Representative James Clyburn, the House Majority Whip, while on the Tom Joyner's show said, "Reelect me, keep Democrats on the field. And when we come back next year, maybe we will get to the public option."
Hail mary!!!
Please stop. Please stop treating us like imbeciles. No one in their right mind thinks the public option is getting passed next year, regardless of the outcome this November.
Yet, Rep. Clyburn expects us to believe that, although they could not muster the political will necessary to pass the public option with an almost super majority, they will pass it with slim majorities. I have a few questions for our House Majority Whip. If you succeed in passing the public option in the House, how on earth do you expect to overcome a filibuster in the Senate? Maybe the question I should be asking is, how on earth do you expect to get 51 votes for the public option in the Senate? Last I checked the progressive whip counts (last winter), we had 51 votes in the Senate, at most. So, House Majority Whip, how do you propose to pass the public option if Democrats retain the House and Senate with smaller majorities?
The simple truth is this: Congressman Clyburn knows full well that any hope of passing a public option next year is unfounded. This is a rather lame attempt to get progressives to the polls by misleading them. Sir, the time to campaign on the public option is passed. We gave you the largest majorities the House and Senate has seen in some time and you failed to pass the public option. That hurt. We felt that loss. It is, simply, insulting for you to throw that at us weeks before an election when you know full well that it is a pipe dream at best.
If you want our votes, treat us with some respect. Give us the honest truth about what you will do and why it is better than what your opponent will do.