Kucinich: “I left it with a real sense of compassion for our president and what he’s going through.”

[ProSense]

Breaking: Kucinich To Vote Yes

In a big get for House Dems, Dennis Kucinich just made it official: He’s voting for the Senate bill, making him the first member to go on record fliping his vote from No to Yes.

<...>

Update: Kucinich revealed he’d met four times with President Obama, mostly going over his objections, but said he’d been persuaded in part because at one recent meeting he recognized how difficult Obama’s challenge is.

“I left it with a real sense of compassion for our president and what he’s going through,” he said. “We have to be compassionate towards those who are called upon to make decisions for this nation. It’s not an easy burden that he’s taken up.

Kucinich said Obama didn’t make any promises to take up the public option later.

“What he committed to was to continue to work with me on the broad concerns that I have,” he said. “He didn’t make any specific commitment.”

Update II: Kucinich said that ultimately he couldn’t escape the argument that “something is better than nothing.”

“People are looking for some hope that maybe something can be changed,” he said, suggesting that he may have been persuaded by Obama’s frequent argument that passing reform is essential in order to prove to Americans that government is not entirely dysfunctional.

Kucinich conceded that he decided to swallow the bill because failure would be a threat to Obama’s overall agenda. He said he has “a real desire for our president to succeed,” adding that “one of the things that bothers me is the attempt to deligitimize this presidency.”

Kucinich said Obama had offered him nothing concrete in exchange for his vote. “There was no Nebraska or Louisiana type deal,” he said.

[NYC Liberal]

1. I am glad he's come around to it.

Kucinich said that ultimately he couldn’t escape the argument that “something is better than nothing.”

Yup. But I will add that the bill is not *just* "something" but a very good "something" that will actually give us reform. And it also sets the foundation for future reform as well.

[azmouse]

2. Since Kucinich got a lot of attention for his vote

I'm sure he's happy.

That's all I can say about him.

[Cirque du So-What]

7. As long as it draws attention to the public option

*I'm* happy, and so are millions of others. As I don't read minds and I don't live in DK's head, I'm not in a position to determine whether he threatened to vote against the bill only because his ego needed stroking. I'm envious of people who, like Dr. 'cat-killer' Frist, have such highly-developed long-range diagnostic skills.

[mkultra]

35. whats good for obama is good for DK

he gets no special treatment.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

9. “one of the things that bothers me is the attempt to deligitimize this presidency.” n/t

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

57. Goddamn Socialist/Corporatist

[Ikonoklast]

17. Read the bill.

You constantly post nonsense about it.

Read about the triggers, penalties and mechanisms to be put into place that will stop insurance companies from doing what they want re: premiums with nothing to stop them.

[mzmolly]

24. Again 70% of Americans will see a reduction in premiums according to the CBO.

eom

[Whisp]

47. and 70% of the people don't want it. ...according to some lame ass here

that won't back that up with which poll that is, who surveyed it and what the exact question was.

[mzmolly]

48. Must be a faux news viewer poll?

They're still afraid of death panels. :crazy:

[emulatorloo]

4. Interesting comments, thanks for posting this. n/t

[BeyondGeography]

5. Reasonable and mature

We can always use more of that.

[frazzled]

6. Very enlightened comments

No one has ever complained about Dennis Kucinich's ideals--they're noble and most of us share them. It was equally noble, however, for him to finally admit the realities of governing, acknowledge the need to move the country forward and restore confidence in the government (and the government as an entity that can be of use to people), and envisioning the picture of a larger agenda.

Thank you, Congressman Kucinich. And I should also thank our president, who seems to be a pretty persuasive guy.

[LibDemAlways]

8. So Dennis has compassion for Obama. Great. Where's

his compassion for the millions of Americans who still won't have decent health care when this thing passes but who will be forced to go into debt to purchase a worthless product from the crooks of the insurance cartel?

Disgusting.

[ProSense]

10. “People are looking for some hope that maybe something can be changed,”

There it is.

This bill will help a lot of people.

[LibDemAlways]

15. How? By forcing them to turn their hard earned income over to

the corrupt insurance industry. People who can't afford insurance now aren't going to be able to suddenly come up with the money for premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. They'll be no closer to having access to health care than they are now, but they'll have the threat of a fine over their heads for not complying. Some good that will do.

