I decided that at this point in history, I had to get involved and stand for something.
I took a few weeks off from my job in Dec 2007-Jan 2008 and traveled to Iowa to go try to help Obama become President.
I knocked on doors in sub zero temperatures. I called thousands of people to tell them why Obama would change everything. I believed in his so much.
During the primaries I was able to have contact through e-mails not only with Bill Burton, but also Jon Faverou. I would always tell them that Obama had to show more passion. That he had to show that he was going to fight for middle class workers. Asking where was his passion, his fight!!!
They would reply that he didn’t need to mix it up with Hillary because he wanted to have a new type of politics...
I guess they were right. He didn’t have to mix it up because he won.
When he was handed this shit storm, I still felt he was the best man to handle this crisis. That he could bring people together and maybe even get some Republicans on board with what everyone felt was a huge problem of healthcare.
But after a few months of zero help from the Republicans at all, after seeing that they weren’t going to do anything but obstruct him, it was time for him to throw in the towel with that bi partisan stuff and move on to the change he promised.
Obama campaigned on the public option.
He promised drugs would be re-imported at a cheaper rate.
He promised true financial reform. Where banks couldn’t abuse regular people any more.
He promised to end don’t ask don’t tell.
All of these things could have been done in the first year.
The public was for big reforms in the banking industry. They would have supported it big time and it would have been very hard for any person to defend serious reform if the President had stood up for it in public and demanded it.
Instead we get a watered down bill with huge loop holes that won’t stop dark trading of derivatives, or helping people with foreclosures.
He could have got it if he fought for it.
The public was for a public option in health care. It didn’t matter what the Republicans had said. He could have got it.
If he would have fought for it!!
The public overwhelmingly supports ending the don’t ask don’t tell in the Military. It is something he could have done if he would have fought for it.
All these times, you have conservative Senators who have opposed these bills whether its restrictions to banks or the public option, or even a Medicare buy it.
Every time he got resistance from conservative Dems, him and his white house were silent. Every time he got resistance from the nutty Tea baggers him and his white house were silent.
All of a sudden, after offering what is a bill full of holes that could have been so much better, and he gets some criticism from the progressives that would only improve what he wants to do. It would only increase the number of people he wants to help, while lowering costs!!!
What kills me is that this is when this timid leader decides to sick his attack dogs out to fight. Not against his enemies, but his allies!!!!
He attacks Howard Dean? he attacks Ed Schultz?
These are big time supporters of this president!!
He says nothing to Joe lieberman! NOTHING!!!
I think this is why so many progressives are angry. Not only does the bill kind of stink, but he is attacking the one group who actually really wants to improve it.
To me its like in the movie Braveheart. It when Mell Gibson finds out that Robert the Bruce has deceived him and sold out to the other side. That’s how I feel. Like my breath has been taken away from me. That Obama has betrayed me in the worst way. That my leader doesn’t really care and has sold me out so he can just call it a victory and move on.
So he doesn’t have to mix it up, or fight for what he believes, or have people don’t love him.
Its crazy! I just wish this guy had the fight that we did. That he would take a stand for what was right.
I would love Obama forever if he just fought for what he said. I would still love him even if we didn’t get it as long as he tried his hardest. To me, it feels like he has stopped fighting and given up on us because its convient to him, and that’s what is making me so sad.
The man has the chance to be the best president of all time, and instead he is happy with being just average, or worse, a one termer.
I think they should pass this bill because you have to pass something. It will help people and you can build on it.
My hope after that is that Obama will hear us and bring a second bill with a FULL public option for anyone into reconciliation.
If we had a robust public option for everyone, almost all of these other reforms wouldn’t even be necessary because the insurance companies would have to compete with a pure non for profit option.
That is my wish, and hope. I am not holding my breath though