health insurance reform. Considering that such stock was probably relatively overpriced to begin with, that does tells us something. And contrary to your claim, Tansy_Gold's comment didn't say a damned thing about using the general stock market to "gauge the future"; framing it that way was dishonest.

[frebrd]

28. Exactly! n/t

[bluestateguy]

2. Mostly DLCers

through I believe Warner and Hagan had said they would support public option.

[high density]

3. By all means, I hope these senators tell us their alternative system that will drive down costs

*crickets*

[izquierdista]

6. All at once?

Or do they have to stand in line and get the one-on-one treatment? Like this:


I understand Obama is as tall as Johnson, but I think LBJ had a few pounds on him.

[grasswire]

11. wow, those pics are great

That's the essence of LBJ. And because of that, we have the Civil Rights Act and the Great Society. Good on ya, Johnson.

[Posteritatis]

15. I can hear the "...Okay?" in the last picture. (nt)

[damntexdem]

17. Knock some heads and twist some arms.

Get them into shape to act like Dems.

[thereismore]

18. You need some order in the ranks, Mr. President! nt

[Hepburn]

20. Welcome to the RW Dinos....

...have a seat and get in line!

:hi:

[McCamy Taylor]

21. This is what LBJ did, and he got Medicare and Civil Rigts and Voting Rights passed in 1965.

If he could do it then, we can do it now.

[lakercub]

22. Michael Bennett

has said he supports the public option numerous times.

[AlbertCat]

26. Kay Hagan of North Carolina,

Hey Kay, honeybun, we didn't get rid of the useless Dole so you could act like a repug, y'know!

I think I'll call her.

[Blue Hen Buckeye]

32. Tom Carper is not a democrat

I can't think of one thing he has done for the average person in Delaware. He kisses the butt of the credit card industry,other corporations and the rich.

[harry_pothead]

34. Time for some LBJing.

[Robb]

35. "Thank you all for coming."

"...Now raise your hand if you like being a senator?" :evilgrin:

[goclark]

36. Not Joey the wimp!

[ThePatriotHour]

37. Time to Whip those "Blue-Dogs" into obedience

Hopefully, the Dems with a backbone and Nuts will shake the shit out of the Blue Dogs, releasing all that political contribution fruit from their branches. IT IS TIME TO SHOVE THE PUBLIC PLAN UP THE GOP *%!&