So, for your reading on Friday:
Liberal Revolt on Health Care Stings White House
In the great health care debate of 2009, President Obama has cast himself as a cold-eyed pragmatist, willing to compromise in exchange for votes. Now ideology — an uprising on the Democratic left — is smacking the pragmatic president in the face.
President Obama's troops break ranks on health care
The foot soldiers of Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, organized to go into action when key elements of his agenda are at stake, aren’t universally enthusiastic about fighting for the health care compromise now before the Senate.
Note to Obama here- Using the list of supporters that helped you get elected, to ask them for more help getting a bill passed that they oppose, makes them even more angry at you.
Just a FYI Dude.
Especially after a member of the Obama, Axelrod, administration calls them "insane" for not backing you. Then, kinda, sorta, takes it back.
DeMint promises to delay health bill, force Christmas Eve vote
I’m not going to waive any time,” DeMint said in an interview, when asked whether he would force Reid to go late into Christmas Eve to pass healthcare legislation. “I think it’s our responsibility to stretch this out because every day we do we have time to tell Americans what’s in it."
DeMint said Democrats hope “they can pass it before Americans know what’s in it, while people are thinking about Christmas and being with their families.”
Pass the Bill
Conflicting headlines as Democrats go to war with each other, publicly.
The Senate is hell bent on getting some type of health bill passed by the end of the year all the while the majority of Americans are against the bill, for a variety of reasons.
[Update on the Obamacare update for 12/18/09] Just ran across a piece at QandO that perfectly describes the conflicting headlines and the major battle being waged within the Democratic party.
You have to admit, if nothing else it has been entertaining watching all the factions among Democrats go to war over this health care fiasco. You have the Liberal caucus in the House saying no vote without a public option. Then there are the Blue Dogs saying no vote with a public option. You have pro-life Dems refusing to support the bill without language like the Stupak amendment and the pro-abortion crew saying they won’t support it without abortion provisions. In the Senate, no one but Harry Reid has seen the newest super secret version of the bill he’s going to try to force them to vote on before Christmas, yet Sen. Ben Nelson is a definite “no” on it as it stands now. Howard Dean says “kill the bill”. Bill Clinton and Paul Krugman are saying “pass the bill”. Michael Moore is boycotting Connecticut, Keith Olberman is saying he’ll go to jail before he’ll give into the insurance mandate and Ed Schultz has discovered the White House is acting like a bunch of thugs on the subject. The latest polls show 61% of Americans oppose the legislation.
And the powerless Republicans who couldnt stop a single piece of legislation with a bloc vote of “no”? They’re left on the sidelines watching this all with bemusement.
That about sums it up.
Taylor Marsh has some more harsh criticisms for Obama and the "Panic at 1600".
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