I am tired of this meme on MSNBC and CNN that the Dems had no choice but to placate Nelson, Lieberman, et al to avoid a filibuster. This is absolute bullpucky - we had and maybe still have multiple options - but they hinge on one sketchy bet: That Harry Reid, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden grow some spine!
What other options do we have other than placating the Insurance Companies shills (Lieberman et al) and giving a huge bailout to the insurance industry? Here is the road map to a more progressive bill:
- Take the offensive on Cable News: During the Bush years it seemed as if there was a ready army of conservative senators and congress people that flooded the news channels each week that had a list of marching orders and talking points. I hate to say it because I like diversity of opinion, but to reach the average Joe and Joe-ettes, we need some message discipline and to keep hammering away at a message. If the Republicans were trying to pass this there would be one phrase that we would have heard thousands of times over the last two months: The American people deserve an up or down vote! We would of heard it so many times that every person on the street corner would be wondering why those evil Dems won't allow an up or down vote...
- Take it to their backyards: Why has Obama and Biden not been speaking in every city in Connecticut and Nebraska? Do I hear Maine? If Obama and Biden went to every City and many towns in these three states could their senators really back away? Challenge them on their own turf!
- Carrots: We have used many carrots in the form of Medicare subsidies to Nebraska, Conn, and other areas. Think of any reasonable carrot you can think of and promise it for their vote.
- Sticks: This is simple, the most important point and Harry Reid should have laid down the law on this early, but he did not - as a Dem, you can vote however you want on the bill, but absolutely in no way can you vote no on a procedural vote and still caucus with the Dems. You vote no on a procedural vote and you will not even be allowed anywhere near the Dem's caucus. You will lose your chairmanship, your keys to the Dem bathrooms, your friends, any invitations to the white house and see number 5:
- Stronger Sticks: We will come after your job. You can vote how you like on the bill, but if you vote against a procedural vote we will run someone after you - the White House and DNC and every other D-related group will give your opponents complete and total support. They will use every means at their disposal to bring you down including Move-On, OFA, and other progressive orgs. I know I an millions of others would donate any amount they could afford to go after the Joe Liebermans of the world.
- Reconciliation: The one repeated continuously on cable news has been reconciliation. Drop a lot of reforms and pass an expansion of medicare and other items under reconciliation and then put the less controversial stuff in a separate bill. We need to build support for it now - challenge any tv commentator that says it is a "nuclear" option.
We can still do any, if not all of these options. But we have to stand together. I can let go of a lot of things, but here is what I cannot support:
- Mandates for Private Insurance: Poor citizens will be forced to buy private insurance or at least government money will be shoveled straight into the hands of the private insurers. This is worse than Bush giving tax dollars to no bid contracts - Americans will be forced to buy private insurance - disgusting.
- Monopoly Status: I cannot support the continuation of allowing Health insurers to be a monopoly. This must be outlawed. No flexibility here.
- Taxing the Middle Class: I cannot support taxing "Cadillac" health plans that would touch any union member. Not only is it against every one of the President's campaign promises (not to tax the middle class), but it is morally reprehensible. We must get the House's payment plan of taxing the wealthiest Americans who got enormous benefits under Bush - it is time for them to pay us back! Worst of all - it is political suicide - hurting the people who supported the Dems and will be enormously effective at taking down Dems in the midterms.
Now is the time for us to speak up or forever hold our tongues. I don't give a crap about the public option - but something other than mandating us to buy private insurance is absolutely necessary - find another solution or I am out. No Monopolies and no Middle Class taxes! It is time for us to force the change we need before it is too late!
Finally, we need drug importation - it can save us 100's of billions of dollars and help us all, so, why did it fail? Pass it now!