biabouman41's Comments (986)

“Comity my behind. Use everyday words. We send these new Senators to deal with the lunatics of the right who will stop at nothing to deny the American voter his/her rights When you see how Snowe and Grassley behaved, even McCain, you realise they have different value systems and are no longer on the old wavelegth on which you may find Dodd and Obama.
Screw Liberman, Nelson and McCain and the Republicans to the wall.”

“I just hope the president realises that he has been dealing with a vicious snake here: pretending to be doing real negotiations but secretly undermining the whole process.”

“It is a negligible issue and accounts for 00.4% of health care costs and 100% of Republican tactics.”

“I raised a glass with my wife to toast this victory.


It could have been better, but this is the nature of the legislative process. We celebrate the forward movement after a century of going nowhere.”

“It is natural to be disappointed to some degree if all of what we wanted were not part of the bill. However, I feel Progressives are going overboard, acting like children whose third piece of candy was taken away.

Get over it. We cannot get further improvements to the health care bill by destroying Obama and uplifting the Republicans. We just need to set out to strengthen the bill from here on in. Progressives are behaving as though Obama had the power to move heaven and earth. It is still a democracy, despite the ravings on the right. He can only negotiate these bills, put more or less emphasis on that or that point at this or that stage of the process.

WE NEED TO GROW UP.”

“Well, does this surprise anyone? The Republicans have been good at getting all the government subsidies and have utilised all tax loopholes for themselves and at the same time have been stalwarts at denying benefits to the poor. Bachmann railed against helping people on the brink of foreclosure, but she was quietly wallowing in the benefits of being a welfare queen.

Not surprising at all. It is their mode of operation: they tell us how moral and upright we need to be while they cheat on their spouses and show no resistance to moral decadence. The Republicans are a corrupt group and they have succeeded in getting the poor (and ignorant) to go against their own self interest. How cynical.”

“Where oh where are the Russians. This survey has got to be wrong. Few can beat them at swigging it down.”

“I see that Spain and UK have about the same rate of consumption, but I think the reason the Spanish rate is so high is lots and lots of English vacation in Spain and drink lots and lots of liquor constantly. All of that booze is counted as being consumed in Spain, but it is the English doing it.”

“Finally Chavez does something right. Kerepakupai-Meru it is.”

“Once the health care bill is passed legislators need to revisit parts of this bill and remove from it those sections which add only pork to the bill to get a particular Senator's vote. It can be done. No sense complaining about it just pull pull out the garbage later.”

“He can't have it both ways”

“Feingold needs to discipline himself. There is no value in criticising the leader of the Democratic Party. Just satisfying himself I suppose.”

“Nonsense right wing talk. FAKE ALERT”

“The producers are doctors and hospital. Insurance companies just produce profits. No product”

“The House has a superior version of health care reform.and the Senate needs to adapt most of it.”

“This proves that she was just another Republican Snowe job on the American people who ask for health care reform. She said she wanted no Public Option she got no public option but is going to vote against it anyway. I hope the good people of Maine are paying attention: she is representing the health care industry, not the people of Maine.”

“The rigidity of Edwards or Clinton would have resulted in total failure, no reform at all. Half loaf is better than no loaf.”

“The Democratic Progressive movement is overstating its case. Sure the bill is not as Progressive as it should have been and consequently the health care lobby is pleased. But if none of this passed they would have been totally giddy. They do have many items to live up to that were previously non existant.
We might be annoyed that we will need to revisit this issue again and again until we get it right, but that is the legislative process. We have got to stick with it, year after year until we get better reform. But to make accusations like we see from the "journalists" on this site is childish and show a lack of understanding of the legislative process and politics.
The reform bill is not complete. After the Senate passes its bill we need to all insist that the House stay solid and have the Senate adapt most of the House's bill.
This is not the time for Progressive "journalists" to have Progressives run off in a corner and suck their thumbs.
Stand up and fight and make the Republicans pay for not raising a finger to help in health care reform. Do not waffle, Stand straight.”

“The crassness of the Republicans. They had their negative marching orders from Limbaugh and the junior Senator from South Carolina (de Vitless). They said that they did not want the country to succeed otherwise Obama will look good. So they set out to obstruct.
They sent the snake in the Grassley to the Finance Committee to pretend to be negotiating bonafide health reform. They were merely interested in tugging the bill all the way to the right that the Democratic Center almost faced a revolt from its Progressive wing. All thanks to the Republicans. Even Olympia Snowe was providing a Snowe job on behalf of her Republican overlords. They were masterful at obstructing.
The Democratic leadership failed in not recognising what the Republicans were trying to do. The President in fact bent backwards over to the point of annoying his base, just to accomadate the lunatics of the Republican Right.
Unfortunately for the Republicans they have no other plan for the country. It is just one of obstruction and destruction.So in 2010 the country will surprise them and let them know that these tactics do not help the USA”

“McCain and Liberman have been too accustomed to just blab and blab and not attend to the people's business. The House has passed numerous bills and has been waiting for the loud mouths of the Senate to act. But they are interested only in exibiting their ability to be verbose.
Thank goodness for Franken. No wonder the Republicans and Pawlenty tried so hard to keep him out.”

“How true. We are screwed.”

“Why is it the leadership does not allow a filibuster to ensue. If these Senators have no problem doing a disservice to their constituents let them filibuster and face the music.
On the essence of this bill: I spend most of my time in the Caribbean and the governments there have negotiated much better prices for medicines from US companies. Most drugs cost less than 50% of US prices. I take one brand name medication and although my insurance coverage in the US pays for part of the cost, I still buy it in the Caribbean at a cheaper price. And if I wanted to do so I can order it even cheaper from Canada.
So much for American competition.”

“Insertion is sexy stuff,
don't know about insulation.”

“WHAT ABOUT the 46 million uninsured? WHAT ABOUT THE POOR AND ALMOST POOR?”

“WHAT ABOUT the 46 million uninsured? We have all forgotten about them. It has now become about Senator this or Senator that. How pathetic is this nation that we seee a problem but quicly avert our eyes to inconsequential nonsense. Who represent the poor or those heading into poverty and losing health coverage? Who represents them?”