[ProSense]

16. "People who can't afford insurance now" will see those premiums drop up to 80 percent

Some will pay nothing and co-pays and deductibles on preventive care have been eliminated.

If you don't want to pay premiums to a for-profit entity, you will have the choice of a non-profit.

[LibDemAlways]

20. "on preventative care" Big whoop. People will still be going

bankrupt in the face of a major illness.

This is a giveaway to the insurance companies pure and simple.

Defend it all you want. When the American people discover their wallets have been forcibly opened to the insurance cartel, it's going to get ugly.

[ProSense]

30. Wrong!

There will be catastrophic care coverage and ending rescission will go a long way to ensuring that people aren't left out in the cold until they are too sick to respond to treatment.


Wrong!

[freddie mertz]

11. I don't think he is giving up.

I hate the bill, and would have trouble voting for it.

But I think Dennis is trying to think in terms of next year and after that.

He needs to be able to continue the fight, and some conciliation now makes sense as a long-term (as well as short-term) strategy.

And don't forget, he was under a lot of personal pressure from the WH and the Dem "machine."

You saw all the hate threads here. Imagine what went on behind the scenes.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

23. You're one of the only few left that doesn't believe this will help those millions.

Time to re-evaluate, isn't it?

[LibDemAlways]

25. Nope. I don't think so. And I'm not one of the few. I'm one of the

many who see this for what it is - a giveaway to the insurance companies. The corporate media has so far been pretty quiet on the details. When things are spelled out and Americans realize they are required by law to enrich the coffers of the insurance cartel, it's not going to be pretty.

When the R's take over they'll dismantle anything that helps people anyway, but will keep the mandate firmly in place.

There's no reform here, so I can't understand why anyone would be doing the happy dance.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

44. No, you're one of the few.

Dennis Kucinich, Michael Moore, Bernie Sanders, Howard Dean, Paul Krugman... they're all on board with the bill.

You've got Jane Hamsher and Republicans. Great company you're keeping there.

[LibDemAlways]

46. You might want to add a footnote to Michael Moore's name on

that list. He thinks this is a shitty bill and isn't afraid to say so. From his website today:

"This bill is a joke. It has nothing to do with health care reform. It has EVERYTHING to do with lining the pockets of the health insurance industry."

Yes, in the end he rationizes that Obama will not be able to accomplish anything if he doesn't get this "pathetic" bill passed, but that's hardly a ringing endorsement. And I disagree. I think all this does is help to guarantee big Repuke gains in November when people discover the Dems arranged for their wallets to be legally picked by the insurance cartel. Decidedly not the change people thought they were voting for.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

49. Good, you keep Moore.

I'll take the others, thankyouverymuch. You, Mike, and Jane can keep each other warm at night with your laments.

[spoony]

54. How weak are your convictions that you continually rely on

the number of people who (often timidly, from that list) support this bill, to attempt to marginalise and alienate people with whom you disagree?

That's playground shit, and as predictable from a certain sect on DU as the sunrise.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

64. Just showing the company each of us keep.

That has nothing whatsoever to do with convictions. I'm not sure why it would.

[kestrel91316]

12. Kucinich is doing the right thing for the right reason. Good for him.

[Jennicut]

13. I like this President working with DK.

I think the general freakout about DK for voting against or for this bill around here is over. I hope.

[joe black]

19. Or did you mean.....

working over DK.

[Jennicut]

21. You can let yourself be worked over. DK listened to Obama's argument.

He could have said no.

[LibDemAlways]

22. Good one. I think of the Corleone family bringing

the stool pigeon's brother into the Senate chamber just as he was about to testify. It was all they had to do to get him to change his mind about squealing. Not equating Obama with the Corleones, but I still have to wonder how Obama and Rahm convinced Dennis. Have to believe it wasn't pretty.

[Cha]

50. No, she didn't mean that..that's demeaning to our Pres and

to DK.

[mzmolly]

14. “something is better than nothing.”

Absolutely. I have regained my respect for Mr. Kucinich. He's doing the right thing for Americans.

[NJmaverick]

18. I appreciate Dennis making these comments

Sadly I think though his heartfelt comments will fall on deaf ears with his former fans.

