Progressives Who Don’t Honor Their Pledge: Corporatists In Sheep’s Clothing

[Mari333]

Last August, progressive groups including MoveOn, DFA and blogs across the country came together to raise over $430,000 for 65 members of Congress who pledged to vote against any health care bill that doesn’t have a public option.

Now every excuse made by the President and Congress for not including a public option has crumbled. MoveOn is demonstrating against Kucinich for keeping that promise, and far from supporting members of Congress who keep that pledge, the unions are threatening them with primaries.

If George Bush had tried to pass a health care bill that was the worst blow to the right to choose since the passage of the Hyde Amendment 35 years ago, liberal groups would be screaming bloody murder.

Instead, the natural fiscal constituency of progressive members of Congress — those who should be backing them up for standing for progressive values — are whipping from the right.









http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/03/15/progressives-who-dont-honor-their-pledge-corporatists-in-sheeps-clothing/

[ProSense]

1. The kill the bill advocates lost the argument

They need to get used to the backlash.



Moving on to pass the best possible legislation is smart. Kucinich gave up on a single payer vote, now he wants Democrats to give up on reform. Then what?

[ixion]

6. hardly...

nice try, though.

[Nikki Stone1]

2. Exactly, Mari.

After all, they made us think that we were electing REAL Democrats.

[Mari333]

5. money talks I guess.

sellouts.

[Nikki Stone1]

9. Most of them are. The cost of a national campaign is outrageous.

Until we get strict public financing for elections, we will have this problem. The Supreme Court decision just multiplies the problem.

[Ozymanithrax]

3. We need progress not ideals.

These gruops know this is a good bill and will do great things for people.

[Nikki Stone1]

10. The notion of "progress" is related to one's ideals.

You have to have a goal in mind for progress to exist: otherwise, it's just about getting something done, regardless of its value.

[Ozymanithrax]

13. No, progrss is related to getting improvements passed and usable by the people.

Ideals without deeds are worthless.

[Nikki Stone1]

14. "Improvements" are also related to ideals. You have to have a measure of

what is an "improvement" (good) as opposed to a "detriment" (bad). If a piece of legislation is really a detriment, then you can't call it an improvement, and just passing something for the sake of having a "deed" is not an "improvement." It takes ideals to decide what is good and what is bad.

[Ozymanithrax]

18. Yes, this bill is a huge improvement that will bring health care to

more than 30 million people.

Ideal without deeds are nothing.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Sheepskins supplied by the Insurance/Pharma lobbyists.

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."

"I think I can say, and say with pride, that we have some legislatures that bring in higher prices than any in the world."


Mark Twain

[ixion]

7. Compassion, Enlightenment, Intelligence... these are what I think of

when I consider what goes into making a Progressive. Unfortunately, that's more theory than practice. :(

[damntexdem]

8. It's now a different game.

Fight to put a PO into the House 'fix-it-up' bill.

[berni_mccoy]

11. You've got serious mental issues. Grayson a corporatist? MoveOn too?

[Individualist]

12. K&R

[pampango]

15. Sounds like progressive groups aimed high, then decided they couldn't get it, and want some

progress on HCR even if it is not what they originally wanted. Either that or the Progressive Caucus is just a bunch of sell-outs and I can't hang them out to dry for this decision.

[gimama]

16. k 'n' r nt

[Mari333]

17. k