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Tide Turns: Big Wednesday In The Village

The Hill, one of the local Village papers, reports:

Tide turns against public option on eve of President Obama's address

Political momentum appeared to swing sharply against the public health insurance option prized by liberals Tuesday, on the eve of President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress. . . . Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said it’s time for [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi to wake up to the growing opposition to her position. Obama should convince “Speaker Pelosi and others that the [public option] is a distraction and it’s not the main event,” Lieberman said during a television interview on Tuesday.

(Emphasis supplied.) Hey now, Lieberman agrees with the logrolling twins, Joe and Ezra Klein. But it is still up to the Progressive Block and, the irrelevant and impotent one, President Obama:

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.). . . said the [President's] speech is likely to decide whether [the public option] is included in a bill. “We can cobble the votes together for a public option if the president says that’s what he wants,” Weiner said. “If he gives it up, there’s no other way to interpret that than as a retreat.”

(Emphasis supplied.) It's Big Wednesday, Barack.

Speaking for me only

< StopSunstein.com | Deciphering Obama's Latest on the Public Option >
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  • Display: Sort:
    Supposedly Obama will say (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by magster on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:10:29 PM EST
    the public option is what he wants, but won't draw a line in the sand.  Hopefully that's enough for Weiner et al, but I don't see how Obama is saying anything different than what he's said all summer.  Infuriating.

    Or, (none / 0) (#4)
    by easilydistracted on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:25:57 PM EST
    as the case may be, not said.

    I don't see how Obama is saying anything different than what he's said all summer


    Parent
    Lieberman always did want to be president (5.00 / 4) (#2)
    by MO Blue on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:14:28 PM EST
    Now he is running against President Snowe for this month's presidential position.

    Big Wednesday indeed. (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Faust on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:31:32 PM EST
    As long as the progressive block holds the line, then good. It would be nice if Obama joined them, but I have low expectations.

    Political momentum? (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:38:51 PM EST
    Against the PO? Only in the village idiots' wildest dreams!

    No (5.00 / 3) (#8)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:42:36 PM EST
    In the Village it is all the rage.

    Here's the funny thing about that though - if Democrats pass a Baucus type bill - they will lose the Congress in 2010.

    Parent

    Not only 2010. (5.00 / 3) (#9)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:55:12 PM EST
    Expect 2012 to be a blood bath.

    Parent
    Exactly (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 01:24:30 PM EST
    I'm sure what Andrew Coate calls "criminalizing the uninsured" plays well on Wall Street though.  And as we all know, Wall Street is all that matters ;-).

    Parent
    Here's the Coates link (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by lambert on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:08:57 PM EST
    Political momentum (none / 0) (#13)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 01:22:52 PM EST
    implies that the people are behind the politicians.

    Not so, here!

    Parent

    I dont (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:41:19 PM EST
    think I've ever seen such a spectacular collapse in such a short period of time. Obama has gone up against a band of crazies and the crazies are winning. No suprise to me but lots more people should be literally screaming for him to get a spine.


    I predict (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by kmblue on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:14:36 PM EST
    a WORMy speech.

    and the compost bins rejoice! (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by nycstray on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:27:36 PM EST
    we, the people, on the other hand . . .

    Parent
    No kidding (5.00 / 3) (#19)
    by mmc9431 on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:17:45 PM EST
    "We can cobble the votes together for a public option if the president says that's what he wants,"

    Had Obama used his early momentum and a few leadership skills this would have been a done deal. Instead he continued to to run from an issue he had no interest in from the start.

    The clock is ticking (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by mmc9431 on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:37:38 PM EST
    If there's any issue that Obama really wants to change, he better hurry up and get it pushed through. Come 2010, he's going to be sitting there all alone. This HCR fiasco is going to bring both him and the Dem's down.

    Absolutely disgusting. All the time, effort and money poured into getting this mythical  majority and look what we've got to show for it.

    this is so predictable (none / 0) (#3)
    by Dadler on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:17:31 PM EST
    It's almost painful.  Obama will be obama, barring a miracle of Paddy Chayefsky/Howard Beale proportion.  We're going to get a tepid bill, tepid policy results, tepid all around.  I hope it can be expanded quickly and widely, whatever sliver of an excuse for a PO is included, but, in America, you ain't seen nothin' 'til you seen nothin'.  Anything is possible.  As well as impossible.  Maybe both, at this point, we seem so confused.

    Gibbs was interviewed on NPR this a.m. (none / 0) (#10)
    by shoephone on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 12:58:32 PM EST
    and it was obvious from the way he refused to answer the questions, the way he obfuscated at every turn on a public option, that Obama does not give a d*mn about and will not fight for a  public option.

    Gibbs (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by Raskolnikov on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 01:08:34 PM EST
    Have you ever watched a full press conference with Gibbs?  I'm not sure in an hour of questioning he ever answers a single one.  He's not even good at ducking questions either, he just seems flustered, so I tend to categorically ignore his deliberately obscure non-messages.  

    Parent
    He is the press secretary... (5.00 / 2) (#12)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 01:22:43 PM EST
    whose job descript is to not answer questions while appearing to answer questions.

    Parent
    Ari Gibbs? (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by lambert on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:09:42 PM EST
    That Gibbs?

    Parent
    He is particularly slippery (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by shoephone on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:19:13 PM EST
    Renee Montaigne asked him three times, "Yes or no, will the president sign a bill that does not include a public option?" and three times he spewed his nonsense. Good for Renee, though. She kept at it.

    My point is that he signalled what we are going to hear, and what we are not going to hear, in Obama's speech tonight.

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Pelosi is consistently supporting the Progressive Caucus on a public option, while Hoyer and Clyburn conspire with each other against her. Not a pretty sight.

    Parent

    I hear ya... (none / 0) (#23)
    by kdog on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 03:25:39 PM EST
    my point is it is the same song and dance we've seen for 60 years when the majority of the 95% want something the majority of 5% who own the joint don't.

    Parent
    I predict (none / 0) (#17)
    by kmblue on Wed Sep 09, 2009 at 02:14:05 PM EST