Eugene Robinson: ‘Kumbaya’ No More

[babylonsister]

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/kumbaya_no_more_20100318/

‘Kumbaya’ No More

Posted on Mar 19, 2010

By Eugene Robinson


If health care reform finally staggers across the finish line, it will be because President Obama and congressional Democrats recognized—at long last—the truth that has been staring them in the face for more than a year: They’ll be better off politically if they just try their best to do the right thing.

No matter what the Democrats attempt or how they go about it, Republicans are going to complain, obstruct and attack. That’s the inescapable lesson from this whole exercise, and it’s hard to fathom why it took so long to sink in. The Democrats looked ridiculous, sitting around the campfire and singing “Kumbaya” while the opposition was out in the forest whittling spears and arrows.

As if to prove my point, some Republicans are already talking about trying to repeal the reform bill even though it hasn’t yet been passed. This hardly seems in the spirit of bipartisanship—which the GOP, with cynical but skillful rhetoric, has elevated into some kind of saintly virtue.

snip//

There’s nothing that Democrats can do, in the short run, to counteract the success Republicans have had in inciting conservatives to anger about health reform—and raising doubt in the minds of independents. That damage will take time to repair. History would suggest that even the few elements of the package that would take effect immediately—such as allowing children to be covered by their parents’ insurance until age 26—should quickly squelch some of the Republican talk about repeal. Entitlements are easy to give and awfully hard to take away.

What can be fixed, and is being fixed, is the damage the president and Congress have done to their standing with the Democratic base. Thanks to Obama’s vigorous campaign-style rallies in support of health reform, polls show that the measure’s popularity among Democrats is steadily rising. If Democrats are to be competitive in November, their core supporters have to be energized, not depressed.

The poll numbers started to turn around when Democratic leaders took a stand. Having the courage of one’s convictions: What a concept.

[era veteran]

1. Love Eugene, He tells it like it is

[Cosmocat]

15. "entitlements?"

I like Robinson, too ...

But, can he stop propogating the Frank Luntz framing ...

[opihimoimoi]

2. GOP SOUR GRAPES make for bitter whine....their focus on the Moot and Minutae will be their undoing

The GOP is self morphing into a dinosaur category and they are helpless to quell the shift...

[eridani]

3. Courage = selling out the public and fucking us over

The approval ratings for HCR are going right to the toilet when people find out it isn't actually going to do anything for a visible and significant number of people.

[babylonsister]

4. My day is now complete because you're here with your doom and

gloom.

Tell me, will you eat your words when you are proven wrong? Do you even care if you're proven wrong? Is the hate motivating you? :shrug:

[eridani]

6. Unlike those who don't give a flying fuck about what is in the bill as long as something passes

--I post logical arguments validated by the experiences that quite a few states have had at completely failing to control health care costs by such mechanisms as are now allowed in "reform."

Care to explain why the feds can make regulation by MLR specification work when 15 states have already failed at it?

[babylonsister]

8. No, you post suppositions without knowing how this will play out.

You assume or hope "it isn't actually going to do anything for a visible and significant number of people."

Care to address those people who will benefit, or isn't that equally important?

[eridani]

10. People who will be able to get on Medicaid

--but only if they can find a doctor who will see them.

People who are aged 23-26 whose parents have insurance and can afford to continue covering them.

Great for a tiny number of people. But "historic"???? Gimme a big fucking break already! Particularly since the vast majority of the non-poor population is being royally fucked to improve the deficit figures. Higher premiums and higher copays for us, plus having the government assign you to the category of disposable human garbage if you are 50-64, and after that if they get rid of Medicare like they want to.

[SoFlaJet]

20. You know sis

I've just come to the conclusion that a LOT of people here would rather the dems be in the minority forever so they can bitch and complain. Some people (and we all know a few in our own lives) are NEVER happy unless they can be unhappy and have resentments to keep them company. Thank you for STAYING here at DU all these years, and NOT giving in to fear and hopelessness and hate.

[Solomon]

27. I know lots of people like this, we call it

"misery loves company"

[eridani]

29. Too bad terminal perkiness is non-fatal

Some us get tired of being lied to and fucked over. After all, there are so many purely LOGICAL reasons for not resenting the policies of a candidate who campaigned against mandates, against benefits taxation and for a public option and delivered the exact opposite. And called the public irrelevant and stupid to boot.

[eridani]

28. On what fucking planet are Dems the ;fucking MINORITY!??!?!?

And why can't a fucking OVERWHELMING MAJORITY get the public something that 82% of the public wants, namely a public option?

