Conyers Rips Obama, Emanuel For 'Bowing Down' To GOP On Health Care

[G_j]

Conyers Rips Obama, Emanuel For 'Bowing Down' To GOP On Health Care


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/19/conyers-rips-obama-emanue_n_363702.html

Rep. John Conyers took a broad swipe at President Obama and his chief of staff on Thursday, accusing them of "bowing down" to "nutty right-wing" health care proposals in a principle-less effort to get legislation passed.

Appearing on the Bill Press Show, the longtime Michigan Democrat said he was tired of the just-get-something-done attitude of Rahm Emanuel, and insisted that Obama had moved far away from being the "ardent single-payer enthusiast" he once was.

"I'm getting tired of saving Obama's can in the White House," said Conyers. "I mean, he only won by five votes in the House, and this bill wasn't anything to write home about. The public option is only available, which is the only way you manage cost and get some competition to 1,300 other health insurance companies, the only way he could have got that through is that progressives held their nose and voted for it anyway."

Asked if the president had shown enough leadership in the health care debate, Conyers facetiously wondered why Press would ask the question.

"Of course not, of course not," he said. "You know, holding hands out and beer on Friday nights in the White House and bowing down to every nutty right-wing proposal about health care, and saying on occasion that public options aren't all that important is doing a disservice to the Barack Obama that I first met who was an ardent single-payer enthusiast himself."

The 22-term congressman was critical of the White House on fronts beyond just health care. He led off the interview by declaring that he was tied of "trying to stop the war in Afghanistan from surging." He also took several swipes at Emanuel, whom he called, with a slightly derogatory tone, his "buddy."

..more..

[Cant trust em]

1. I don't remember Obama being a single payer enthusiast.

He certainly wasn't on the campaign trail last year.

[MNDemNY]

4. No earlier he was, by then he had "converted" .

[geek tragedy]

2. If only Conyers were in the House and able to lobby its members

to vote for Single Payer.

Obama didn't run on Single Payer. People really need to get over that already.

[PHIMG]

3. This piece of crap bill is a godsend for Republicans.

Government "Healthcare" (as they are calling it) is going to get a bad name.

Whereas real government run healthcare (Medicare) that we have today for 65+ works great at an affordable price, and is ignored.

Sold out Democrats sold the party down the river.

Big Insurance uber alles.

Go ahead and attack me DU corporate democrat rapid response team.

[MNDemNY]

5. In both bills the alleged "PO" is set up to fail.

Too small of a pool, only high use patients (the ones the Insurance industry do not want). And in the Senate bill no restrictions on "pre-existing conditions" until 2014. Not reform.

[G_j]

6. I hate to say it, but I think you are right

the GOP are "winning" this one BIG time!

I tend to suspect though, that the whole thing is a nasty joke being played on the people.

[pampango]

7. Damn, republicans play 3-D chess better than poor ol' democrats.

99% of them slyly vote against what some progressives label a "big health insurance company" bill that they really secretly love, because they are thinking 3 moves ahead to when they can campaign against a "socialized medicine" bill that will never work. At the same time they trick 95% of the Progressive Caucus into voting for the same "big health insurance company" bill, which these "sell-outs" must think is better than the alternative of killing it and starting the process over in a possibly more hostile political environment.

Damn!! These guys are good! For all who thought that Obama was the quintessential 3-D chess player, it is time to concede that "just say no" republicans are not as dimwitted as they often appear. Perhaps they are bumpkin geniuses and are much better at this 3-D chess than we are.

[catbyte]

8. I'd be a little more impressed if Conyers hadn't rolled over

when it came to impeaching Bush & Cheney.

Pot meet kettle.

:mad:

Diane

Anishnabe in MI

[laugle]

9. And don't

forget the boom for insurance companies!