9:00 AM

Obama to Disappoint Progressives on Public Option

 

10:00 AM

Progressives to Obama: Bill is Dead w/o Public Option

 

11:00 AM

Axelrod Says Obama Loves Public Option

 

12:00 PM

Pundits Say PublicOp To Be Jettisoned

 

1:00 PM

WH: All Options on Table

 

2:00 PM

Talk of Option Drop Triggers Co-Op Flap

 

3:00 PM

Snowe Cops to Yen for Triggered Option Action

 

4:00 PM

GOP Flack Smirks, Death of Public Option "Obvious" Outcome

 

5:00 PM

Public Option Chances To Drop or Pop - Optics Confirm Blocs of Cranks - Progs Nix Drop Talk - Joint Session Promises Depression - Confusion Reigns, May Turn to Snowe - 'Spirit' of Option Sighted in Boston - Beutler Hospitalized With Whiplash Injury

 

WAX COLLARS DOGS IN HOUSE, PROGS HOWL AT DOGS CUTS, SEN DEMS BALK AT BAUCUS STASIS, HOPES FOR PROGRESS VEXED BY RECESS!

Well, the House is moving health care reform legislation forward.  Waxman, the Blue Dogs and the Progressive Caucus are working it out and apparently will move a decent bill (including public option) out of the Energy and Commerce committee prior to August recess.  All well and good!  But in the Senate - MAX BAUCUS IS STILL DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!  His failure to even get a final proposal out of his tiny "bipartisan" working group to present to the full Finance Committee is inexcusable at this point. 

Max, Grassley, Enzi, Conrad, Bingaman and Snowe are thumbing their noses at us and Obama.  How many hundreds of times now have we heard vague reports that they are "edging forward" or "making progress".  Progress my ass!  These few, powerful, reactionary senators have pitched their obstructionist picnic in the middle of the health care reform highway, and call for more lemonade as we the people sit fuming in a traffic jam of thwarted ideals and stymied enthusiasm.

I would like to walk into that conference room and throw icewater on these six sad sacks, then loudly alert them to their neglected duty.  Failing that, I sent the following fax to Max today.  It may mean nothing to him, but it made me feel better.

Dear Senator Baucus,

 

I call upon you to please do your part to expedite the completion of your Senate Finance Committee health care reform bill!  We, the American people, have waited a very long time, and we are becoming more and more impatient. 

 

We have waited many months, as your bipartisan group within the Finance Committee continues to meet and issue vague comments about "making progress".  Meanwhile, the Senate HELP Committee completed a solid bill, and the various House of Representatives committees have done highly commendable work in moving their bills forward. 

 

The little we know about the bill being crafted by your Finance Committee indicates that it runs counter to the efforts of the bills already advanced in the House and Senate.  The information leaked earlier this week indicates that your proposed bill does not include a public health insurance option, which is one of the key features of health care reform desired by the American people and President Obama. 

 

Although one must wonder why you would jettison the public option, apparently in an attempt to please Republican Senators with whom you are negotiating, it is your prerogative to do so.  Do as you wish, Sir, but by all means COMPLETE A BILL and move it out of your committee! 

 

You are becoming public enemy #1 in the perception of Americans who care about moving health care reform forward.  You are seen as an obstructionist who is holding the process hostage.  Your motives are being questioned, and you are widely viewed as being bought and paid for by insurance companies that have contributed massive sums to you over the years.  Is this what you want?  Is this the image you wish to convey?  Is this the way you would like to be remembered?  I think not.  For your own sake as well as the good of the American people, Sir - COMPLETE A BILL and move it out of your committee, and let the process move forward! 

 

If this means postponing or shortening the August recess, so be it!  We, the people, in our professional and personal lives must postpone or delay vacations when important issues present themselves and demand our time and attention.  We expect no less of our legislators.

 

The American people want health care reform, and we know that this is a pivotal moment in the struggle to finally make reform happen.  We are watching to see what our legislators will do.  Please show us what you are made of!  Please COMPLETE A BILL and move it out of your committee!

