AP: Dean Embraces the new Senate Plan. Time to throw him under the bus?

[Perky]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 9, 2009
Filed at 7:22 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A staunch supporter of a public option to expand health care says he's encouraged by a Senate compromise on the troublesome issue.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a physician, said Wednesday he believes opening up Medicare to people 55 to 64 years old gives momentum to the quest for a health care overhaul, putting it ''on the right track.''

The former Democratic presidential candidate and party chairman said on CBS's ''The Early Show'' that Medicare already is ''a single payer run by the government. This moves things forward.'' Dean called it ''real reform. Whatever we call it is irrelevant.'' Dean said he hopes the final version of the legislation ''involves expansion of care'' in America.

Now watch people around here start calling Dean "a sellout corporate shill".

[SIMPLYB1980]

1. Of coarse he is a "shill".

Why would it be any different because it is Dean?:evilgrin:

[stray cat]

2. Howard Dean is a practical honest, progressive - he believes in doing something good

and not just talking about what is perfect and getting no where.

[FSogol]

5. Exactly. He is pragmatic which is necessary in our system of Govt.

Sadly, many DU'ers don't understand that.

[Arkana]

27. Dean's got executive experience--being governor of Vermont

probably helped him to keep the good from becoming the enemy of the perfect.

[MercutioATC]

3. There are a couple of possibilities here:

Either Howard Dean has sold out to the right or a few DUers have just prematurely gotten their panties in a bunch.

[Schema Thing]

4. ...and since the average DUer doesn't wear underwear

...I think we know the answer to that one.

[Perky]

6. Sometime I am not sure the average DUer is not still in diapers

Sometimes we sure act like Toddlers having a tantrum.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[Perky]

14. LOL

[whathehell]

13. It would take more than that to stop believing in Howard Dean..

[27inCali]

26. a lot of people are blowing up before.......

they take time to fully analyze what is happening. we shouldn't fetishize the public option to the point that it obscures everything else -there is more than one way to structure a healthcare system, there are a number around the world that work differently that we can take from. I for one just don't know enough yet to make up my mind, I want to hear more if we could get the kids to cool it on the temper tantrums long enough to learn a few things.

[earthside]

7. What Dean Said - Is That the Deal?

If what Dean said turns out to be the real deal, then great.

But if the details are that only the uninsured and high risk folks 55+ can buy-in, then it is not much of an accomplishment. Word is that this buy-in may also just be a temporary deal until a new private insurance exchange for these people comes on line in three years. And that the buy-in would not be eligible for a premium subsidy, so it would be expensive.

Dean, like a lot of us, wants to believe that some real reform is going to come out of this, but we better wait to see the specifics.

[Ozymanithrax]

8. I am glad to see Dean leave the "give me health care or give me death" crowd.

Incremental change, not revolution, is the way our system works.

Edited because I can't spell this early in the moring...

[DCBob]

11. I wouldn't mind a "revolution" but they usually are messy..

Steady slow progress is good enough for me. Frankly, I am still amazed this country elected Barack Obama President. That is quite "revolutionary" to me.

[Ozymanithrax]

15. Revolutions are always messy affairs.

The last revolution we had ran from 1776 to 1780. Our system of checks and balances is designed to keep anyone from creating radical changes.

[OneGrassRoot]

9. The final version....

When all the cards are on the table, then I'm most curious what his opinion will be. I respect him. I have no reason not to. He's the main voice I'm listening to regarding this debate for now.

Without all the facts, opinions aren't that reliable. When he has all the facts, then we'll see what he has to say.

:)

[DefenseLawyer]

10. Howard Dean is a politician

At this point it is simply a political calculation. If they pass nothing it will be a crushing defeat for the President and the party. We may say, as a mater of policy, that what they end up with is worse than doing nothing. However, that isn't the case at all on the political side. Dr. Dean is a politician.

[phleshdef]

22. Really? What office is he running for these days?

[Hekate]

16. When Dr. Dean talks, I listen. nt

[freddie mertz]

17. Not time to do anything of the sort.

He has tried to be positive in the face of this very challenging process.

I'l wait to see the proposals in the full light of day to decide what I think of them, and I may agree or disagree with Dr.Dean on them.

But I will listen closely to what he has to say, and even if I disagree, will do so respectfully.

He has earned that, which more than you can say for some of the so-called Democratic clowns in Senate.

[vaberella]

18. I don't know where Dean stands so I'm not gong to depend on him. n/t

[DCBob]

19. OMG! Traitor Joe may be onboard...

"I am encourged by the progress toward a consensus," Lieberman said in a statement issued by his office.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34326187/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

[DrToast]

20. Give it a week. Dean will throw himself under the bus. (nt)

[Perky]

25. AAAAAAIEEEEYYY AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

[Umbral]

21. Dean's always been a team player, even while the DLC was shitting all over him...

There's little doubt that Dean will support the end product of this nightmare, whatever it is.

[impik]

23. So are the rest of the progressives in the senate

But we know they're all sell-out. Just like Obama.

[Enrique]

24. no, even though Dean is actually a corporate lobbyist

even though he actually takes money from a corporate lobbying firm to influence the debate in their favor, Howard Dean has enough popularity that people will overlook that and assume he's speaking from the heart.