With "Allies" Like These . . .

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 12:48:15 PM EST
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Ceci Connolly's silly article boo hooing about Left pressure on Democrats on health care was notable for only one reason (Faux News Ceci predictably churns out this type of silly drivel), this quote from a self proclaimed "Democratic strategist:"

One Democratic strategist who is working full-time on health reform was apoplectic over what he called wasted time, energy and resources by the organizations. The strategist, who asked for anonymity because he was criticizing colleagues, said: "These are friends of ours. I would much rather see a quiet call placed by [Obama chief of staff] Rahm Emanuel saying this isn't helpful. Instead, we try to decimate them?"

(Emphasis supplied.) When an "activist" thinks a pol, ANY pol, is his friend, he proves he has no idea what he is doing. My bet is this is some Third Way shill. Matt Bennett possibly? Sounds like him.

Speaking for me only

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With "Allies" Like These . . . | 25 comments (25 topical)

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IMO Rahm Emanuel (5.00 / 3) (#10)
by MO Blue on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:25:13 PM EST

has not been helpful.

The White House may be indicating to Senate allies that it is open to dropping the public plan option as part of a health reform deal. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), who has been pushing a proposal to replace the public plan with regional cooperatives, said chief of staff Rahm Emanuel indicated Obama is "open to alternatives."
Think Progress

Why would organizations pushing for real health care reform think that Emanuel is an advocate, let alone a strong advocate, for their positions?

What wouldn't be helpful is for the advocacy groups to remain silent and allow faux health care legislation to be passed.

I think the key to your comment is (5.00 / 4) (#21)
by Anne on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 02:46:17 PM EST

that the Democratic strategist in question is NOT working for the kind of reform you and I and a huge percentage of Americans want, and what I hear this particular strategist saying, really, is he'd prefer that these pesky people and organizations just leave them the hell alone and let them do their thing.

When the head of the SEIU is portrying Max Baucus, who has been nothing so much as a huge impediment to real reform, as being open and honest about reform, you know something is really wrong. "Open and honest" would not include, in my book, completely shutting out any discussion of single payer, so that leaves something a whole lot less complimentary to say about Baucus.

Why shouldn't the people know how much their members of Congress have taken and are taking from the health industry? Why shouldn't we know which members of Congress have family members working in the industry?

It's really just too bad Obama is not the leader some people thought he would be; if he were, and if he were willing to fight for the right kind of reform, I think Emmanuel would be as effective an enforcer of that as anyone. Instead, Emmanuel has been reduced to being the guy who tells the Dems how much more to give up so that the GOP and the health care industry are happy.

That's just pathetic, in my opinion.


: I still naively believed in hope and change (none / 0) (#22)
by of1000Kings on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 02:53:54 PM EST

when I voted for Obama...
now I see that I was just a brainless sheep that voted the way the powers-that-be wanted me to vote...
I'm starting to wonder if the presidential elections even matter...the powers-that-be will have power no matter who is in office...
Thanks for killing hope, Obama...but, hey, there will be a whole new group of young naive people believing in hope so in 10-15 years some other villian can come through and act like hope still lives while speaking to a new crowd...
have to be mad at myself the most, considering I allowed myself to be suckered in by someone I actually believed still wanted to represent the people and not just the pocketbook of big industry...

Only Third Way would (none / 0) (#12)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:36:43 PM EST

That is who I suspect is the anonymous source.


Regional cooperatives making (none / 0) (#17)
by oldpro on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:49:14 PM EST

headway. I see my governor is talking it up.

The politics of this is beginning to remind me of the early 90s.

They may get 'universal' coverage this time but they won't get reform. The insurance people are running the show.


Insurance companies are running the show (none / 0) (#18)
by MO Blue on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 02:06:04 PM EST

because that is what our political leaders want.

From what I read, it won't even be "universal coverage" because poor people (those not destitute enough to qualify for medicaid won't be forced to buy insurance.

From all indications, big tax give aways to the insurance companies with cuts to needed services to pay for it will be the only outcome of any legislation that is passed .


: It will be interesting to see how (none / 0) (#19)
by oculus on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 02:17:40 PM EST

Congress and the Obama admins. work to portray a victory for the people from such a result.

