Sen. Harkin just now on Ed Schultz's show: "Well, here's one thing I will guarantee you, Ed...

[jenmito]

I will tell you again as I told you before: We will have a bill on the President's desk before Christmas and it will have a public option."

And he said although he wouldn't give up on 60 votes, if they have to, they WILL go to reconciliation and get a bill with a public option on Obama's desk by Christmas. :)

[fascisthunter]

1. If That Happens and We Get a Public Option

I will stay a Democrat...

[jenmito]

2. Hmmm...

a one-issue voter...

[kestrel91316]

4. That's his prerogative. Can't say I disagree, either.

I'm half considering jumping to the DSA. If I'm gonna be called a "socialist" every time I turn around, I may as well become one.

[jgraz]

6. You probably *are* a socialist.

As are most of the progressives on this board, including me. We need to stop treating the name like a swear word.

[Tansy_Gold]

8. Not a swear word to me!

Tansy Gold, small s socialist and damn proud of it

[jgraz]

11. Welcome, Comrade!

:patriot:

[jgraz]

13. Here's a thread for ya

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6658004&mesg_id=6658004

[jenmito]

7. If you consider yourself a Socialist, become one.

But don't pretend it's just because a public option doesn't pass. When/if it DOES pass, will you remain a Dem.? And why?

[fascisthunter]

12. hmmmm.. next time ask me if I am

because you make a bad assumption

[jenmito]

14. OK...

ARE you?

[fascisthunter]

15. that's better... no I'm not a one issue voter..

besides, there's no election right now for me to be a one issue voter.

But my loyalty to this party will end if a Public Option isn't passed. I will re-register as an independent, but will still work local for true progressives... it's just that I draw the line with this very issue, but there are many other reasons that brought me to this point, sort of a culmination of cave-ins to corporate America.

[bvar22]

18. In my 40 years of Political Activism....

...I have NEVER seen an issue that is this Black vs White.
The Democrats either work FOR the Corporations, OR the American People.
There is NO middle ground.

With a Democratic president,
A huge majority in The House,
A veto proof majority in The Senate,
and a HUGE Popular mandate for CHANGE,
IF the Democrats FAIL at giving the American People a robust Public Option,
it is an open admission that Nader was right.

"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[salinen]

24. Here here

THE issue of the century. If not now, when? Love that pic of Paul. The greatest Senator.

[krawhitham]

31. We do not need you

just go now

[CreekDog]

36. i'll be a Democrat either way

but i won't be very effective after a toothless, public-optionless bill.

i won't be very motivated.

but give me what Harkin is saying and I am going to feel like it was all worth it.

health care for all, what we've been waiting for for 16 years, finally.

i will have these guys and ladies backs.

[jenmito]

3. And Rockefeller was just on and said he got more votes today than he expected,

and Schumer said HIS bill got more votes than expected, too, and that the public option is moving forward.

[mvd]

5. Didn't see that - thanks for the update

:hi:

I did see Harkin, though. He was great as usual.

[jenmito]

10. No problem...

Schumer was on Hardball when he said what he said.

:hi:

Harkin WAS great!

[quakerboy]

37. I heard that as well.

Which is encouraging. But did you see the daily show bit on the same topic? I can see both sides of that. How much of what Rockafeller and Schumer said was true, and how much was putting the best face possible on a discouraging result?

[jenmito]

40. Yes, I DID

see The Daily Show last night and sadly, he's right. We should be getting through all the legislation the Dems. want, but we don't, since some Dems. are too conservative or owe too much to lobbyists.

[janet118]

9. They'd better . . .

or they are dead meat.

[Thrill]

16. They know that they can get the ones who don't want a public option

to at least vote for cloture

[jenmito]

17. Do you think they WILL vote for cloture?

Even Lieberman?

[Thrill]

19. Yes cloture. But not for the bill

It gives the scared ones from the conservative states cover.

As Sherrod Brown said. They might not want it, but they won't keep it from an up and down vote. So my guess is they have the votes counted

[jenmito]

20. Good...

I REALLY hope so!

[quakerboy]

38. How come some are hedging about even cloture?

There is at least one Dem senator who went out of his way to clarify that he is not committed to voting for cloture.

[jenmito]

30. I just heard on Maddow's show that Ben Nelson will probably NOT vote for cloture.

He's against passing this through reconciliation. :eyes:

[polichick]

21. Yes, he was optimistic - as were Schumer and Rockefeller, both of whom...

...seemed pleased that their amendments got the votes they did.

[Kingofalldems]

22. Excellent---the trumpeter of republican victories will not like this

[thatsrightimirish]

23. Question!

After today it looks like if there is a public option it looks like Schumer's version of it will be the one that comes out of the Senate. So is his version a strong public option and what is the difference between his and Rockefeller's?

[Clio the Leo]

25. Except they have to get it done by Thanksgiving....

Because Joe the Hotness says so.....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/10/AR2009091001582.html

[bullwinkle428]

26. As much as I love my own Sen. Harkin, I'm not sure it can make up

for the shitstains like my OTHER senator...Assley.

[Peacetrain]

27. That would be a great Christmas gift for us all!

[eridani]

28. Which will not go into effect until 2013

That means another 180,000 Americans who will die because they don't have the money to pay for health care.

[Marsala]

34. This is tragic but there is little that can be done about that

Government programs take hellishly long to go into effect. There has been talk of some sort of interim legislation to help those most vulnerable in the gap, if I remember correctly.

[eridani]

35. Not true. Medicare was implemented within a year

And since Medicare already exists now, it would not have to be started from scratch. Why not just let people buy into Medicare voluntarily?

[European Socialist]

29. After all the caving by Dems we have seen over the past few years...

why can anybody have confidence in getting 60 votes for cloture.

[Better Believe It]

32. Why does enator Harkin think they might have to go to reconciliation?

[jenmito]

33. Use your imagination.

[LittleBlue]

39. For the sake of the country and the party, I hope he's right

God save us if we fail.