"No wonder Americans are scared" about health care reform, say the Republicans -- which makes a lot of sense, since the GOP are the ones who have scared people.QOTD2, via Daily Kos:
The dominant health care story that emerged from August is one of frenzied confrontation -- seniors standing on folding chairs to scream at senators; sign-wielding protesters shouting across parking lots.
Those conflicts were real and raw. But they are only part of the story. With much less notice, many key stakeholders in the medical establishment, including several that mobilized against previous efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system, have come together behind reform. "That's very different from what we've ever experienced before and why there is every reason to be optimistic that health care reform will happen," says Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a liberal health advocacy group.
Think Progress: Exclusive: Grassley Attends Secret Miami Fundraiser And Touts Opposition To Obama Health Care Plan
C&L: Andrea Mitchell Thinks the President Should Call Liberals into His Office and Say "You've Got to Get in Line"The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein reported recently that Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who is up for reelection in 2010, sent a fundraising letter asking donors to give him money to help him “defeat ‘Obama-care.’” Grassley is currently locked in negotiations with a small group of Senate Finance Committee members, reportedly working on a possible bipartisan health care proposal.
As we previously reported, ThinkProgress attended a closed-door health care town hall forum in Hialeah, FL, this past Tuesday, where Sens. Mel Martinez (R-FL), John McCain (R-AZ), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) discussed their opposition to Obama’s health reform plan. After the event, the three senators took a trip across town to the ritzy Biltmore hotel in Miami where they attended a fundraising reception sponsored by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
ThinkProgress attended the closed-door reception. Upon arriving at the venue, we were surprised to see a conference room that was marked as a fundraising reception room for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Grassley was not listed on the official invitation. Minutes later, Grassley arrived, where he joined his fellow colleagues McConnell and McCain. In his remarks, Grassley told the wealthy Republican activists that he was committed to fighting Obama’s health care plan.
ThinkProgress tried repeatedly to contact Grassley’s office for comment, but they refused to get back to us.
By Heather Saturday Sep 05, 2009 6:30pmThe David Gregory and Andrea Mitchells of the world have decided to declare the public option dead and of course all of those silly liberals who think that the bill would be a giveaway to the insurance industries without it need to just shut up and get in line. Mitchell says "I just don't get the lack of discipline here". Hey Andrea, there are three co-equal branches of government, or have you forgotten that? And it is not going to destroy Obama's Presidency if he actually listens to the majority that elected him and does what they would like.
As my C&L cohort Nicole pointed out, this article does a good job of explaining just what we're watching right now. From Mike Lux at Open Left- The News Big Media Won't Report:
Every morning I still read my old fashioned paper copy of the morning Washington Post on the subway on my way to the office, and then I sit down to review all the information I am getting from field events and town halls around the country, lobbyists' reports from those meeting with Senate and House members and staff, updates from organizations working in the field. I have to say that the two sets of information could not be further apart, and it makes me wonder again what the disconnect is.
[....]
As I've written before, between some combination of their own pre-conceived conventional wisdom talking points and their love of covering a train wreck, traditional media does not want to report the good news about health care reform. I can't remember ever seeing in any traditional media story, for example, the fact that (as Chris Bowers reported) there is now a majority in both the House and the Senate that are on the public record in support of a public option.
The future of health care reform hangs in the balance. We are in the fight of our lives- but if you listen to the traditional media, you would think it is all over.
Lots more there so be sure to check out the whole article, but he's right. The media has decided to tell everyone that the fight is over and so go sit down and shut up if you don't like it. I would hope that is the last thing anyone that wants to see some real reform is doing.
Yglesias: What Can We Afford?
Benen: UP-OR-DOWN VOTES...Ezra Klein offers a flashback: “To put that in perspective, many of the legislators who are balking at the cost of health-care reform voted for the Kyl-Lincoln bill to reform the estate tax at a cost of $75 billion a year, or $750 billion over 10 years.”
Specifically, all the Republicans plus Senators Baucus (D-MT), Bayh (D-IN), Cantwell (D-WA), Landrieu (D-LA), Lincoln (D-AR), Murray (D-WA), Nelson (D-FL), Nelson (D-NE), Pryor (D-AR), and Tester (D-MT) thought nothing of adding hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit when the beneficiaries were a tiny number of already wealthy households. But quite a few of these people seem very concerned about the idea of spending similar amounts of money on making health insurance affordable to middle class Americans.
It's taken for granted that a bill may enjoy the support of a majority of the Senate, but it probably won't pass. For most of American history, 51 votes meant success. Slowly but surely, without any discussion or debate, the threshold became 60. Now, 41 senators can simply decide not to let the chamber vote on bills they don't like.Think Progress: Rep. Posey: I’m For Gov’t-Insured Health Care For Myself And The Elderly, But Against Public OptionIn the context of the health care debate, this is obviously of critical importance. An ambitious, progressive bill could get 51 votes, but that's been deemed inadequate. Republicans will filibuster reform, and the Democratic caucus has 59 votes, not 60. It's left Dems scrambling to figure out how to use the reconciliation process.