 

Regards,

Tim Tarleton

 

We are at one of many crucial junctures in the process of advancing health care reform legislation.  It certainly seems to me at times that events are proceeding without any way for us to influence them.  It takes work to remind myself that this is untrue, and also a convenient cop-out.  We the people continue to have power, when we make our voices heard.  A loud noise made by constituents gets the attention of any elected official, even those who claim otherwise. 

It's important for us to keep asking for what we want in healthcare reform.  To me at this point that certainly includes universal (or near-universal) coverage and a strong public option.  Single payer is my true preference, but I believe a bill with a strong public option is the pragmatic way forward to opening that single payer door over time. 

Some pundits opine that we have enough momentum on our side for reform to survive if the House and Senate do not pass their respective bills prior to August recess.  I'd like to believe that, but I am not confident in it.  Therefore, my current focus and what I recommend to others is to push our reps and senators to complete legislation prior to August recess, even if it means postponing/shortening the recess.

I do believe (as CT - love him or hate him - has insisted many times) that faxing is a fine way to communicate with Congress.  All those pages spilling out of the machines make an impression.  However, if you aren't into faxing, call or Email.  Just make your voice heard!  I think this is of particular urgency if your senator or rep is one of those who is currently holding up the show (House Blue Dogs, Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, etc.)

For what it's worth, here's the text of a fax I just sent to my Dem rep (and to my Dem senator, with the appropriate changes).  I must admit I have given up on my right-wing Republican senator.

Dear Representative Miller,

 

I call upon you to please do your part to expedite passage of a House health care reform bill before the August recess.  The primary effect of a delay in the process at this point may be to kill legislative momentum and destroy any real chance of passing health care reform this year, or even for the rest of President Obama's term in office.  Shall we then wait another decade or so, as our system crumbles and the number of uninsured skyrockets further, until we take another stab at it?  Please don't let this happen!

 

There will be time and opportunity to amend the details of health care reform legislation in the conference committee process.  Delaying progress until after the August recess will kill momentum and make the proposed bills sitting targets for opponents of health care reform, who will mount a well-financed onslaught of smears and fear-based propaganda throughout August.  Please don't let this happen!

 

If completing and passing a House health care reform bill means postponing or shortening the August recess, so be it!  We, the people, in our professional and personal lives must postpone or cut short vacations when important issues present themselves and demand our time and attention.  We expect no less of our legislators.

 

The American people want health care reform, and we know that this is a pivotal moment in the struggle to finally make reform happen.  We are watching to see what our legislators will do.  Please show us what you are made of!  Support and fight for health care reform now!  Make us proud!

 

 

Regards,

 

XXX XXXXXXXX

 

I haven't written anything around here for a long time, but I need to vent.  I've been following all the twists and turns of the healthcare legislation push for many a week now, cheering on the good guys, signing petitions left and right, Emailing and faxing Congresspeople and Senators, feeling generally optimistic that some kind of real reform will happen.  However, there is a black hole that threatens my optimism and perhaps the whole reform enterprise.  And that is Senator Max Baucus and his Finance Committee.

Baucus appears to be basically bought and paid for by insurance interests, and he is also fixated on a so-called "bipartisan" bill.  These twin complications seem to be leading to never-ending delays in the Finance Committee cranking out a bill, any bill.  Jeezis, it doesn't have to be perfect, Max - it will need to be merged with the HELP Committee bill anyway, then hopefully reconciled with a House bill in conference committee!  I read what I can find, but I don't feel like I have any perspective on what Baucus is up to, other than driving me insane!  I am starting to feel that he is holding the entire process hostage.

Do any of you have some insight into this?  Does this man have any real interest in healthcare reform, or is he in league with his Republican crony Grassley and others to kill the process via delay?  Are you aware of any details regarding how far along the Finance Committe bill actually is, beyond the occasional mutterings about "making progress"?  Please help me out here before I call Max's office, to wit: "I'm not a constituent of the Senator, but I felt compelled to call and say MAKE IT STOP (sob) OH PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!!"

