I Can't Get Over the Defeated Dorgan Amendment and Let It Slide. Behold All of Our Liebermans!

[David Zephyr]

According to the Huffington Post, it was President Obama's White House working with Democratic Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, that helped "crush" the amendment by Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota to permit Americans to re-import pharmaceutical drugs. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/11/pharma-deal-shuts-down-se_n_388895.html)

For me, this was the most revealing vote within the entire debate thus far. I expect the GOP to be the law makers for the uber-corporations. It is truly bewildering to see so many Democrats so beholden to the Corporatocracy that rules over us (The Man of the Year? Ben Bernanke).

As I've said, blaming Lieberman alone for this travesty of a health care bill conveniently takes our focus off of the other Liebermans within our Party.

Again, for those who may have missed it, below is the list of how our Democrats in the Senate voted on Byron Dorgan's amendment that would have helped millions of sick Americans reduce a bit of their health care costs.

This entire health care bill is a travesty against the American people.

Pin the list below on your refrigerator or keep it in your wallet or purse so the next time you need a prescription re-filled you can remember their names.

We have a lot of Liebermans in our Party.

The Senate Amendment to Permit Americans to Re-Import Pharmaceuticals From Canada:

Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Nay
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Begich (D-AK), Yea
Bennet (D-CO), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Burris (D-IL), Nay
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Cardin (D-MD), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Nay
Casey (D-PA), Nay
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Nay
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Franken (D-MN), Yea
Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay
Hagan (D-NC), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kaufman (D-DE), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Kirk (D-MA), Nay
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Nay
Merkley (D-OR), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Shaheen (D-NH), Yea
Specter (D-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Nay
Udall (D-CO), Nay
Udall (D-NM), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Nay
Warner (D-VA), Nay
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

[ananda]

1. Was this result unexpected?

Considering that corporations own and run the government now.

[David Zephyr]

18. I didn't expect this. I have to admit.

The White House worked it hard to kill it.

[CoffeeCat]

2. What's up with Kerry?

When did he sell his soul?

Geez.

[KoKo]

3. Kerry and Levin?

Oops...I guess they were just being contrarian. :eyes:

[G_j]

4. make careful note of the Nays nt

[TwilightGardener]

5. It's such a flawed plan, though--for a number of reasons. It's like

saying the US, supposedly the mightiest and wealthiest country on the planet, must depend on Canada to do our skeery price negotiations for us--because we ain't no socialists, no sir! That's just pathetic. Better to work on legislation to lower or cap drug prices here, IMO--especially since we really don't know how Canada will view us essentially making them our Sam's Club for drugs.

[sandnsea]

10. The exact same people who oppose the public option

or expanding Medicare or any other govt regulation - turn around and want the benefit without reminding their dumb-ass constituents of the reason Canadian drugs are cheaper to begin with. Good point and one we should use in a red state ad campaign.

[TwilightGardener]

15. Yep, we want to take advantage of elements of the Canadian system for our benefit, to preserve

the illusion that the laissez-faire free market health care system that WE suffer from is superior and works great for its citizens. It's just ridiculous.

[Zodiak]

13. So how is that going to work

Considering the WH made a DEAL with Pharma to not control prices and to block reimportation?

They are just doing what they said they'd do right? Ensuring corporate profits.

I don't care if this makes the US look bad......the fact is we are bad. We suck. We are a rightwing wet dream with tons of starving, dying people. I personally don't give a shit we look bad...we deserve to. In the meantime, we could have less people dying because they can afford reimported drugs for their illnesses....but that makes us look bad, right? Better to let them die so the DLC can have another fucking "victory" to their rightwing ideology.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

6. In Virginia exactly what I would have expected. Yea from Webb, nay from Warner

I am going to hold Warner's feet to the fire for that one.

He is definitely a potential Lieberman. I still have lots of hope for Webb emerging as a GREAT Senator. He's a bit of an iconoclast and he often keeps me guessing, but overall I have high hopes for him.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. Do you have the list for the Lautenberg amendment that directly followed?

It would be interesting to compare any movement. As far as I know the Lautenberg amendment contained the Dorgan amendment within it but had some kind of provision to ensure that the re-imported drugs were safe (I read some people saying that it was complete bs - Dorgan himself appeared to be saying that in a very fiery comment right before the Lautenburg went up to vote).

[chill_wind]

12. I'm wondering about that one, too. This one is a really strange

roll-call in looking at it. The above mentioned already, and Boxer, Leahy, Sanders..?

[BrklynLiberal]

8. I despise Schumer.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. I've come to share your feelings. It happened because I was following

his machinations with the Public option very very closely. He's the guy who came up with the "level playing" field - gutting the public ooptin so much it wouldn't provide any competition for the privates BY DESIGN.

I am thinking healthcare reform has done one thing good. We now have a very clear roadmap as to who the real sell-outs are. Their campaigns should be much much harder in the future and they all need to be Liebermanned in their primaries.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. I despise him and also the shill, Gillibrand. She is a protege of D'Amato.

[Zodiak]

11. Carper is DLC

So the WH is working with the DLC to kill progressive legislation again?

If Obama gets ONe liberal vote in the next election, it'll be one too many. The only energy this President exerts is the energy needed to crush progressives.

He is fast becoming a political enemy of the left by his own actions. Not a surprise, really, because he actually think he is the "progressive" of his administration (he actually said that when asked about his right-wing appointments), and anyone left of him is some crazy Marxist or something.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

16. The votes on that amendment are a mass confession.

"Opponents of the amendment worry that many more Republicans may join the amendment not because they agree with it,
but because they want to put the health care bill in jeopardy.

So the White House and the drug makers are trying to persuade as many Democrats as they can to oppose the amendment
despite their previous support for it."
**********************************************************************************

1. Republicans voting for what is unquestionably a good thing, because they think somehow that will weaken the bill? How does it "put the healthcare bill in jeopardy?" Are they saying that they KNOW that a bill with this in it will not pass? Drug re-importation is a poison pill? Are they ADMITTING that the Senate is owned lock,stock and barrel by the Drug Makers?

2. Democrats voting against what is unquestionably a good thing because they think adding a good thing puts 60 votes
in jeopardy? So memebers of their own Party are owned by Pharma and can't vote for this? Are they also saying it's a poison pill because too many of them are beholden?

3. The White House and the DRUG MAKERS are trying to persuade Democrats to oppose the amendment? Is this because this violates
the White House personally "negotiated" deal with Pharma? They too are owned?

The vote on this amendment is a mass confession. They should all be investigated under the RICO laws!!!!

[Larkspur]

17. Dodd just lost my vote for his reelection bid. Go Nader!!!!

It's long passed time he retire. We'll get Liar-man in 2012.

[WA98296]

19. BOTH Senators from Washington voting AGAINST the people.

And, on the same day the vote was cast, Senator Cantwell has the guts to send out an email asking for contributions for Senator Murray's campaign. They'll be damned lucky if I even show up at the polls to vote, and IF I do, I'll be sure to remember December 15th, 2009 as a day they BOTH sold out the people.

[slipslidingaway]

20. We should tell the Dems there is no money to contribute, spending it on ...

prescription medication.

:)

[leftstreet]

21. Yeah, can you believe that?

Un Fucking Real!

:puke: