PUBLIC (OPTION) ENEMIES: BLUE DOGS

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DEMOCRATS-IN-NAME-ONLY SCUTTLE AMERICANS' HEALTHCARE

REPUBLICANS IN & OUT OF DEMOCRATIC CLOTHING
WORK FOR BIG HEALTHCO AGAINST YOUR HEALTH

Could The Problems With Our Political System Be Any More Obvious?

OK, you can relax now. Put your pants back on. You're not getting healthcare for your tax dollars or your consumer dollars. Just another finger wave. All you'll get is exactly what you've always gotten: Whatever was left over after non-medical "insurance" middlemen and rich greedy Healthco's took as much profit as humanly possible, and then some. That's the purpose of the American healthcare "system": To make a few people rich while millions get sick and even die for lack of healthcare, including those who PAID for private health insurance. That's why we need a "public option." And that's why we're not getting one. Not a real one, anyway. Not ever, under the current political system. Because your "representatives" don't work for you. They work for the corporations; in this case, Big Healthco's.

Yeah, you thought with all this "CHANGE" you bought at the ballot box with your precious vote last November, you would AT LEAST get immediate single-payer universal national healthcare, right? Well, bullsh*t. That's all you're getting. B-U-L-L-S-H-*-T.

Who's to blame for this? Republicans. Conservatives. And their allies: "Moderates," "Centrist" DINO's and other right-wing -ssh-les and wh-res in the pay of Big Healthco's. Just read the lists below, and see if your "representatives" are on it.

Democratic President Obama and his Bush & Clinton staff and appointees just can't seem to put into action the will of 85% of the American people. Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi just can't seem to wring a simple voting majority out of her overwhelming legislative majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives. Democratic Senate Majority leader Harry Reed is unable to get his 60-vote majority to back the Democratic Party's Number One Priority. The public option be damned. No matter what the public wants.

Are we not a democracy? No? Why not? Because Obama, Pelosi and Reed are part of and/ or beholden to a small group of obstructionist, traitorous right-wing so-called Democrats who deliberately take the side of multinational healthcare companies against the side of their own voters and other constituents. They do this because they are bought and paid for by those same healthco's, publicly and unashamedly. The healthco's "political contributions" to the Blue Dogs are all out in the open and on the record. The biggest wh-res get the most money. And it's all perfectly legal. Well, look who wrote the laws. The very same crooked sc-mbags who benefit by them financially.

So, it's time for Step Three of our "CHANGE." In Step One, we kicked many of the Nazi-wannabee Repukelickin's out of Congress. In Step Two we kicked even more of them out, and kept them from holding on to the White House. In Step Three, we clean out the closet-Republican Blue Dogs. In Step Four, we dump Obama, if he doesn't get his sh-t together. Four simple steps to a real democracy. Oh, and we MUST eliminate all corporate money from our political system. Money is NOT speech. And plutocracy is NOT freedom. Change it now.

Here's the public data on the Big Healthco Ho's In Congress. Gawd only knows what else they get under the table. Tip of the iceberg, much?

Anyone with career-damaging information on these Blue Dogs please post it. Everywhere. Pictures of them with live naked boys or dead naked girls a plus. Photoshopping is OK. Just Do It.


NY DAILY NEWS
"'Blue Dog' Democrats ignoring Americans' pain in resisting Obama health care plan"
Are ya SICK, yet?

' You know the Blue Dogs: They're the conservative Democrats who are dragging their paws on President Obama's wish to pass a law by September to give all Americans health insurance. The Blue Dogs used to be called Yellow Dogs, because they were so loyal to the Democratic Party that they'd "vote for a yellow dog if it was on the ticket." They changed to blue after feeling "choked blue" by the liberals. The 52 Blue Dogs are linked to the Republicans. They want to "reduce the subsidies lower-income Americans will get," The Wall Street Journal says. As it is, medical bills cause half the personal bankruptcies in the U.S., even for people with health insurance. We called Alpha Blue Doggie Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas to ask if he wants poor Americans to get less health care than rich Americans. He didn't call back. The Blue Dogs also want to know how we're going to pay for insurance for the 46 million Americans, including 8 million children, who don't have any. Maybe their fear is fueled by the $508,000 their political action committee got from the health care sector - up 90% from two years before. Oh, well, since Congress is going to recess before doing anything... '

THE BALTIMORE SUN
"Blue Dogs: Fiscally responsible or corporate tools? "
Tools.

' Brad DeLong says: The Blue Dogs have been bought and paid for. They do not want a fiscally-responsible bill. They want to please their masters from the health insurance industry by trying their best to keep there from being a bill at all. '

THE NATION
"Ain't Nothing Centrist About Them"
Centrist? They're freakin' closet Nazi's!

' The Nation -- At this moment -- when 72 percent of the nation supports a public plan option and 14,000 people lose their healthcare every day -- the House Blue Dogs and conservative Democratic Senators are doing just about everything they can to cripple real health care reform. So why does the media keep ceding them the label of "centrist" or "moderate" as if they are the guardians of mainstream values? The danger is that promoting the view that these conservative Democrats are somehow at the center of our politics plays into the hands of those who would like to marginalize progressives as far outside of the mainstream. (And I have no doubt K Street is advising Republicans to constantly refer to their Democratic allies as "moderate" and "centrist".) It also misrepresents what most Americans want from the government in these times. As Drew Westen, professor of psychology at Emory University, founder of Westen Strategies, and author of the invaluable The Political Brain, told me: "The average American, according to all available data, has largely moved slightly left of where it was in the Reagan years, and with changing demographics, it will be far left of Reagan and Bush in twenty years. So to call Democrats who are substantially right of the center of the electorate (let alone of their party), like Heath Shuler, 'moderates,' is both to misrepresent the center of political gravity in the general electorate and in the Democratic Party." How we tell the story of this battle for health care reform matters and will impact whether the battle is won or lost. So-called "centrists" are far from the center of this debate. They are, in fact, out of touch and out of the mainstream -- like the rest of their conservative brethren. '

US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: BLUE DOG COALITION WEBSITE
"The Blue Dog Coalition: 15 Years of Leadership "
You tax dollars at work, f**king YOU. If your Congressperson is on this list, work to defeat him or her next time he or she runs for office.

' Blue Dog Leadership Team
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip
Blue Dog Members
Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06) '

HUFFINGTON POST
"SENATE BLUE DOGS"
Makin' a list, checkin' it twice...

' The Leadership Team:
Senator EVAN BAYH Indiana
Senator BLANCHE LINCOLN Arkansas
Senator TOM CARPER Delaware
Members:
Senator MICHAEL BENNETT, Colorado
Senator MARK BEGICH, Alaska
Senator KENT CONRAD, North Dakota - Chairman, Senate Budget Committee
Senator KAY HAGAN, North Carolina
Senator HERB KOHL, Wisconsin
Senator MARY LANDRIEU, Louisiana
Senator JOE LIEBERMAN, Connecticut
Senator CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missiouri
Senator BEN NELSON, Nebraska
Senator BILL NELSON, Florida
Senator JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
Senator MARK UDALL, Colorado
Senator MARK WARNER, Virginia '

CAMPAIGN DIARIES
"Of the power of conservative Senate Democrats"
Rats in the House, more rats in the Senate.

' Before becoming Majority Leader, Harry Reid was known as a moderate Senator, and it is possible that he would have been part of Bayh’s caucus had he not been part of the Democratic leadership. (The last time I wrote about Bayh’s group, I was only able to identify 12 other Senators: Landrieu, McCaskill, Lieberman, Lincoln, Pryor, Warner, Bill Nelson, Ben Nelson, Klobuchar, Shaheen, Casey and Begich. A recent NYT piece adds 5 names to the list: Tom Carper, Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, Kay Hagan and Herb Kohl. This is one of the first times Hagan has signaled she could cause trouble for progressive causes; Kohl’s presence helps explain why he is one of the Democratic hold-outs on EFCA.) '

538.com
"On Health Care, Who's Hooked on Special Interest Money?"
Who's feeding these rats?

