Republicans in the Senate have decided to withhold support for already-compromised health care reform legislation put forward by the pivotal committee chair and long-time reasonable Capitol Hill leader Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat.
So there you have it: zero bi-partisanship by Congressional Republicans content to hide behind the far-rightists and anti-government tea bag protesters and their talk radio/Fox cable news controllers.
Democrats should rally around President Obama, approve a meaningful bill, and do the same with the Climate Protection Act - - then go out with backbone and stamina and campaign on these issues in 2010 and 2012.
The public put Democrats and President Obama in office in 2008 to make these fundamental changes, and now is the time to get that agenda moving forward towards adoption.
Let's not waste the 2008 mandate.
James - please let us be really honest here, saying the lack of any Republican support is holding up the Democrats from passing your health care reforms is the ultimate red herring.
ReplyDeleteBetween having the Presidency and with the number of Congressional seats the Democrats hold, they do not need a single Republican vote.
So the only single reason the Health Care legislation wasn't rammed thru before the August recess (which was the original goal) and is being held up now is because of the lack of votes from DEMOCRATS.
And please drop this whole bi-partisan nonsense - that is just an embarrassing and totally irrelevant concept. So if you would of had Olympia Snowe's support - it would have been bi-partisan? What a joke.
The Republicans have been completely on the sidelines since January 2009 and will stay there regardless until at least January 2011. They have virtually no political power.
And sure you had the appearance of a mandate at the end of last year, but between completing the purchase of General Motors, the non-Stimulus package spending, and the fact that people are finally understanding what "change" entails, that has been wasted and Mr. Obama's ever sinking poll numbers reflect that.
Anon Jim,
ReplyDeleteIt should be apparent that Jim prefers mob-mentality of a very vocal minority over the power of the individual.
Go figure.