The lingering issue that often goes overlooked is the number of Democratic caucus members prepared to support GOP filibusters on bills they don't like. Ed Kilgore argues today, "That Democrats could be against health reform is disappointing. That they'd deny a vote on it is unacceptable."
[T]he time has come -- and in fact, it is long overdue -- for them to begin forcefully making the case that being a member in good standing of the party's Senate caucus means supporting cloture motions on key legislation even if a given senator intends to vote against it.
This case was, in fact, briefly made in July by Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin -- but it gained little traction. Durbin's argument should be revived in and outside the Senate. Right now, progressive groups around the country are in the midst of efforts to agitate for a "public option" as an essential feature of health reform, and eventually will devote enormous efforts to support final passage of health reform, if we ever get to that point. Wavering Democrats have been targeted for ads and other communications, with mixed results. A significant fraction of that pressure should be devoted to a very simple message: Democrats should not conspire with Republicans to obstruct a vote in the Senate on the president's top domestic priority. Vote your conscience, or your understanding of your constituents' views, Ben Nelson, but don't prevent a vote. [...]
There's no real "down side" for Democrats to a campaign for party discipline on cloture votes, because Republicans already largely have it on legislation that matters. Democrats need to stop kowtowing to "moderates" who see a vote for cloture as the same thing as voting for the actual bill. These moderates can show their centrist bonafides by voting against the actual bill -- and Democrats, free of the 60 votes needed for cloture, can finally pass the bill with the simple majority it deserves.
Damn straight. Durbin told his colleagues in July, "Don't let the Republicans filibuster us into failure. We want to succeed, and to succeed, we need to stick together."
It's a simple concept. The electorate has given Democrats a chance to govern, and expect them to deliver. Members of the caucus "may vote against final passage on a bill," Durbin said, but Democratic colleagues should at least reject the idea of "allowing the filibuster to stop the whole Senate."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont said something similar, arguing that senators in the Democratic caucus should feel free to vote for or against any bill, but being a member of the caucus should, at a minimum, mean opposition to Republican obstructionism: "I think the strategy should be that every Democrat, no matter whether or not they ultimately end up voting for the final bill, is to say we are going to vote together to stop a Republican filibuster."
Now, admittedly, this meant more when the Democratic caucus had 60 votes, not 59.
But it still matters. Party leaders are not only figuring out a way to earn Olympia Snowe's support, they're also figuring out a way to ensure centrist and center-right Dems won't support a GOP filibuster.
This shouldn't even be controversial -- to be a member of the caucus means letting the Senate vote on Democratic bills. It doesn't mean every Dem has to vote on every Democratic idea; it means they at least have to let the vote happen. Seems like a no-brainer.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Over the past month, ThinkProgress has traveled to town hall events across the country to report what we’re seeing on the ground. This is our eighth eyewitness report.
This past Wednesday, ThinkProgress attended a health care town hall forum held by Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) in Melbourne, FL. During the event, Posey expressed his opposition to a public option. On the day of the town hall, the lead editorial in the local newspaper — The Florida Today — noted that Posey receives excellent health care as a member of Congress:
Keep in mind Posey received free health care premiums courtesy of taxpayers during his many years in the Florida Legislature. And that taxpayers pay up to 70 percent of Congress members’ premiums. In the real world, more Americans are losing health care and dying for lack of it every day.
During the question-and-answer session, an attendee ask Posey, “Why should taxpayers pay for your insurance when you clearly make enough money to pay for it on your own?” After reading the question aloud, Posey quipped, “One of the perks of the job I guess!” A member of the audience yelled out, “You’re welcome!” Posey concluded by saying that he “needed to get a more detailed breakdown to better answer the question.”
At the town hall, Posey expressed his unwillingness to extend the same “perks” he receives — guaranteed, affordable, quality insurance — to all Americans. He said he opposes the public option, and told the crowd that, if Congress passes it, all members should be required to enroll in it.
After the event, ThinkProgress confronted Posey about his objections to a public plan; we asked him whether he’s also against Medicare:
TP: I heard you’re against the public option tonight. Are you also against Medicare for your constituents? …
POSEY: No, we have Medicare now. I don’t have a problem with Medicare.
TP: Why not a problem with Medicare then? A public option is giving an option to all Americans just like Medicare?
POSEY: No.
TP: What’s the difference?
POSEY: There’s a big difference.
At that point, a Posey staff member pulled him away from our conversation. Watch it:
Of course, Posey is for Medicare; it appeared that a majority of the crowd on Wednesday night consisted of seniors. Nevertheless, he supports a “tenther” provision that would theoretically declare Medicare unconstitutional in Florida. And he refuses to give all Americans the option to buy into quality, affordable coverage that both he and seniors enjoy.
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