I copied the conference committee info below from the CSpan site.  I don't know much about citizen input at this stage of the game.  Can someone who knows more than me about this help me out here?  Should those of us who want to express our opinions on the bill focus on contacting these committee members, or would it be more productive to contact our own reps?

Economic Stimulus Conference Committee Members

SENATE: Appropriations Chairman Inouye (D-HI); Appropriations Ranking Member Cochran (R-MS); Finance Committee Chairman Baucus (D-MT); Finance Committee Ranking Member Grassley (R-IA); and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

HOUSE: Appropriations Chairman Obey (D-WI); Appropriations Ranking Member Lewis (R-CA); Ways & Means Chairman Rangel, (D-NY); Ways & Means Ranking Member Camp (R-MI); Energy & Commerce Chairman Waxman (D-CA).

OK, I know some of you are sick of me playing town crier regarding a certain person in our midst, and I promise this will be the last such post from me.  By all means move along to another post now if you like.  For anyone who is interested, though, please take a look at the comment I have linked to below, in which that certain someone makes a definitive statement regarding all of her "tormentors" here at TPM.  She has determined that we all have a "commonality".  As always, she is too cowardly to come right out and say the words, so you must read the entire comment, especially the final 2 paragraphs, to get clued in to what she is saying.  Our problem, folks, is that we are all Dirty Jews.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/ttarleton/2009/01/illegal-immigration---final-so.php#comment-3359105

You may have missed the rather obscure post in which it made its debut, but a TPM commenter with a deep interest in ethnic, economic and sociological issues has offered a far-reaching proposal for dealing with the challenges of illegal immigration in the US.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/the_media_consortium/2009/01/crying-for-change-from-coast-t.php#comment-3356439

Here is a key passage:

"Two or three hundred acre enclosures could be fenced in to warehouse the illegals. They should be fed coarse foods during their incarceration and provided minimal shelter. No hurry should be made in prosecuting the illegal aliens."

I'm certain that the author would appreciate input from the community regarding this bold proposal.  For greater ease of discussion, please leave any comments on this post (rather than the linked post which is now defunct).

Per Eric Kleefeld's story on the TPMDC page, Bush left a note for Obama in the Oval Office (cleverly addressed "To #44, From #43").  Reports that the note was written in crayon on SpongeBob stationery stained with PB&J cannot be substantiated.  However, I have a contact in the administration who has revealed to me the contents of the note, reproduced below.

Dear Barracks,

A few points for U, don't tell anybody else -
1) I may have broke some stuff, sorry!
2) Key to dungin is over the mantle.
3) If you find any likker bottles, not mine.
4) Ask NSA about the Martians.

Have a awesome time! The big screen in the movie room is real cool, and you can watch TV on it 2!

W

If, like me, you've been wondering what is driving the steady stream of hate emanating from a frequent recent commenter (name rhymes with or resembles prick, or sick), check out his horribly racist rant on LisB's thread:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/lisb/2009/01/hail-to-the-captain.php

If you haven't read the post or weighed in on this issue yet, please use the link below.  TPM wants our feedback on this, so let them know what you think.  Please remember to recommend this post to keep it accessible.  Thanks!

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/21/report_abuse_button/

One final electoral vote from Nebraska has made it 365 for Obama!  What a sweet number - one EV for every day of the year!

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ."

Among the many things I am happy about today, I am thrilled that we are about to make the aforementioned truth visually evident for all the world to see, by electing our first non-white president!  The significance of this event cannot be overstated.  We are making a huge leap on our way to living up to the ideals of our founders.  It matters, not just to Americans but to those of our brothers and sisters around the world who still look to the US as an inspiration for their own struggles.  This is a beautiful day in our history, and I am grateful to be here!