No, Rahm ; Your Compromise on Health Reform Is F**cking Stupid

To Rahm Emanuel,

I thought you were supposed to be tough. I heard you were a fighter. I didn't know you'd be fighting against real health insurance reform. I didn't know you'd be fighting against the millions of people like me who elected Barack Obama.

You started the compromise by not putting single payer, universal health insurance on the table. BusinessWeek is saying that the health insurance lobby "has already won." You compromised with big Pharma, agreed not to negotiate and as Tommy Christopher has pointed out, you covered it up.

Now, you're putting on the "Rahm Show'" and calling ads going after lobbyist funded politician "f**king stupid"?

No, your compromises and politics over people attitude are stupid. People's lives and health are at stake so you're worse than stupid, worse even then f**king stupid -- you're deadly.

Those protesters at the town hall meeting actually do have a point, as misguided as they are in attacking health insurance reform. The government isn't listening to the American people -- not the crazy minority the hooligans represent but the majority of us.

Listen to the people, Rahm. There is a majority out here that counts on Barack Obama and people like you to keep his promises on the two issues intertwined here - real health care reform and ending the corrupt culture of lobbyists in Washington. The way to weed out those lobbyists is to shine a bright light on the Senators and Congresspeople that they've paid off, no matter what party they are in.

I had been thinking the biggest enemy to real health insurance reform was Montana Senator Max Baucus but I'll be damned if now I don't think it's you, Rahm.

If you want crazy, blind, suicidal loyalty...become a Republican.

In the meantime, I continue to churn out my own health insurance reform videos. And they attack Democrats, too, sometimes. And if you don't like it, too f**cking bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Lee Stranahan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Stranahan

Comments

[VideoHammer]

Lee is an activist, highly motivated, and assertive about his position, all reasonable under the circumstances. Attacking him for his position, seems to me to be typical Right-wing garbage.

The real issue here for me, is that Rahm is a proto-typical Democratic Leadership Council Democrat. Why no one is refering to the DLC leftovers anymore is a testiment to their burrowing into the fabric of the Party, and our losing sight of them. I STILL support President Obama, but, I have no illusions about the impact of having a DLC Democrat as Chief of Staff and the damage that can do to a progressive agenda. In my opinion, that was the Presidents first major error in judgement.

Progressive Activists or Progressives in general, are not obligated to spare Obama or other 'Dems' from harsh criticism just because they are entrenched at the trough. If Reid, Rahm, Baucus, et al will not fight for US, then I am prepared to fight them. My first act has been to withhold contributions from anyone ( Obama included) that does not show some heart for progressive goals,.... I didn't have the money to spare anyhow.

[VivaFranco]

More people die from AIDS but I don't see anyone villifying intravenous drug users or gay men having unprotected anal sex? But the insurance companies are EVIL.

Want great cre of the uninsured, ban McDonald's and make people bike to work.

Bill Maher is right, we are stupid but it is for many other reasons than he would attest to.

[WorkingClass]

Thanks Lee. And thanks again. You are fighting the good fight.

[JimR]

Lee, it seems to me you are the one demanding crazy, blind, suicidal loyalty... to what progressives want. F*ck what other people want. F*ck moderates who have legitimate concerns about what's going to happen to their health-care plans. F*ck people of all political stripes who have legitimate concerns about how we're going to pay for this behemoth legislation. Your position seems to be, Rahm, ram through what progressives want and f*ck everybody else.

[Konnie]

yes lee is. on the other hand, rahm has found the money teat and is sucking up the money. its not about reform anymore - its about getting
enough money to run for re-electio­n.........­.......
and progressives (and everyone else by the way) have been screwed.

[joebhed]

Thanks, Lee.

The real problem is that neither Rahm nor Barack get up every morning with the gut feeling that all Americans are entitled, that is we have a right, to universal health care.
The battle becomes not over the right to care, but to the right to insurance to cover the payments for care.
Being on the side that wants to force people to buy insurance is not a smart position to be in.
We have already lost that battle.
Thanks, Rahm.
And Obama.

[wanked]

BRAVO Lee! YES YES YES.

Its pretty bad when we have to fight the "good guys " as hard as the greed mongers and corporations. This administration is anything but progressive.

[Morocco]

The majority of Democrats and Republicans do not have Americans interest at heart. Both serve the same master, both will sell you to the highest bidder. Republicans and Democrats, the same soup different bowl.

[jazzman]

I've gone limp on health care reform. Three weeks ago I was out canvassing for health care reform as part of the army of Obama's supporters and a volunteer for Organizing for America. Then I looked up and saw that my leaders were deserting the army. They had sold out to the drug companies. They were making back room deals to neuter the public option. They had changed the name of crusade from health care reform to health insurance reform.

There I was standing with my petition wondering what in the hell I was going door to door asking people to support. What at first had looked like a way to humanize our health care system, get coverage to people, and stop the abusive practices of an industry that traded lives for profits now was beginning to look like another big giveaway to the health insurance corporations only this time it was bringing them 45 million new customers who would be forced to buy their henious policies. So now I've dropped my petitions. I frankly don't care if health care reform passes or not. Rahm and his gang of blue dogs rolled me and yes, I'm critical of my fellow Democrats.

[WorkingClass]

BRAVO ! Excellent post Jazz Man.

[Kevins]

Every one of those videos is wonderful.

