Democrats Pin 2010 Hopes On Health Care Bill

Wall Street Journal:

Slumping in the polls and struggling to pass climate and financial legislation, President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders are counting on an historic health care victory to buoy their electoral prospects in 2010.

But Republicans argued Sunday that the issue is breaking their way, and liberal infighting indicates the party leadership has to win back its base along with the larger electorate.

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[waitforme]

01:42 PM on 12/22/2009

IF this Senate bill is passed with no public choice and with a MANDATE to FORCE people to buy so-called health insurance there will be very few Democrats at the polls next time or for the Obama election. VERY few.

Mandating buying something educated people have no confidence in screws the populace. People know when they are targets of a scam and will not tolarate it. I wonder if the Senators and the White House are too close to the goal of getting the bill passed, and have totally lost sight of the larger picture.

I recommend that each person call his/her Senator and demand the Mandate be removed, at least without a public health care choice added in. Tell them you will not be forced to buy health insurance -- you just won't do it.

[Robobrewer]

10:56 AM on 12/22/2009

Obama and the rest of the spineless corporate Democrats may crow about their so called victory from every rooftop in Washington DC.
It makes no difference to me because they will never get my vote again.

[emlr]

09:42 AM on 12/22/2009

The dems in DC need to read the HuffPo and see how the posts have changed from being pro dem and Obama to posts resembling those on Politico.
The pro dem/Obama posts are getting fewer and farther between.
The only thing that's going to hold that hope pin closed is for them to pass a significant public option if not single payer.

[Blufftonian]

09:39 AM on 12/22/2009

What a hilarious headline. Pin hopes? More like political suicide. The more the public knows about ObamaCare, the less they think of it. And all the blame will be pinned (rightly so) on the Democrats.

[middleoftheroad]

08:35 AM on 12/22/2009

You know rahm is saying "push this through ... It's not like progressives, unions, and the rest of the base will sit home"! He may be right... Unlike the born agains, the left will still come out and do what they're told.

[bluguy8]

06:21 AM on 12/22/2009

Duh , since it isn't going to do anything. its the BS bill why would they think they'll be helped.

[DonAbernathy]

06:15 AM on 12/22/2009

Look Barry will make a nice speech and all will be forgiven... get over it. Don't act surprised you have been sold out. You have been trained better than that.

[taddles]

02:43 AM on 12/22/2009

Uh, good luck with that winning the liberals thing. When you threw us under the bus to make a deal with the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies you threw our vote away. Your call on that, I guess you had to make the decision to go where the money was and ignore your constituents. 2010 is not that far away, couple months till the election...you really think our memories are that bad?

[yweston]

02:39 AM on 12/22/2009

The Dems will probably lose in 2010 and they deserve to because they didn't stick together. The newly elected Rethugs will be as big a disappointment if not more. In 2012 voters will be sufficiently tired of both Parties.

[thrdr]

04:19 AM on 12/22/2009

If the Dems deserve to lose in 2010, it will not be because they didn't stick together. It will be because the Party leadership blew off progressives and liberals, did a wham-bam-thank-you-mam number on the youth vote, broke faith with people of color (a reminder: appointments and high-flown speechifying are not legislation), and kept their promises to the maestros of laissez-fair capitalism against working people and the poor (these last two coalescing even as we speak into a larger unified set). We may have to run through the flames after next year, but it is just possible as you say that both the Dems and the Repubs will at last lose their hold on power by 2012. I for one am going to do everything I can to make that happen. And I am not alone.

[freelyb]

09:39 AM on 12/22/2009

Fanned. You summed it up. Hold the vision!

[vlm1948]

12:30 PM on 12/22/2009

Totally agree, good post.

[alternate id]

02:07 AM on 12/22/2009

The WH is lost is in space on this.

