Blue Dogs genuflect to war spending/tax cuts for wealthy, but scream bloody murder on health reform

[seafan]

And the useless press corps prop them up. These are the traitors in our midst.



(On the President's news conference)


Paul Krugman:

So Howard Fineman was unimpressed. And Fineman knows presidential greatness when he sees it:


(2002)

He’s the Texas Ranger of the world, and wants everyone to know it. He’s the guy with the silver badge, issuing warnings to the cattle rustlers.

Hat tip to Digby:


March 18, 2003

Appearing on Hardball after the press conference, Newsweek’s Howard Fineman (one of the worst monsters of the business) gushed when asked if the Bush we’d just seen was really a "cowboy":

"If he’s a cowboy he’s the reluctant warrior, he’s Shane… because he has to, to protect his family."

Newsweek thinks Bush is Shane?

This was just Bush’s eighth press conference since taking office, and each one of them has been a travesty. In his first presser, on Feb. 22, 2001, a month after his controversial inauguration, he was not asked a single question about the election, Al Gore or the Supreme Court. On the other hand, he was asked five questions about Bill Clinton’s pardons.

Reporters argue that they have no choice. They’ll say they can’t protest or boycott the staged format, because they risk being stripped of their seat in the press pool. For the same reason, they say they can’t write anything too negative. They can’t write, for instance, "President Bush, looking like a demented retard on the eve of war…" That leaves them with the sole option of "working within the system" and, as they like to say, "trying to take our shots when we can."

But the White House press corps’ idea of "taking a shot" is David Sanger asking Bush what he thinks of British foreign minister Jack Straw saying that regime change was not necessarily a war goal. And then meekly sitting his ass back down when Bush ignores the question.

They can’t write what they think, and can’t ask real questions. What the hell are they doing there? If the answer is "their jobs," it’s about time we started wondering what that means.

Why did no one ask about the calculated opposition by Blue Dogs?

Why did no one ask why single payer is *off the table*?

Why did no one ask why Blue Dogs and Republicans genuflect for a tsunami of military spending, Bush's massive tax cuts for the wealthy and illegal war, but scream bloody murder when it comes to reforming health care to cover all Americans?



John Cole:

I think it is worth discussing, as we watch Congress try to cobble together some sort of health care bill that will cover tens of millions of additional people while still remaining “deficit neutral,” that the Bush administration Prescription Drug Entitlement, passed by the “fiscally conservative” Senate and the “fiscally conservative” house (loaded with members of the 1994 Republican Revolution who were now reneging on their term limit pledges) and signed by the “fiscally conservative” Bush administration, didn’t have one single penny set aside to pay for the promises.

And I don’t remember hearing howls of outrage from the Blue Dogs.

Effing useless.

[tj2001]

1. Not to mention Iraq, bankruptcy "reform", warrantless wiretapping

and Iran if Obama hadn't been elected

[redqueen]

2. Their constituents need to wake the hell up. (nt)

[AuntPatsy]

3. It is enough to make you wonder if you are living in an alternate universe that requires

one not exhibit common sense..