Daschle: Democrats Should Show 'Political Courage' And Pass Senate Health Care Bill

The Hill:

House Democrats should "do the right thing" and approve the Senate's healthcare bill, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said Monday.

Daschle said it would require "political courage," to take up the Senate legislation, but that this was better than doing nothing.

Read the whole story: The Hill

Comments

[Henry Massingale]

03:47 PM on 02/23/2010

2/23/2010
To show that there is a concept at hand, that has gained the respect of a great many people, i must allow your mind to see the words as truth and to put your faith into your self of how to build onto this, "so here is just a small view of my mind"{ As we move into the 22nd century the fundamental building blocks are there, and this Health Care Reform must be built for the better good of Man Kind and the National Security of the United States of America. This profit concept,within was the start of a failure and the years of lies.}
How many of you feel with your mind and heart that these words hold truth? How many of you will allow this to remain silent?
When I can take the words of over 173 million people and place it under one web site and I show the respect to them and I and them have built a true forum within the lies and truth of what this is all about, well, join us......
Henry Massingale
FASC Concepts in and for Pay It Forward
www.fascmovement.mysite.com.

[HST]

07:27 PM on 01/26/2010

Asking for politcal courage from the Dems is like asking the desert for water.
You might get some, but it ain't gonna be much.

Of course there's always the opposition which has come up with no nada zip ziltch -and there's plenty more where that came.

For most of the politicians they could give a fig if thousands of their fellow Americans die and/or go bankrupt every year.

[hemnebob]

02:03 PM on 01/26/2010

isn't daschle working as a 'consultant' to some insurance companies now?
i know he has some sort of bias with regards to this and profits if health care is adopted
by the congress...i wouldn't trust him as far as i could throw him...

no way, no how.

[ConjureMan]

11:05 AM on 01/26/2010

You have to ask yourself, what's in it for him...????

[Gauche2010]

11:18 AM on 01/26/2010

And why are we listening to this man who was unable to win re-election several years ago, when he really was "leading" Senate Democrats?

[meko]

01:39 PM on 01/26/2010

Money. He's a lobbyist.

[vincealy]

10:38 AM on 01/26/2010

Tom; the lobbyist says pass the TARP for insurance act . I'm shocked. With dems like this can anyone say teabag.

[DuPageDem]

10:24 AM on 01/26/2010

You may as well not bother, Tom, since no one listens to what you say. Except maybe those who pay you to say it.

[Chicagofan1]

08:54 AM on 01/26/2010

Dear Mr.Daschle,
It is very unfortunate that you have no credibility and regardless of what you say, it would be irrelevant. You would have been very good at writing HC bill. I am sure you know more about HC industry then many in House and Senate do. But you are a liar and a tax cheat, so just be quiet and go away.

[IGGHY]

07:05 AM on 01/26/2010

If Dascle wants it, it must be good for the insurance industry. Can it be good for the people and give huge profit to the industry simultaneously? If that's the case, the reform would have been done long ago, one would think.

[chopel]

06:58 AM on 01/26/2010

It's so sad that for many people the bar of expectation has been lowered to "better than nothing".

Is "better than nothing" what's being passed off as "bold leadership" in the Dem party these days?

During his campaign I don't recall Obama promising "Yes we can.. do better than nothing!"
I guess I must have missed the speeches when he pitched that confidence instilling line.

[SmolderingRuin]

03:24 AM on 01/26/2010

If he says so, then let's not.

[Pumpsie]

03:08 PM on 01/26/2010

Exactly, ruin. If there's one man in the entire world with less credibility on this issue I've yet to know of him. Daschle is the poster boy for all that's wrong with DC politics, corporate corruption, and the Democratic Party. He's a lobbyist smack dab in the center of the revolving door world of Washington politics and international corporations.

[FessorFrink]

02:42 AM on 01/26/2010

Daschle has no credibility on this issue, since he is a paid advisor (e.g. lobbyist) in Healthcare. This is the crappy bill he wanted anyway, so of course he wants the House to pass it. You don't contain costs by giving out subsidies to pay for health insurance. It justs gives the Insurance companies cause to raise prices even higher.

It is the same with higher education in America. Federal loans and grants allow more people to go to college, but schools raise rates at 6-10% per year. It is so unaffordable that a lot of students will get an associate's degree at a community college and transfer to a state or private school afterwards.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/education/03college.html

[hippie4ever]

02:39 AM on 01/26/2010

If they could show political courage they wouldn't be Democrats...and this is a really bad bill lacking even a public option. Just a giveaway to the greedy health care industry at the expense of the middle class.

If only we had a political system with a viable opposition. Instead we're stuck with the party of no and legislators on the take. A POTUS who's already writing his autobiography. What a strange, sad, twisted world.

[waiteman]

02:48 AM on 01/26/2010

The party of no is also on the take. They are the ones who initially forced all the good stuff out of the health care bill by their constant obstructionism which allowed the blue dog paid off dung heaps to strip the bill of any meaningful reform.

[NonPartisanUSA]

02:37 AM on 01/26/2010

Do not trust this CORPORATIST or believe that his advice is valuable to hard working Americans.

Slash military spending, end the wars and divert the funds to health care.

[Glocksf21]

06:55 AM on 01/26/2010

spot on.

[Glocksf21]

06:57 AM on 01/26/2010

better yet use the cash to expand medicaid to every man women and child. that way they don't even have to waste time passing health care, it's already in place. Simple majority can get this done.

[NCAV2]

02:32 AM on 01/26/2010

A lot of progressives don't understand the psychology of power. People are naturally drawn towards power and decision makers. By not passing any bill, the general opinion of the Democrats will be that they are weak and couldn't accomplish what they intended to accomplish. Democrats need to pass this bill, flawed or not. It's really not that bad of bill if you look at all the main elements of it. Not passing the bill only equals political suicide, which means that we will see one of the branches go to the Republican/Tea Party side.

[Pumpsie]

03:18 PM on 01/26/2010

You're dead wrong on this issue. Passing this lousy healthcare bill would be far worse. Haven't you seen the polls from Mass. yet? The voters have spoken loud and clear that they loathe this healthcare bill. They want a strong public option. That's why independents and progressives did not support Dem hack Coakley who was for this horrible bill. The Republicans want the Dems to pass this monstrosity so that they can campaign on a "Repeal It!" meme later this year and in 2012. The Republicans have no strategy beyond that. if healthcare fails to pass the Dems can blame the Republicans. If they pass this monster bill, that the American people hate,however, it's all theirs, and it will ruin them for many years because they will be seen as the party of the corporatists and the Republicans can seize the populist banner. OTOH, if the Dems pass a strong public option or Medicare For All bill, they will be able to seize the day. Polls show clearly that this is what the American people want. Are the Dems for the people or for the corporations? Passing the Senate healthcare bill, or a bill with a mandate and no public option, will clearly show them to be in the latter camp, and a tsunami of voter discontent will wash them all away.

[unscum]

01:51 AM on 01/26/2010

Pretty cool. Judging from the mood in congress and on these blogs, progressives will be the ones to kill healthcare reform for good. Can't wait, Republicans are going to take over both house of congress in Nov and then we can have a real president like Jeb Bush or Sara Pallin in 2012.

[jacknapier]

07:03 AM on 01/26/2010

yay, Jeb Bush! any other Skull & Bones guys we can elect?