Why are the Democrats caving into the Democrats on health reform?

[Oregone]

This doesn't make any sense to me. The Democrats control the House, Senate, and the Executive. The only party with power to oppose true health reform, universal care for all (a standard Democratic platform plank), are the Democrats. But, by just observing this party in action during Bush's years, they just rolled over and let bills that violated civil rights, as well as wars, go by with little to no opposition. This party with the power to oppose the Democrats, namely, the Democrats, have no spines. Why is the Democratic Party continuing to make concessions to the Democrats which are infringing upon true health reform? They are spineless push-overs. Put real health reform through today, the same way Bush rammed the Patriot Act through!

Email and call your Congressmen today. Lets bring about true health reform, in the grand Democratic vision set forth decades ago by Harry Truman.

"Incremental measures won't suffice anymore. We need to succeed where Teddy Roosevelt and all others since have failed. The conditions now are better than ever. In Barack Obama, we have a president who's announced that he's determined to sign a bill into law this fall. " - Edward Kennedy, 2009

[Hieronymus]

1. Yes, Democrats ARE spineless. The cons, hateful as they are, get things

done.
Medicare could easily be made available for all.

[Laelth]

2. Spineless or purchased. Those, really, are the only options.

While the Decided was in the White House, I was content to believe they were merely spineless. That explanation no longer holds water.

It appears more likely, now, that they are simply bought. It seems we have two pro-corporate, pro-owner parties in the U.S. and that there is no party that actually represents the interests of the people.

I am daring the Democratic Party to prove me wrong.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Oregone]

8. "I am daring the Democratic Party to prove me wrong."

I hope they do

[ProSense]

3. There you go again, quoting Kennedy after relentlessly criticizing his HELP bill.

"Why is the Democratic Party continuing to make concessions to the Democrats..."

What?

[Oregone]

9. The Democrats alone have the number to push *any* bill through

And no party, but their own, has the numbers to oppose true universal health reform.

So, every compromise and concession should only be made to a party with negotiating power: the Democrats.

The entire bill started off in the spirit of "compromise", but the only power they need to compromise with is their own. And there seems to be a drift from historical liberal/democratic ideas to the center...So either they are caving (whimsically, to themselves), or they don't want it in the first place.


"What?"

Exactly. It makes no sense, what we are watching. No sense at all.

[vi5]

4. Beltway insularity...

They've spent so long internalizing what the "other side" was saying about them, and then when the media started doing the same thing (internalizing republican criticism) it became this big self flagellating circle jerk that they all stopped hearing what the people were actually saying and what they actually want.

I keep saying it, but the fact that we (the dems/liberals/etc.) are losing the public relations war against INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR GOD'S SAKE is a failure of epic proportions. I mean even people who have insurance hate insurance companies. How in the holy living hell could the dems be so incredibly incompetent and tone deaf to not win this debate.

In my opinion Obama's first and biggest mistake was turning over the reins to Rahm Emmanuel. He embodies the inside the beltway, politics first, corporatist mentality.

Morons.

[RoccoR5955]

5. Well the Congressional Progressive Caucus is not spineless.

They were against the war, against the bailouts, and are for UNIVERSAL Healthcare.

They have not caved on anything, and they are ALL Democrats.

The problem lies with the (soon to be black and) Blue Dog Democrats, who are Democrats in name only.

[Oregone]

Maybe. Maybe they are just the scapegoats

:wtf:

[amb123]

6. Democrats: Wimpy! Wimpy! Wimpy!

Republicans: Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!

:nopity:

[ladywnch]

7. The reason Rethugs are so successful at sticking together on message is

they only care about one thing.....themselves, so it is easy to unite behind one stupid lying message. Dems on the other hand actually want to serve and govern and they all have differing opinions about how best to do that; thus, no single message to unite behind.

[Oregone]

10. So you chalk up centrist compromises to "differing opinions"?

Thats quite a pass you give the party as a whole. There are exceptions, but I don't think this is the rule here.

[ladywnch]

11. no. what I'm saying is

you've got progressives, moderates/centrits and, my favorite oxymoron, conservative democrates and they all have differing opinions about what is 'absolutely' needed/right. but all those opinions come from a sincere desire to serve and govern. Rethugs only 'absolute' is what benefits them and their friends so they end up with a more cohesive message than we do.

[treestar]

12. Agreed, they are not "spineless"

That's is the stupidest word thrown at them of all. If they were so spineless, they'd "cave" to the left on this issue - they got elected as Democrats.

Or their constituents are telling them something else.