[spoony]

28. But look at all his new fans.

LOL, it's got to be one hell of a workout, so many of you backtracking like that.

[Lilyeye]

39. It's no different than his new "haters" I saw in other threads.

[Cha]

52. Dennis is doing the right thing..what's not to like?

[Dappleganger]

26. OK then, so let's move on and get it done! nt

[jillan]

27. Thank you Dennis! Before you can walk, you have to take that first step.

[Prism]

29. "We needed the political win"

Not that this is a good bill, not that we have any guarantee this will be fixed in the future, not that the President made any concessions to make the bill better.

We needed the political win.

After a year of almost criminal mismanagement and stratospheric ineptitude in the midst of economic collapse, the party needs this win or they are done for.

I agree. Dennis is speaking the truth here. The party and President are now in survival mode. It's their own fault, the desperation is entirely from their own actions, and this is what everyone now has to swallow.

It's almost as if it was by design. Almost. But, I'm not a conspiracy type. I think these are merely some very poor politicians. November will be interesting. And now they can't even blame Dennis for it. He didn't want to be the scapegoat for the party's catastrophic failure. I understand that entirely and don't particularly blame him.

Better find a new progressive to browbeat before November, though. The hunt is on.

[ProSense]

31. A political win and doing good are not mutually exclusive.

The bill will do tremendous good and also lay the foundation for even more significant improvements.

[ShortnFiery]

32. With regard to this horrific Senate HRC Bill, "yeah" they sort of ARE mutually exclusive.

[ProSense]

38. Wrong!

Facts and more facts.

[Prism]

40. Sigh, I want your life

I've had a few days to myself this week - been working like mad lately - and I finally understand the strange allure of posting on a message board all day long.

It's kind of fun. Maybe. After two or so days, it's getting a little dull. I think I'm starting to hit that rhetorical hazard where you find yourself saying the same thing over and over and over again.

How does one liven that up? Does the cash help, or do you just have to power on through it?

[Cha]

36. Such sour grapes.

[Prism]

37. Not at all

Sour grapes implies ruing someone else's win. I'm not. I'm disappointed the people lost.

I don't over-identify with personalities, so whether a politician ekes out a win or loses doesn't much affect my mental well-being either way.

Unlike, well, hello.

[ProSense]

41. "Sour grapes implies ruing someone else's win. I'm not. I'm disappointed the people lost."

The people won, they won.

The kill the bill advocates lost.

[Prism]

42. You're wrong

The people have http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd3ol7kRg4k">no path to actual affordable care through this bill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60jrlQPf5yw">The politicians are not the people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSloW2coCDQ">Your repeated pasting of assertions and talking points don't diminish this simple truth.

http://cuteoverload.com/">Good grief.

[ProSense]

43. You need to stop getting your facts from unrelated You Tube clips.

Seriously, it's no wonder you don't know what you're talking about.

[Prism]

45. Sorry

I just assumed you weren't going to actually read my links either.

[Egnever]

62. Stunning admission there,

[Prism]

65. Now, now

I've often caught the poster guilty of not reading her own pasted links in the past. It's a light joke. Calm yourself.

[Orsino]

33. Well...okay.

I'm glad the president is finally gonna get health coverage. x(

[mkultra]

34. "and i got a lot of press which is what i wanted"

because the only purpose of important issues like this is to be exploited for press.

[rucky]

51. He made the right call.

for the right reasons.

[AnArmyVeteran]

53. Thank you Dennis, you are a true advocate of the people...

Dennis Kucinich is a true advocate of the people. He has fought tirelessly for the rights of hard working, productive Americans. But with increasing regularity the deck has been stacked against the people by the rich and the powerful, aided by those who are all too eager to sell out their fellow Americans for a few pieces of silver.

We are a country "of the people, by the people and for the people", not a country where unbridled capitalism should be allowed to be used as a weapon for the powerful to prey upon the vulnerable.

The health care reform bill, while not perfect, is a step in the right and 'just' direction. And like all major programs it will be made better in the future through the efforts of reasonable, principled and honorable people working in the best interests of all Americans, not just a privileged few. This bill is just another step in fulfilling our Founding Fathers' dreams for future generations to constantly strive to make our nation a more perfect union.