[RollWithIt]

23. I'm really not seeing any logical arguments....

Just a generalization that I can easily find on any right wing website.

[eridani]

30. Of course. It just isn't "logical" to expect an overwhelming Dem majority

--to give the public what 82% of the public wants.

[eridani]

12. How about you bookmark this and get back to me in a year?

Remember, the left is always right. Right about NAFTA, welfare "reform," repeal of Glass-Stegall, energy deregulation, telecoms deregulation, the war in Iraq. The odds are with me on this.

[MUAD_DIB]

13. +1

I just wish that we can move on from this and at least pass the bill: sans the hate and kvetching.

[HughMoran]

24. IGNOREanus spewing hate again?

This place has some real idiots!

[Dinger]

11. + 1 For Your Bravery

[ProSense]

22. It doesn't take bravery to spew nonsense. n/t

[Dinger]

26. You'd Know About That, Wouldn't You (nt)

[ProSense]

21. Ludicrous.

How does ending rescission, cutting into insurers profits, subsidizing coverage for nearly 70% of Americans (individuals earning less than $43,000 and families earning less than $88,000), expanding Medicaid, offering a non-profit plan, catastrophic insurance coverage, hardship assistance and giving states the option (with funding) to establish single payer plans equal "selling out the public and fucking us over."

Some people say the stupidest things.

[moondust]

5. "the right thing"

"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else."
Attributed to Winston Churchill.

[MUAD_DIB]

14. Churchill may have been right, but he came from a country that

ignored a growing threat, was kicked in the ass, and was lucky that America was there when England really needed it.


Here's another Churchill quote witch suits the PRO HCR bill DUers.

"You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life."

[unblock]

7. more than 100 republican amendments and no a single republican vote

at least we're shrewd negotiators....

:eyes:

[babylonsister]

9. Now you're a fan of bipartisanship, and that's the issue?

:spray:

[unblock]

19. i think i know why obama tried so hard to get some republicans on board

it wasn't in pursuit of "bipartisanship" per se.
i think he figured it would be easier to peel off a republican or few than it would be to forge a consensus among democrats alone.

image-wise, getting some republicans at the price of losing a few democrats makes him look like he's a tough negotiator forging a consensus across the entire country, while going at it within the party makes him look like he's struggling to do something that should be a given.

[Sky Masterson]

16. They should give that guy a Pulitzer Prize ;)

:applause:

And no shit!!

[Clio the Leo]

17. But no one can legitimately accuse them of bullying their legislation through Congress...

.... which was the point of the attempts at bipartisanship anyway. Sure, the GOP claims that, but the average citizen understands that the President went out of his way to include them.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

18. Unfortunately nothing will be learned from this experience.

We'll be back here having the same debate on the next watered down piece of legislation. Anybody who remembers the 90s could see it coming. Apparently The White House and congress suffer from amnesia.

[Aramchek]

32. anybody who remembers the 90s knows that all efforts at Healthcare Reform failed back then

A New Day is dawning...

[WeekendWarrior]

25. Why doesn't anyone see the big picture here?

This has NEVER been about bipartisanship. The dems know what fuck sticks the repugs are.

The goal here for the last year or so has been to demonstrate just how uncooperative the Republicans are, to demonstrate their bull-headed, selfish behavior so that when people walk into the voting booth in November -- AFTER this bill has been passed -- they will remember all the news footage they saw of dems trying to be reasonable and repugs being complete assholes.

It's theater, folks. That's all it ever has been. And I've been saying this since day one.

Now, obviously, there have been some glitches along the way, but for the most part it's working.

No matter how you may bitch and moan, come November you'll be voting Democrat. And so will most of the country.

[TheKentuckian]

31. Yeah, but at this point I'm willing to vote for myself or friends

aka write in.

You see, everyone isn't willing to continuously reward bad behavior or have their vote simple taken for granted.

Concessions to the pukes for nary a vote and madcap sellouts to our own conservatives like stripping the anti-trust, no national exchange, no public program/expansion of Medicaid along with the kickbacks tells me that anyone that gives their vote without making someone earn it is going to forever be in a weak position to positively impact any legislation.

Seriously, if you KNOW that in the end someone is going to cave then why give them and their "demands" a second thought?

Nobody ever told you the one about free milk and the cow? Come on?!? It isn't even a little rational that you're going to get any hand on the wheel when you're a sure bet virtually no matter what.

Party loyalty going forward will be a two way street or my vote goes to a Democrat I know I can trust, even if it means scribbling in my own name in certain races.

[Rage Inc.]

33. "...it’s hard to fathom why it took so long to sink in."

True THAT!