No unity among House liberals, signal compromise acceptable, may be prepared to accept trigger.

[jefferson_dem]

House Dem: Sorry, We Liberals Won’t Be Unifying Behind Public Option After All

So Roll Call is now reporting that some House liberals are already saying — in advance — that they may be prepared to accept a so-called “trigger” for a public option, rather than insisting on the public plan without one.

If you want to understand why House progressives don’t get anywhere near the love and attention that Blue Dog Dems do, and why Dem leaders expect liberals to cave again and again, look no further than this quote buried in the Roll Call piece:

“We’re the caucus that least marches to a unified drummer — that’s not what we do,” Rep. Mike Capuano said. “I’m serious about increasing access and quality, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a grand slam home run. I’ll take a ground-rule double if that’s what it takes. I’m happy to compromise if that’s what it takes. But compromise is compromise — it’s not rolling over.”

Rep. Capuano is letting the world know that House liberals never unify in general, and specifically will not remain unified behind the demand for a public option this time, either. Instead, House liberals will happily take less than that.

What’s odd is that this quote from Rep. Capuano — and other House progressives in the piece — actually undermines the claim by House liberal leaders last week that the progressive bloc won’t budge on the public option. Why would rank-and-file House liberals concede on this point in advance of any negotiations?

Seems like that all but guarantees that the Blue Dogs will have lots more influence than House liberals do. Interesting negotiating approach.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/house-dem-sorry-we-liberals-wont-be-unifying-behind-public-option-after-all/

[ShortnFiery]

1. No, I hold out hope. If there's no public option, it's just one big kiss to the

Insurance Companies.

[fascisthunter]

2. well, then... fuck them all

say goodbye to many many many votes.

[ShortnFiery]

5. You and I both know that Dennis Kucinich, Maxine Waters, et. al., will stay STRONG.

Unfortunately, without CORPORATE $$$ on their side, the media's spin machine will continue to marginalize liberals while they place smarmy blue dogs on a pedestal. :puke:

[ej510]

16. This is an awesome post.

[Autumn]

3. I hope they are prepared to accept

a lot of Dems sitting out the next election.

[joeycola]

6. There is truth in what you say.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. Here's where their arrogance comes into play...

They believe that liberals have no where else to go. Liberals won't vote for a third party candidate and they sure as hell won't vote for a Republicans. In their minds, liberals will forgive and forget and come home to the Democrats, no matter how much the party caves. I say that it's time for the Democratic Party to stop stabbing liberals in the back once and for all. How many times will the Democratic Party marginalize and vilify liberals before we get the point that it doesn't care about us? How many times will we sit back and watch the party cave and cower to the Blue Dogs, the corporatists and the Republicans, time and time again before we've simply had enough?

I will be not be voting for ANY Democrat who caves on the Public Option. Luckily there is no indication that my congressman, Chris Van Hollen, has caved. We'll see what he does.

[Autumn]

13. They are wrong, we can

stay home , and that affects more than just the blue dogs. I for one have had enough and I know for a fact I am not alone. This old yellow dog isn't rolling over any more.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Oh, the trigger will serve its purpose for the Democrats.

First they have to put the gun in their mouth, of course.

[Enrique]

7. Mike Capuano

anyone ever hear of this schmuck? Anyone live in his district, please inform him that the public option already is a compromise. The "grand slam" he's talking about is single payer.

[Arkana]

9. I'm ashamed to say he's from MA...not sure which district.

[rockymountaindem]

22. He represents the city of Boston

As a current resident of his district, I'll be contacting him.

[Arkana]

8. I think Capuano's about to get hit.

Hard.

[fascisthunter]

10. That Fucker! He's Gonna get hit Bigtime! Plan on it...

[Laelth]

12. This is a very bad gossip piece.

Having read Sargent's article, and the Roll Call article to which his piece refers, it's clear that the Progressive Caucus, as a whole, has done nothing to signal weakness. One person said he might consider a trigger. Big deal. That person, in no way, speaks for the Progressive Caucus as a whole.

I continue to support the Honorable Members of the Progressive Caucus, and I am disappointed that Sargent and the OP are attempting to make a mountain out of a molehill (while trying to make progressives look weak at the same time).

:dem:

-Laelth

[ej510]

17. Majority whip Jim Clyburn just said the trigger would be ok.

[Laelth]

18. Clyburn isn't even a member of the Progressive Caucus.

The list is here:

http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?SectionID=4&ParentID=0&SectionTypeID=2&SectionTree=4

He's entitled to his opinion, of course, but Clyburn doesn't speak for the Progressive Caucus, and I have no reason to believe, at this stage, that they (as a group) have agreed to accept a trigger for the public option.

:dem:

-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--fixed bad link.

[ej510]

20. I know, but he is the Majority whip and you can bet your

bottom dollar we will be sold out, because we always are.

[Laelth]

24. Well, I almost expect to be sold out by the Democratic Party these days.

But I will really lose faith if we are sold out by the Progressive Caucus.

:dem:

-Laelth

[quantass]

14. Not Surprised: The Trigger was expected to be the Democrats "cave in"

Most who have been paying attention knew that the Public Option was going to be in a final bil..what was most concerning though was if it would include a trigger. From what i had been seeing over the weeks it was becoming more and more likely that a trigger was going to be in the final bill.

The trigger is junk and sadly there is a strong possibility...i'd personally say 85% chance it is going to include it.

[ej510]

15. What a shock!

The democratic party selling us out again. It may be time to change party indentification. The democratic party is not very democratic it has become corporatist party.

[opihimoimoi]

19. Fuck all this shit about compromise...stick this whole fucking thing

into REALITY...

Are we going to let the Losers dictate...they who fucked up this Nation...wanna have a say in our governance?...

Obama has Logic, Reason, Truth, and SANITY on his side...those are his Major Chess Pieces

The GOP has been reduced to Pawn Level...where them Nit Picker dudes hang...

Becks/GOP's Spiral Hath Zenith

[grantcart]

21. Strangely it has now come that the most important person in keeping

the Public Option is the much maligned Speaker.



Stand firm Pelosi.

[gkhouston]

23. And some are saying they won't, not no way, not no how, but that doesn't seem

to be getting the press. We're getting a veritable blizzard of "no on the public option", "willing to compromise on a trigger", and "some other plan that Baucus pulled out of his ass" stories, so much so that I'm thinking some people are still quite worried that a public option could indeed squeak by in the Senate.

[GrantDem]

25. Then I am prepared to accept a so-called "couch" on election day.

I am tired of vote being taken for granted. It seems that the only concern of our elected officials is doing what will get them re-elected. They obviously think they can do so without the base's vote.

[GarbagemanLB]

26. +1

[bvar22]

27. Can't you just SMELL it coming?

The Democrats are going to make the purchase of For Profit Health Insurance MANDATORY for every single American without offering a Public Plan.

Say, isn't that a Republican Plan?
Sadly, this is what I have come to EXPECT from the Democratic Party.

I will GUARANTEE that the so called "reforms" placed on the Health Insurance Industry will be laughably ineffective.

Boy, if we only had 70 seats in The Senate....THEN we would see some change!
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