Thanks Dennis... Thanks for your commitment to the future and to your continued support of hard working Americans.


NOTE TO CONSERVATIVES: A person can be a brick layer, or a brick thrower. One builds & creates, while the other uses bricks as weapons to destroy. Conservatives seem to be obsessed with destroying. They supported Bush's War started by lies. They supported unlimited spending to bomb & destroy Iraq. They supported the killing of up to 868,000 innocent Iraqis. They supported torture. They supported illegal wiretapping. They supported two massive tax cuts for the rich that gutted our treasury. They supported deregulation that allowed the rich and powerful to destroy our economy.

... Conservatives did nothing to solve the health care problem while republicans had control of both houses of congress for 12 years and the presidency for 8 years. Now that conservatives are the minority all they do is throw bricks at those who are trying to build a better system. They have no intention of changing the current corrupt and inept health care system. Conservatives are acting like whining children in a day care, while President Obama and democratic leaders in congress are acting like adults.

Conservative leaders, in the media and in congress, are willfully selling out to their corporate pimps. And their conservative followers are nothing more than unwitting dupes being easily manipulated by fear, deception, lies, rage, selfishness, racism and greed. Fox News and right wing radio hosts deliberately lie to their mostly ignorant and very gullible audiences, knowing they can control them by appealing to the most basest and primitive instincts. They never use rational dialogue or reason. They use fear, deception and blatant lies. But it's finally catching up to them. Blind rage, accompanied by absolute hatred, cannot be sustained through time.

[Yeahyeah]

55. He's right all that stress could've made Obama sick and he'd have really big doctor bills

that he might not be able to afford then he'd be living in his car.

[martymar64]

56. This DK Supporter respects his decision and still supports him

He fought the good fight against the Obama/Rahm/ConservaDem/Big Insurance/Big Pharma Machine and he did not surrender until all was truly lost. He did so honorably when other lesser Congressmembers and Senators capitulated and sold out the people, throwing the people a few cosmetic crumbs to shut them up.
But I know and he knows that this is no victory for the American people. Congress will not revisit health care for the next decade at least. They may say they will, but we've learned better.
Can't wait to see what they sell us out on vis a vis financial "reform". I'm sure it'll be a doozy.

[depakid]

58. "in order to prove to Americans that government is not entirely dysfunctional."

That's a sorry statement- but it's unfortunately about the best argument that there is for the current mix in the legislation.

[angrychair]

59. All or nothing is a failed concept

I fail to understand the "all or nothing" focus of those that oppose the current effort. First, NOTHING in real life works like that. In real life you have to take the im-perfect and make it work. You aim high and take the best you can which hopefully is somewhere in the middle or better if your lucky. Second, bills are RARELY the final say on an issue. Equal rights for people of color and women and those with disabilities were not perfect when they were first written or passed. They were worked and re-worked over the years, ALWAYS a little better than the last. WHY WHY WHY do you think the re thugs fight so hard to prevent the bill even coming up for a vote?? Because once it becomes law-it is law-and there is NO take back. Second, the bill, even once it becomes law IS NEVER the final destination, it is only the first step of the journey. Relax, take a deep breath and SUPPORT THE HCR bill and keep fighting for your cause for better, cheaper universal health care. I and many others will be right there with you every step of the way.

[hulka38]

60. They aimed high? You think they aimed high?

The deals with the "health care" powers this summer set the tone for everything that has happened. The path never deviated from victory for these interests.

[Ken Burch]

61. This means the bashers owe The Kooch an apology!

They won't give him one, but they do owe it to him.

[WeekendWarrior]

63. Kucinich is saying now, what

I've been saying for months. That when you become President, tough decisions have to be made and you sometimes have to compromise your beliefs. It IS a difficult challenge. And those who criticize have every right to, but can hardly understand what it must take to stand in Obama's shoes.

As I've often said, the Obama haters seem to hate him because he hasn't given us everything we want RIGHT NOW. And that sentiment is proven day in and day out here at DU. It seems they've forgotten what Obama said when he was elected. That change would take time and it would be difficult. I think both are proving to be true, yet many DUers just don't have the patience it takes to turn around several decades worth of destruction.