To date progressive citizens have rewarded progressive Democrats in the House -- for their firm and unwavering support for a robust public option -- to the tune of
Now The Hill reports that some of these very same progressive Dems intend to wimp out down the road. Jane Hamsher has an opinon on why that would be a very big and costly mistake:
Let me ask you a question. Do you think that the people who gave money to these members of Congress for making a promise to hold the line on the public option THROUGH CONFERENCE are going to flush this one down the memory hole? That people in strong progressive districts are going to forget this commitment, and they'll just stand by while they swap out co-ops for a true public plan?
. . . Does anyone think that intensity of feeling is just going to go away? That people will simply accept Obama's "goody bag" of health care toenail clippings which delivers nothing but a political victory for him, and give up on their dreams of delivery from the current health care system? Taibbi's right -- this will be to Obama what the Iraq War was to Bush.
But instead of repeating the mistakes of the Republicans, who allowed their representatives to line up behind George Bush and walk their party over the cliff, grass roots progressives are the ones who are taking control of the health care debate. They have rejected the discredited progressive leadership of the veal pen, and they are telling their progressive members of Congress that they will not accept a health care bill with a co-op "bait and switch."
. . . Does anyone think that intensity of feeling is just going to go away? That people will simply accept Obama's "goody bag" of health care toenail clippings which delivers nothing but a political victory for him, and give up on their dreams of delivery from the current health care system? Taibbi's right -- this will be to Obama what the Iraq War was to Bush.
But instead of repeating the mistakes of the Republicans, who allowed their representatives to line up behind George Bush and walk their party over the cliff, grass roots progressives are the ones who are taking control of the health care debate. They have rejected the discredited progressive leadership of the veal pen, and they are telling their progressive members of Congress that they will not accept a health care bill with a co-op "bait and switch."
