, and Luke Mitchell, senior editor at Harper's magazine, join us to try to explain what's left in the bill and what's likely to happen next.
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Who Let Joe Lieberman Kill The Public Option?
When word broke last night that Joe Lieberman had taken the health care bill hostage and that it appeared the White House and Senate Majority Leader Reid were ready to cave, progressives howled. The process by which one so-called centrist can make unreasonable demands to get a bill passed has many calling for dumping the filibuster, and activists wondering what they can do.
Is it time to oppose the health care bill? Is the public option well and truly dead? And how the heck did Joe Lieberman, party of one, wind up in charge? Jacob Hacker, the "father of the public option," and Stanley Resor Professor, Department of Political Science at Yale University, Maggie Mahar, editor of HealthBeatBlog and author of Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much, and Luke Mitchell, senior editor at Harper's magazine, join us to try to explain what's left in the bill and what's likely to happen next.
, and Luke Mitchell, senior editor at Harper's magazine, join us to try to explain what's left in the bill and what's likely to happen next.
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Iran-Contra investigator Robert Parry looks into Lieberman’s motives:
snip:
If Lieberman succeeds in sinking Obama’s chief domestic priority – health care reform – or waters it down so much that it alienates Obama from his liberal base, Obama may find himself essentially the captive of the neocons, needing their blessing to maintain any political viability in Washington.
Lieberman has been careful not to connect his disruptive behavior on health-care reform to his support for Israel, but there can be little doubt that a chastened Obama, either defeated on health care or forced to sign a bill that liberals will view as a betrayal, will have much less political capital to expend in applying pressure on Israel.
A hobbled Obama won’t be able to push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt expansion of West Bank settlements or to take other steps that might lead to a Palestinian state. Obama also could be pushed around himself if Israel – itself an undeclared nuclear power – decides to launch airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
more http://bartblog.bartcop.com/2009/12/15/robert-parry-on-lieberdouche-protecting-israel/
By grassfed on December 16th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I think we already know where Obama stands with regard to the Israeli settlement issue. Read the paper. It would have been nice to let Jacob Hacker finish some of his responses on the broadcast, for the viewers’ interest.
By coreyishere2 on December 16th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
A tip of the hat to the senator from Connecticut for killing the first chance we’ve ever had for meaningful health care reform….
Honestly, has there ever been as vengeful a little gnat as Joe Lieberman? You’d really have to search the archives of history pretty thoroughly to find someone comparable. There are many reasons why Al Gore was defeated in 2000 by a half-witted frat boy like George W. Bush. One of the main reasons was the abysmal choice of running mate Lieberman.
It was obvious during the debate with Dick Cheney during that campaign that comical Joe was a useless drag on the ticket. When Cheney said that his success in the private sector had nothing to do with the government, Lieberman let the statement stand. Cheney made his fortune at Haliburton because of Government contracts! Government had everything to do with it! Did he purposefully sabotage the Gore campaign? Maybe it’s pure paranoia on my part but a case could be made that he did.
Say it ain’t so, Revoltin’ Joe.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen NY
By tomdegan on December 21st, 2009 at 10:13 am
Thank you, Joe Lieberman! Here is a great video that sums up a lot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BUI2VYC_Gg
By sarah1986 on December 23rd, 2009 at 1:29 pm