What this should tell us is that we don't have to be bipartisan at all

[Lerkfish]

we should just continue governing as we see fit, and no longer give in to any future repub blackmail.
(or blue dog blackmail for that matter)

we gave up the public option because we were worried about the repubs not voting with us... well, since they didn't anyways, it is no longer a point of leverage for them to threaten not to vote with us.

We need to be negotiating from strength on these things, not from weak compromise

IMHO

[leftstreet]

1. No shit. We coulda had single payer

oh wait....it wasn't on the table

[walldude]

2. Yup let's hope they learn from this

and quit throwing in the towel before we even get started. You know... war crimes trials... yeah man...

[leftstreet]

4. Coulda had War Crimes trials, Nationalized the friggin banks...

Hmm...

[NJmaverick]

3. This bill would not be as popular (latest polls have it popular with the majority)

if President Obama had not made a big show of trying to work with the Republicans. Beyond that, the President's efforts will reward the Dems come Novemenber

[flyarm]

12. what polls? I just saw CNN/GALLUP and it has Obama down ..eom

[NJmaverick]

13. What are you talking about? Here are the latest poll numbers

http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx

[demosincebirth]

5. "If" is a big word.

[Lerkfish]

6. the word "if" is not in my OP

so I'm not sure of your point,

[ashling]

7. The mandates were put in back when somebody thought that the Pubs were going to play

ball AND as a bone to the Health Insurance Industry - so let's get rid of them.

The Republiteabaggercans are going to scream and holler no matter what we do, so let's just do right by the people.

[ashling]

8. The mandates were put in back when somebody thought that the Pubs were going to play

ball AND as a bone to the Health Insurance Industry - so let's get rid of them.

The Republiteabaggercans are going to scream and holler no matter what we do, so let's just do right by the people.

[Edweird]

9. I think the lesson to be learned is that the DLC should not be part of the Dem Party.

The Administration had the opportunity to change America for the better but instead chose to pass thinly veiled FAR RIGHT policy.

[Morning Dew]

10. Like my dad says

"The damn Republicans at least stick together".

You're right there shouldn't be any concession to Republican blackmail.

[The Magistrate]

11. Hear Hear, Sir!

[divvy]

14. I am sooo sick of our lame "play-nice" leadership

I refuse to send another penny to the party until they learn how to fight and fight to win. I am tired of working my ass off just to be "swift boated" time and time again.

[eissa]

15. Well duh!!

I don't know when we'll ever learn. The republican party is one that goose-steps behind its leaders. Our idiotic side always wants to join hands and sing Kumbaya before we pass any legislation. Fuck 'em. Get out our agenda and start passing legislation that matters to Americans -- health care (check), energy independence (check), job creation (check), bring home troops (check). By 2012 we'll have a nice list of accomplishments to point to, all of which will (hopefully) not have any republican support. If that doesn't show the American people which party is truly working for them, nothing else will.

[kenny blankenship]

16. I can't believe the 30 years previous to 2008 didn't tell all of us exactly that.

And if we had somehow overlooked it for the first 18, the last 12 years of that time, from Clinton's impeachment on, through Florida 2000, through the Iraq War and blanket accusations of "Librul Treason!" , and through the years of One Party Govt., and the revelation of secret warrantless surveillance of all citizens, cumulatively should have finally banged it into our heads. We even had Republicans EXPLAIN it to us in that time that Bipartisanship is date-rape. The Republicans are citizens with rights like us, but if they are allowed to they would just as soon put us in camps. They must be dealt with through civil institutions, and law and fairness must be upheld, BUT NEVER FORGET THEY ARE THE ENEMY. Democratic politicians may have a comfortable life with their Republican "colleagues" in govt., they may feel more comfortable with a "pleasant working relationship", but the goal of Republican ideology is to make life Hell on Earth for Democratic CONSTITUENCIES.

Our politicians need to SHOW us, their constituents, that they understand that.

[Uncle Joe]

17. I'm not totally against the idea of bi-partisanship, but this was never bi-partisan.

The progressive/liberal wing of the Democratic Party was excluded either from the outset or months before it was publicly acknowledged.

Social Security and Medicare both enjoyed bi-partisan vote counts in the Congress.

This was a cave in to corporatist demands.

Thanks for the thread, Lerkfish.