The beauty of truth.

Don't stop. What you're doing is important.
And Rahm, if we don't get real health care reform, I won't blame Republicans. There's nothing you can do with Republicans, they're just irresponsible children. I'll blame the Democrats. It will be life-long Democrats like me chewing up Democrats. You better hear that f**king good. There is no reason this can't get done, I don't believe anything you say to the contrary, and I expect real results. I mean REAL results. If I get a watered down mess I will know who did it, and I will not be happy.

[nancytheragingliberal]

Kevins, I agree with everything you just wrote, and then some. Where does this Rahm as they call him, "Rahmbo" get off? O. will not see one thin dime from me, if I do not like what I see coming out in order to reform health care. Sixty years, nothing done, the clock is ticking, and we own the entire Gov't. Get it done, or else. I just got a 33% raise from BC BS, so now I'm paying $16,000.00 per year, doubled co-pay, reduced services. I'm disgusted with the way the Dems are bending over and being the cowards they have been for years. They will lose in 2010, then 2012 and will deserve what they get if they keep on this path. That Harry Reid is a joke and should have been booted out years ago. He's an embarrassment. By the way, I still want my 750 billion dollars back from the filthy banks and corporations, and want the little w. guy and his band of thieves and liars to be prosecuted. O. is cowering on that one and he's a constitutional law professor. Funny, I'd never know it, watching him weave and bob on that issue. I loved the videos, so keep them coming Mr. Lee Stranahan. Great job.

[jazzman]

Bi-partisanship is a euphemism for 'sell out.'

[veracity]

Unfortunately, Emanuel is a JOE LIEBERMAN TREACHERY clone.

Like Lieberman, Emanuel ran as a "LIBERAL" early in his career (when it was the ONLY avenue for popularity & upwards political mobility, without joining the Right-Wing kook dominated neoConfederate Helms/Thur­mond/Lott/­Frist/Ging­rich/DeLay dominated Rethuglican Party)...

BUT! once Lieberman got his name out there at the top of the DC political heap (as senator from the Insurance Industry state, Connecticut), & had his solid base of BIG CORPORATE & BIG FINANCE DONORS under his belt, Lieberman could REVERT to his REAL ideology: An ELITIST, AUTHORITARIAN, PRO-WARS, police-state, & CONCENTRAT­ION-of-WEA­LTH & POWER 'dino", a REPUBLICAN neo-con WOLF in Dem sheep's clothing!

If anything, Emanuel is a more ferocious BIG FINANCE neo-con than Lieberman!!

Emanuel "earned" $18 million as an 'investment banker' - using his prior connections as a Senior Advisor in Clinton White House to RAMROD "Mergers & Acquisitions" deals through for Wasserstei­n-Perella.­.. the kind of "LBO" buyout deals where a target company must FIRE half of its workers to pay off the BANKERS' FEES & INTEREST of the takeover deal!
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/rahm-emanuel-former-investment-banker/

Then there's Emanuel's father, an IRGUN INSURGENT in the late 1940s, Emanuel growing up in family where VIOLENCE & SECRET FINANCIAL networks are POSITIVE tools to be used to obtain political goals.

In short, Emanuel is an EVEN MORE LIKUDNIK pro-wars, tax-cuts-for-rich, & policeState neo-con than Lieberman - RETHUGLICAN -in-sheeps­'-clothing Lieberman !!

[ladycubsfan]

Excellent article. Are you listening, Rahmbo?
Last time I checked, we still have the power at the voting booth. Unless they know something we don't?

[RoseMerry]

What a masterprice! Have a huge health care debate with the fix in from the beginning and people forget all about those silly little wars and many the megacorps can pass out those bonuses to their leaders in peace.

Obama = Bush with a brain. We have been had. Wake and impeach him!

[Merlin7]

Here's the bottom line: Whine all you want, but it doesn't matter. Our outmoded system of government makes it impossible to control public officials once they're elected. And it's usually easy for them to get re-elected because they control that system too. To effect real change it's necessary to update the Constitution with real checks and balances. Until then, whine all you want. Nobody's listening.

[TheBaffler]

I agree. Parliamentary systems are more efficient and more accountable. That's what we need.

[Chazet2]

I just wanted to say how great all of the comments have been, in addition to a fine bit of commentary.

[Manx]

Rahm Emanuel is part of the problem, not the solution. He thinks that any health-care reform bill, no matter how weak or feckless, will be a feather in Obama's cap. I've got news for him. If a bill emerges that does not offer a public option, the backlash will be deafening and catastrophic for Obama.

And one more thing. When Emanuel says that dems who attack other dems are f----------g stupid, he is attacking other dems, which makes him.....

[avicenna]

The way the pharmaceutical industry has infiltrated your health care system is like an infestation of bed bugs. It may come to chucking it all out and investing in a fresh model - otherwise it is a lot of angst and suffering. There also has to be a "re-education" of the American people to consider it a sign of progress that a country takes care of its citizens in sickness and in health. The so-called fear-mongering about "socialized medicine" is bullocks - if Americans knew what it was like to walk into a doctor's office and fix what is wrong without worrying about conflict of interest or how this is going to affect the bank account - there wouldn't be any shrill senseless screams. It's almost suicidal the way the so-called "right-wing" self-defeatists behave. Right to bear arms - but not to put it in a sling when it comes time to saving it from the bullet wound.