: Destitute enough? (none / 0) (#25)
by splashy on Mon Jun 29, 2009 at 12:27:05 PM EST

poor people (those not destitute enough to qualify for medicaid won't be forced to buy insurance.
In many states it doesn't matter how poor you are, if you don't have school age children you don't get anything. That's one reason many poor people have children, then they are reviled for doing so as "irresponsible" by the right wingers that made it that way, when it makes perfect economic sense.

first off, (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by cpinva on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:35:58 PM EST

Our Cece

is an idiot. anything she says is to be taken with a large grain of salt, and an even larger shot of whiskey.

as well, anything that begins with "an anonymous source" should be ignored from that point on. it's probably a good thing that criminally incompetent journalism isn't an actionable offense, we'd have no newspapers or tv news programs, and we haven't sufficient jail cells.

: Good point (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by andgarden on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:41:34 PM EST

How could a comment like that possibly justify anonymity?

No discussion of Ceci is complete (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by Radiowalla on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 02:29:26 PM EST

without a look at the archives of The Daily Howler.

Somerby has had the goods on her for years.

Green responds (none / 0) (#1)
by lambert on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 12:51:09 PM EST

And gives yet another definition of public option (which oddly, or not, Our Cece did not bother to get him to define. Perhaps because nobody has.)

You don't mince words (none / 0) (#2)
by andgarden on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:07:44 PM EST

I do not have direct evidence (none / 0) (#6)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:15:56 PM EST

but it would shock me if that was not a Third Way person.


Is that were all of the annoying people (none / 0) (#8)
by andgarden on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:18:46 PM EST

from the DLC went?

I admit that for all my time in DC, I could never get all of the characters and organizations straight.


: Many of them (none / 0) (#13)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:37:17 PM EST

"[T]art news releases " (none / 0) (#3)
by oculus on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:11:37 PM EST

But is an anonymous "strategist" (none / 0) (#4)
by oculus on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:13:03 PM EST

the same as an anonymous "activist"?

Ask Matt Bennett f he thinks (none / 0) (#5)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:15:10 PM EST

he is like Move On. Cuz Connolly suggests they are similar.


I figured the anonymous "strategist" (none / 0) (#7)
by oculus on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:18:26 PM EST

might be an admin. insider or consultant--kind of behind the scenes.


: Which, now that I've finished googling (none / 0) (#9)
by oculus on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:22:15 PM EST

Mr. Bennett, is an apt description.

This anonymous strategist... (none / 0) (#15)
by Dadler on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:46:43 PM EST

...sounds about as tough and principled as a cashmere tomato can, who thinks doing their best is not getting their ass TOO handed to them by the other side.

good lord.

: i mean, if this sh*t... (none / 0) (#16)
by Dadler on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 01:47:30 PM EST

...isn't made up entirely, that is.

I agree with Robert Reich (none / 0) (#23)
by FreakyBeaky on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 03:39:32 PM EST

"What Can I Do?"

Except that I think the "cynics" are right - I just see that as all the more reason to pressure our representatives, and as no excuse to throw up our hands and say the hell with it (which is "cynicism" as a hip name for "apathy").

Furthermore, we'd better get as much as we can (and do what we can to make it good enough) while the getting is so-so, 'cos the getting is not going to get any better any time soon.

: I'm sorry, but whenever I read ... (none / 0) (#24)
by EL seattle on Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 05:54:10 PM EST

... the particular FDR quote that Reich cites in his blog...
A new president -- even one as talented and well-motivated as Obama -- can't get a thing done in Washington unless the public is actively behind him. As FDR said in the reelection campaign of 1936 when a lady insisted that if she were to vote for him he must commit to a long list of objectives, "Maam, I want to do those things, but you must make me."
... I always think of this:
And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. (Matthew 27:23-24)
Maybe hard work and effort is different from nice words and eloquence in the same way that effective leadership is different from a pre-emptive washing of the hands.
Also... I wonder if the "long list of objectives" that the woman wanted FDR to commmit to was a personal list that she'd written up herself, or a list of campaign promises that FDR had publicly stated. There'd be a difference there, I think.