UPDATED. Video below
Youtube version (cut off mid interview, but click so that it registers more views).
2nd UPDATE
Firedoglake post on this same interview, with links for taking action.
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/...
Maxine Waters was interviewed by Carlos Watson on MSNBC. She got going when Watson asked her about the huge majorities the Democrats enjoy in both houses of Congress, and whether Emanuel and Obama need to do more to pressure the Blue Dogs to get on board. Waters stated the following in an angry tone:
- Emanuel, when in Congress recruited conservatives to run as Democrats, and promised them that they would not be strong armed into voting with the caucus. Now "those chickens are coming home to roost."
- Giant blocks of population in these Blue Dog districts are impoverished and are clearly "not being represented by their Congressmen."
In response to a question about whether the Blue Dogs should be primaried, Waters stated:
- She didn't want to make empty threats on things she could not deliver, but she wanted to get the message out about what Blue Dogs are doing so that someone in their district gets angry and motivated to run in a primary.
In response to a question about the Senate Finance Committee bill, she stated that:
- The progressive caucus wanted a single payer plan, and that the progressive caucus has compromised enough.
- The SFC plan is unacceptable.
- She is regularly meeting with the progressive caucus, the black caucus, and the tri-caucus to stategize against the Blue Dogs and keep a robust public option.
My take away from all this is that she is not going down silently, and hope she can compel other progressives to speak out as aggressively.
Go, Maxine, Go!