Will you call Al Franken a DLC/Blue Dog sellout now?

[bluestateguy]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/19/franken-dems-unified-behi_n_398183.html

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"The mood was great," said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) of the party gathering earlier Saturday. "It was a very, very good mood, even those of us who have disappointments about what is and isn't in."

Though it's far from what progressives and, according to surveys, most voters wanted in a final bill, Franken, in an interview with the Huffington Post, said that it's "an enormous step forward."

"I'm convinced this will pass. I believe we have the 60 votes," he said. Franken was encouraged that he and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) were able to insert into the final bill a provision that would require insurers, for individual and small group plans, to spend 80 percent of the money they take in on health care. Large plans would be required to spend 85 percent.

"This is something that a lot of states have tried unsuccessfully to put on medical loss rations and insurance companies fight them and they fight this for a reason. So I'm very, very happy with this. I think it's a big, big way to keep them in check," said Franken. "I think it's one of the biggest tools."

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[shadowknows69]

1. If Dr. Dean still opposes it damn right I will.

[la la]

4. as much as i admire Howard Dean-

i also admire Franken, who is in the midst of what's going on now.

[tabasco]

7. You would throw Dean right under the bus

if he was the one in charge rather than somebody sniping on the sidelines.

[shadowknows69]

10. Yeah, ok. Think you need to get your ESP checked. It's malfunctioning.

[NJmaverick]

2. Franken and Barbara Boxer, the endorsements just keep coming

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. YES and fuck what Dean has to say. No public plan, no deal. Sellout.

[donco6]

5. I'll just call him "wrong."

You can keep the name-calling for your next post to me.

[tabasco]

6. According to the utopians on DU:

Obama/Franken/Kerry = Romney/Hatch/McConnel

If Dennis Kucinich was elected president with Ralph Nader as his VP, the utopians would throw them under he bus if it wasn't heaven on Earth in one year.

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. No Democratic Senator is going to NOT support the final bill at this point

It would be political suicide. They would have zero chance of getting much of their own done if they denied the President this victory at this point. I think Al is a realist and understands the realities of politics. I also doubt he likes this bill, but knows to keep his yap shut and fight another day. I think many Democratic Senators fell that way. And, then you have the Evan Bayh's of the world that are elated with the bill. They have behind the scenes help drive a dagger into the heart of real reform without leaving fingerprints on the knife.

I find it very naive for some posters to claim that many of these Senators are voicing support for this bill for any other reason than it is political battle that has already been fought and won and they gain nothing by drawing their sword at this late stage of the game. You can believe that some simply hate the bill in private, but voice support in public. I think Al probably falls in this category.

[Fire1]

9. Ditto! n/t