' The AMA, however, is hardly the only player in the health player game. Based on data collected from OpenSecrets.org, I've tallied the amount of contributions that each of the 99 current senators have received from Political Action Committees -- PACs -- from the health care industry since 1989. This includes PACs associated with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, HMOs, health services companies, medical supply companies and physicians', dentists' and nurses' groups. It does not include any money collected from individual contributors -- only money collected from PACs.

Share of Campaign Contributions from Health Industry PACs 1989-Present '

TALKING POINTS MEMO.COM
"Update: List of Dem Senators Who Don't Support the Public Option"
Is YOUR Senator opposed to the public option? Check the list below.

' Strongly Opposed (2)
Mary Landrieu (LA)-
Joe Lieberman (CT)- Both Lieberman and Landrieu have specifically opposed a public option.
Opposed (9)
Bill Nelson (FL)- Sits on the Finance committee, does not want to embrace the public option but has avoided openly opposing it.
Tom Carper (DE)- Co-sponsored the public plan-free Healthy Americans Act with Wyden. Wants co-ops.
Mark Warner (VA)- Deftly avoiding having to confront the public plan issue.
Mark Pryor (AR)- Blue dog senator who has kept quiet on the public option. I'll take that as secretive opposition. Again, if anyone else has better knowledge on a senator's position, let me know.
Ron Wyden (OR)- Frequent target of pro-reform ads, sponsor the Healthy Americans Act, which does not include a public option.
Mark Begich (AK)- Very little available about his opinion on the public option. He's from a weird state (sorry Alaskans). His next election isn't until 2014. I'm going to put his as a conditional tough sell until I learn more.
Jon Tester (MT)- I couldn't find much on his position, either. Maybe someone more familiar with his political tendencies can fill me in, but I'm going to fill him in as a tough sell.
Evan Bayh (IN)- Fiscally conservative Democrat. Wants to shift the focus away from public option, though he hasn't openly opposed it.
Diane Feinstein (CA)- Seems determined to avoid outright opposition to the public option, though it's clear she does not like it. Gets lots of $$ from insurance companies. Says criticism from left does not bother her. She has reason to worry, though, as her constituency is very liberal and probably very passionate about a public option.
Cajoleable (9)
Michael Bennet (CO)- Prefers the co-op idea, but said he could support a public option.
Max Baucus (MT)- He's been trying to compromise with Republicans by offering them compromises that don't include a public option, but he has said the public option is 'on the table', and he said he opposes the public option merely because it won't get enough votes, not on substance.
Maria Cantwell (WA)- Offered support for a public option, but was vague about what that means. She should be in a position to vote for the final bill.
Kent Conrad (ND)- Main reason for opposing the public option because it didn't have the votes, not because of its substance. If momentum picks up, I think he'll jump aboard.
Byron Dorgan (ND)- Said he would support public option if it doesn't put private insurers out of business.
Ben Nelson (NE)- Initially called the public option a 'deal breaker,' but recently claimed he would not support a filibuster.
Blanche Lincoln (AR)- Wrote a column today saying "Options should include private plans as well as a quality, affordable public plan or non-profit plan that can accomplish the same goals as those of a public plan." The nonprofit concept almost certainly won't be included in the final bill.
Robert Byrd (WV)- Very old and very sick.
Kay Hagan (NC)- Recently caved to overwhelming criticism and said she would support some sort of public option, though she was vague on details.
Recent converts (2)
Harry Reid (NV)- Looks like Harry Reid has decided to take some leadership.
Mark Udall (CO)- Said he supports a public health care option. '

(Cross-posted at The Smirking Chimp by cosanostradamus.)


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Suggestion Box & Tip Jar We would like to make over this blog to make it easier to access, to read and to comment on. We would also like to serve our readers better by providing more of what you need and want to see. All serious suggestions will be considered. We hope to move to our own domain in the near future, and we would like to ask for your financial assistance in doing that, and in upgrading our hardware & software. Small one-time donations and larger long-term subscriptions are welcome. Exclusive advertising is also available. If you think we are wasting our time in doing all this, please let us know. If you wish to help us, now is the time. As always, negative bullsh*t from right-wing trolls will be sh*tcanned. Thank you to everyone else. Please send feedback & PayPal contributions to cosanostradamusATexciteDOTcom. Thanks.

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