Republicans are doing it again, they are literally punking Democrats into submission on health care. How you say?
By collectively reciting, over and over, the meme that Democrats will lose their seats in the fall if they vote for Health Care Reform. The Republicans are Masters at reverse psychology and they know how to play Democrats like a fiddle on HCR...
Repubs are in the minority and they stand to gain seats anyway, so why not play up the fear of self-preservation by scaring Democrats with the one thing they fear most, UNEMPLOYMENT!
It is completely inexplicable, that whenever Democrats are in power they squander it by playing to the lowest denominator, the fear of losing their jobs.
Former President Bill Clinton tried to stiffen their spines by telling Democrats, that the Amercian people will respect them if they stand and fight for something, even if they might be wrong. But they will not Respect them if they don't fight something even though they may be right.
This is a posting from a TPM reader and helps make my point that the American people, you know the ones who don't have insurance. They can't understand why Progressive Democrats in Congress are taking this moment of moments to either take a principled stand or are just too, plain scared to vote...
This from TPM Please read the entire letter.
Posted by David Kurtz over at Talking Points Memo
One Reader's 'Sob-Story'
David Kurtz | January 23, 2010, 7:18AM
I don't go much for emotional appeals, but we received an email from TPM Reader MD this week that I haven't been able to shake:
Hey TPM, long time reader -- going back to the Trent Lott-Strom Thurmond days -- first-time writer.
Like everyone I have a sob-story to tell about health care. After telling it to countless liberals who oppose the Senate's health-care reform bill, I still haven't heard a good answer from them about why they can't support the Senate bill. They usually stop talking, or try to change the subject.
Maybe Raul Grijalva or Barney Frank or Anthony Weiner or Jerry Nadler have wrestled with this problem and I haven't seen it. Have you seen anything from them about this?
My story: My father is dying of Huntington's disease.
Read More...
Davide Plouffe tells WahingtonPost.com readers that Democrats have time to turn the ship, but No BED-Wetting allowed.
No bed-wetting. This will be a tough election for our party and for many Republican incumbents as well. Instead of fearing what may happen, let's prove that we have more than just the brains to govern -- that we have the guts to govern. Let's fight like hell, not because we want to preserve our status, but because we sincerely believe too many everyday Americans will continue to lose if Republicans and special interests win.
Pass Health Care Reform, because Republicans will attack us on this subject whether it passes or not.
Pass a meaningful health insurance reform package without delay. Americans' health and our nation's long-term fiscal health depend on it. I know that the short-term politics are bad. It's a good plan that's become a demonized caricature. But politically speaking, if we do not pass it, the GOP will continue attacking the plan as if we did anyway, and voters will have no ability to measure its upside. If we do pass it, dozens of protections and benefits take effect this year. Parents won't have to worry their children will be denied coverage just because they have a preexisting condition. Workers won't have to worry that their coverage will be dropped because they get sick. Seniors will feel relief from prescription costs. Only if the plan becomes law will the American people see that all the scary things Sarah Palin and others have predicted -- such as the so-called death panels -- were baseless. We own the bill and the health-care votes. We need to get some of the upside. (P.S.: Health care is a jobs creator.)
Please fellow Democrats in congress, come to your senses and pass the damn bill! This is not the time to be standing on principle, remember who this is for. Poor people, uninsured, working poor families, middle class, etc...