Chuck Grasshole said Obama told him privately he's willing to drop public option

[HopeOverFear]

Personally I think he's a damned liar.

The Political Carnival

[Hippo_Tron]

1. Yep I can think of quite a few reasons that Grassley would have incentive to lie

[democracy1st]

2. see no reason to believe Grassley ,I can see it as a ploy to attack the Pres by division

[sharp_stick]

3. Grasshole LOL

I am going to start using that. I also think he's a damned liar, I'd be willing to bet a C-note on it. You can tell that prick is lying when that damned forked tongue is flicking.

[Cha]

4. I wouldn't trust a fucking republicon

to tell me the time of day..just be lying to keep in practice.

[grantcart]

5. Except that Grassley never said the word "drop"

What he said that Obama said was that Obama was "willing to consider alternatives".


Those alternatives would still have to meet the same principles that Obama has outlined and we know that there are no alternatives to the public option that in fact fulfill what Obama wants.


One alternative to the public option would be single payer.


I imagine that Obama said something like "if you have an alternative to public option that will still provide universal care and create a competitive force to keep the insurance companies honest I would be willing to consider it."


In other news Pelosi states that the Public Option has overwhelming Democratic Caucus Support and she has the votes to get it passed out of the House.

[HopeOverFear]

7. Regardless though that's some bold shit to say

to just blatantly lie like that

[Arkana]

9. It's in the hope that it will divide Democrats further on Obama's healthcare plan.

Grassley says something he knows will get liberals pissed at Obama, and, well...liberals get pissed at Obama.

[HopeOverFear]

10. divide and conquer

[democracy1st]

8. thanks grant more repub tricks...mofos throwing the kitchen sink

[depakid]

6. Grassley's not the sharpest tool in the shed- by a longshot.

And quite frankly, it annoyed the crap out of me when Obama praised him and Enzi- who tried to preempt EVERY state health insurance mandate and leave everyone with junk insurance just 3 years ago.

Made me suspect once again, that Obama doesn't know how to (or simply doesn't have the personality traits) to play this game to win.

What might work well with foreign nations does not work when dealing with Republicans and their ilk. Enabling them is only perceived as sign of weakness- not reasonableness- and they've exploited this for YEARS.

[grantcart]

12. Obama is in it to win and win and win and win and win again

Its easy to embarass somebody like Grassley but Obama isn't thinking about just passing this bill he is thinking about 8 years.


He has Grassley where he wants him. Grassley is not able to state that Obama is either a socialist or unreasonable. Obama simply has to say that he is willing to consider alternatives but that the Republicans never offered an alternative or that it was deeply flawed and didn't meet the principles that he outlined.


The Republicans are in complete disarray. They have no alternative plan. They don't have a common attack on what the House is doing.

They are going to be faced on either joining with the Democrats and take some credit on the largest benefit package to ever arrive at middle class average Joe America or to let the Democrats take all of the credit.


In the end it will pass and Obama will have maintained working relations for the next fight.

[depakid]

13. I've yet to see evidence of that

In fact, I've seen much evidence to the contrary. Rather than defining the opposition- and framing the issues- he's continuing to get framed.

Indeed, the fact that the Republicans ARE in such disarray and have still managed, with blue dog help to block meaningful reform (and screw up the stimulus) is reason enough for worry.

You don't enable dumb bastards like Grassley and corrupt politicians like Enzi- they have NOTHING in mind other than to see that you fail. They'll do anything to make that happen- and the media will provide them cover.

No, what you do is call them out for what they support. Define it clearly- then contrast it with your solution(s), explained with frames and memes that can be easily understood and are "sticky."

Make some tangible enemies (or at least recognize those who already ARE your enemies)- take a side. Rally people over.

This isn't rocket science- though it is backed up by science.

Unfortunately, the "party of science" often seems illiterate or incapable of applying the priciples.

[grantcart]

18. The evidence is in the results - passed the largest stimulus in history

and now on the verge 90 days laster looking at passing the largest restructuring of benefits and redefining the fundamental role of government.


The fact that you don't see it doesn't mean that it isn't there. Facts speak for themselves.

[cliffordu]

20. Well, to quote YOU -

"The fact that you don't see it doesn't mean that it isn't there. Facts speak for themselves."

Kinda like your ginormous posterior, eh??

[seafan]

11. IIRC, Baucus said something similar recently, concerning what Obama *was willing to do*.

And it ended up being a figment of Baucus' imagination. It may have been about taxing workers' health benefits...



Grassley and Baucus are a tag team. Baucus is the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Grassley is the Ranking Member. When/if the chairmanship changes, these guys still work closely in tandem.


Baucus is not about serving the people. That's what all of this brouhaha has illuminated for us....just WHO is selling the people out.

[quantass]

14. I would too -- If i get Single Payer instead!

[BlooInBloo]

15. Then he's either a liar, or nobody will ever tell him anything in private ever again.

[OHdem10]

16. Mara Liason, NPR and Fox, earlier this week: Liberals are Fated

for Heartbreak. Referring to no public option in final Bill.

It breaks my heart to think Obama will sign a bill just to be
signing a bill.

No Public Option and our Health Care is worse. What a legacy???

[karynnj]

17. I think there is still some possibility of a public option

It may depend on what the legislators hear when they are home. Now, we know that talk radio has wound up the right with many many lies - so they will be out to speak to or yell at their people. (In fact today, Monica Crowley had the former LT Governor on who lied through her teeth. She spoke of having read the House, the Senate HELP and the Senate Finance bill - which is a really good trick as the Finance committee has not agreed enough to have voted a bill out yet. She is claiming that everyone with private insurance must IMMEDIATELY move to a "qualified" plan and that only managed care plans are qualified and she spoke of how they will act as gate keepers to deny high cost care. She said that employer plans must meet these criteria in 5 years. This was ALL completely out of her hat. looking on the internet, Betsy McCuughey (pronounced McCoy) has been everywhere on the RW. One major bit of deception is that they all call her Dr McCoy - not mentioning that the Dr is because she has a PHD in US constitutional history. )

I also think that a bill, even without a public option, with the no pre-existing conditions language and the sliding scale subsidies up to 4 times poverty would be one of or the biggest improvement in coverage since medicaid in the 1960s, only SCHIP is better. The disappointment is when you compare it with what could be had, not compared to the status quo.

[berniebern]

19. What Grassley said is consistent with what Obama has said

What Grassley said is consistent with President Obama's words that he hasn't drawn a line in the sand on the public option. From the article:

But in his interview with Hunt, Grassley claimed that Obama has told him privately that he is willing to consider “reasonable alternatives” to a robust public option.