So President Obama is upset at liberals because we demand that any health care reform bill include a public option. A public option is crucial to creating a system that is affordable to the American people and the taxpayers, otherwise the insurance companies will be able to jack up the costs (and their profits) and we, the taxpayers, will have to pay higher and higher subsidies to those who can't afford it. Evidently Obama would rather have a bad health care reform bill than fight the monied interests in this country.
This post on Crooks and Liars links to the Washington Post article that reports the following (I refuse to link to the WaPost):
President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal
advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and
devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation.
In a pre-holiday call with half a dozen top House and Senate Democrats, Obama expressed his concern over advertisements and online campaigns targeting moderate Democrats, whom they criticize for not being fully devoted to "true" health-care reform.
"We shouldn't be focusing resources on each other," Obama opined in
the call, according to three sources who participated in or listened to
the conversation. "We ought to be focused on winning this debate."
Specifically, Obama said he is hoping left-leaning organizations
that worked on his behalf in the presidential campaign will now rally
support for "advancing legislation" that fulfills his goal of expanding coverage, controlling rising costs and modernizing the health system. [emphasis added by Crooks & Liars]
Here's my response (and judging by the responses left in C & L and Campaign Silo, I'm not alone):
Dear President Obama,
During your campaign for President you made a number of promises, in return for my vote. You got my vote. Now that you have won, it's increasingly obvious that you feel no particular obligation to keep many of your promises. Why?
Now I hear that you are upset because WE still want, and are willing to fight for, the things you promised...and you want us to stop fighting for them because it might harm the party.
Uh, just how stupid do you think we are?
I should remind you that most liberals I know feel little loyalty to the Democratic Party. We are issue oriented rather than politically oriented. We want a better life for the people who live in this country and we don't care much which party supports our issues. Traditionally it has been the Democrats, but lately both parties are more concerned about what's better for corporations and special interest groups than for the people that our government is SUPPOSED to be working for.
I appreciate your even-handedness and intelligence in running our foreign affairs, and I feel safer with you in office, but I will not compromise when it comes to health care reform, transparency in government, and opposing your plan to imprison accused enemies, for decades even, without a trial, for example.
Asking us to support a bad health care reform bill so you can get bragging rights for the next election is an insult. I would rather have no health care reform than one that benefits the insurance companies and screws the taxpayers, leaving our health care system in the hands of corporations whose goals are to increase profits rather than doing what's best for the people of this country.
One last request: please stop berating progressives and liberals to prove just how damn centrist and bipartisan you are.
--Trakker
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