There are gonna be a lot of Dems and independents pissed when they figure this bill out. What about those ineligible for subsidies who will be forced to buy overpriced, under-coverage policies from private insurance companies? What about those eligible for subsidies who still can't afford the overpriced, under-coverage policies they will forced to buy and also can't afford to wait until tax time to receive their subsidy? How about the fact you will be forced to buy insurance and can still go bankrupt from medical expenses because of the annual limit cap?.

And somebody please tell me why the heck are taxpayers subsidizing monopolistic for-profit companies?!?

And for the kicker, the mandate will be enforced at the national level by no less than the IRS while rules that might actually help people (like the pre-existing illness change) will be enforced at the state level.

Think about it, the federal government will be the collection agency for the insurance companies while the regulation of the insurance companies will be left up to the states.

When voters catch on to stuff like this, unhappy progressives are going to be the least of the Dems worries.

[yweston]

02:33 AM on 12/22/2009

It will be "hilarious" to watch a bunch of angry folks "hopped" up by Hannity, Beck, Boss L!mp and The Mossiah run out to the polls to put a bunch of "No ideas" politicians in office because they don't like the President. I guess the mess we're in after the past (8) years don't matter. And......the country doesn't matter just get the Dems out and we can take our country back to the 1950's and sing Anita Bryant songs until 2022. And....all will be well with the world. I can't wait to watch that "circus".

[emlr]

09:33 AM on 12/22/2009

What do you suggest we do? Sit on our hands and complacently accept whatever crumbs they deign to throw our way?
Not me. I'm mad as hell at "our" so called representatives. We have no representation in Washington. I will refuse to give them a green light by voting for them again. Obama is a huge disappointment. He has no leadership skills and I can't abide Rahm.
It's time for a decent third party committed to progressive ideas. Dr. Dean, anyone?

[cruisepuppy7452a]

12:25 AM on 12/22/2009

Neither side deserves to win in 2010. We need people in office that are not corrporate puppets, who can and will fight for the people of this country, ignore the sleaze bags trying to buy them. Its time to clean house on both sides, in both congress and senate. Its time to do away with the two party system and allow the third party candidates to run for office, be seen, heard and given a chance to reach the American people. That is the only way this country stands a chance. The other two sides can go to hell and know we, the American people are tired of the lies, cheating, greed, theft of this country and our rights. Basta, enough is enough.

[Adartist777]

10:51 PM on 12/21/2009

Until there's reform in government, we'll continue to see career suicide on both sides of the aisle. With modern technology, they will eventually be forced to be honest with us and themselves.

As an independent Social Democrat, I believe that our government and economic system will fail if it continues down its present path. There is a lot of anger and confusion on what America's future will be if we continue to see bad behavior from both Democrats and Republicans.

Both parties are deviating from the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and lobbying money has become acceptable. None dare call these bribes. These are PAC campaign funds.

So before any meaningful legislation can be passed, we must have government reform and that should be the priority of every House and Senate member including our President.

Because of the disunity in the Democratic Party, be aware that the voters may be pushed into a corner and will probably vote Republican in 2010 or stay home out of disgust.

[Orcas Island]

10:45 PM on 12/21/2009

Republicans have terrorized more Americans than any al-Qaeda agent could have ever wished for.

[freelyb]

09:40 AM on 12/22/2009

No kidding.

[vlm1948]

12:31 PM on 12/22/2009

You are spot on.

[liberalbug]

10:21 PM on 12/21/2009

Republicans are wrong that this issue is breaking their way, but democrats are also wrong to even begin to think this issue is breaking in their direction either. People have had it, we're fed up by the corporate representatives that carries either a D or an R next to their names.

[TovSquirrel]

01:42 AM on 12/22/2009

Could not agree more!

[yweston]

02:34 AM on 12/22/2009

Ditto!!

[Tinsdale]

10:08 PM on 12/21/2009

Give me an "O"! Give me a "B"! Give me an "A"! Give me an "M"... Forget it... Just give me a break. Sheesh.