Here's my thanks to the hardest worker on HCR:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

Dear Speaker Pelosi:

Early on, I was first elated, then angered, as you took control over 435, independent, self-satisfied, excess felines, and tried to herd them in one direction. I even blogged both in favor, then later, against your efforts. Silly me. I should have stuck with my earliest blogs. Please accept this note of congrats, at the same time as I will erase those few blogs that criticized your tenure as House Speaker.

It struck me late last night, as I was toasting the TV screen one last time, smiling, happy, and relieved that HCR is finally at hand. No matter what happens in the senate, you succeeded where no one else has even come close. It struck me just how tough your job was. The penny dropped as to just how hard you worked, day in and day out, considering territory, bruised egos, the Blue Cur Demoncrats, and to top it off, a lock-stepping, unified Party of No Know. Your patience amazes me. Your energy is rubbing off on me. Your insight, perseverance and people skills makes my jaw drop in awe.

I have no doubts that the MSM will ignore your hard work. I am sure that you will continue to be burned in effigy by Tea Baggers and the most conservative, non-thinking segment that populates the fringes of the GOP. I know that you will be attacked, in part because you have been incredibly successful. And I realize that HCR is still not even over. You did everything you could to force the senate to behave (heh, I can't begin to understand how difficult of a task that was) and they still may go back on their word. But, the hardest job is done. You made this happen. You made America a better place. You deserve a dozen roses, which I think I will send to your California office. Because, you, more than anyone else, need a break, a vacation.

Just look at the line up you dealt with. Bart Stupak threatened to stop everything. Yet, you worked, you cajoled, you pushed, pulled, negotiated, talked, and most of all you did it with respect and honesty in a way that managed to get him and his little anti-abortion group on board. Amazing. You dealt heads up with Dennis Kucinich, in a way that gave him (and other progressives) an honorable way out, without rubbing their faces in it. You kept another 218 people in line, and even were kind enough, and confident enough to let those one or two desperate supporters an out, just so they can come back after November.

Please accept this toast, Speaker Pelosi: Cheers, my hat's off to you. Congrats for a job extremely well done!

We owe you a great deal. America owes you a great deal. (Psst, and the president owes you his now successful presidency)

[gateley]

1. Well done! And a good reminder that we should all send a note of thanks to all

who supported this. :hi:

[spooky3]

2. very good points; thanks.

[ixion]

3. Dear Nancy, Thanks for the Gift That Keeps On Giving. Love, the Insurance Industry

Nancy, once again, has sold us down the river. Yipee.

[TransitJohn]

4. The hardest worker on Hillary Rodham Clinton?

:evilgrin: :dunce:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. Duh. Thanks. I fixed it.

[Spazito]

5. Well said!

Recommended.

[SoFlaJet]

6. Anthony Weiner

I had to send him an email this morning thanking him for all his hard work. No one, and I mean NO ONE fought better every single night, and day on TV than Weiner. He should be rewarded. I'll tell ya, he may be a skinny Jewish kid from Brooklyn but he is one tough SOB that I wouldn't want to mess with.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

9. agreed, he put a smart, clear-headed face on the issues.

He did a great job, too. But the behind the scenes leader, the person that put it all together was the Speaker.

[quiet.american]

7. Hear, hear. nt

[John Q. Citizen]

10. Pelosi? I thought it was Kucinich who delivered the handful of victory votes.

heh heh.

Anyway; a lot of people worked long and hard on the issue, including Pelosi, and she deserves praise for the difficult and skillful job of bringing it home.

Even Max Baucus, who was responsible for guiding and passing the White House guaranteed industry perks and protections through the Senate worked long and hard on the issue. Extremely long and hard. Max started prep work for this bill over a year and a half ago.

One up side to this whole process is that those of US who favor socialized health insurance don't have to hear Max making claims that "Americans don't want single payer" because Max had his ass handed to him from one side of the state to the other by our wide and deep single payer movement in Montana who showed up and let Max know what was on our minds.

Max is still opposed to single payer, as far as I can tell, although he no longer claims that Americans are opposed to it. He learned better.

And we need to find a Senator who will refuse to take cash from the industry and who will work for reform that favors the country over the people who who have been ripping off the country.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. Apparently, so did Stupak.

Polar opposites on some issues, yet both groups were brought in. Now, that's leadership.

I had the feeling that Baucus was really enjoying the limelight (image that in a senator) and the power he could exert over such a complex issue. I am no so sure that there was any room left for him to learn something new, like public option or single payer being popular.

[spooky3]

12. I give Alan Grayson honorable mention too.

Speaking with a backbone when we really needed it, many times.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. and doing it with such style, a smile, and fangs.

I don't think the GOP knew quite what hit them when he was unleashed. It was a thing of beauty.

[spooky3]

16. yes, plus a shout out to Dr. Howard Dean

a pioneer years ago, and a stalwart throughout this long slog.

[John Q. Citizen]

13. Baucus sure changed his tune here at home.

But he also got relentless coverage and he was openly and often repudiated for his biggest in congress industry money and for his inability to listen to any viewpoints other than Repos and industry. and for arresting nurses and doctors.

He put the public option into his White Paper released a year ago Jan, but it was a red herring to lure folks away from single payer and down the primrose path of state support for private insurance companies.

but my point here isn't to condemn nor praise Baucus, just to point out that he worked long and hard and got most of what he wanted into the bill, which was what his masters in the health care industrial complex wanted and also what the Obama administration wanted in the bill.

They wanted to pass a Republican Bill. And they did.

Some people call that a baby step. I call it weird. Just weird.

I'm glad the Repos lost, but I'm not so excited by what we won.

Except as regards Baucus' changed public comments on single payer. I'm excited about that and feel like we won that. We made him quit dishonestly saying that 'Americans don't want single payer.'

Now he says that 'Yes, there are a large group of Americans who want single payer but it isn't possible, as neither is possible the Repo idea of a Public/Private Option' (though he doesn't admit that the PO is a Repo idea, to my knowledge.)

So I guess that's progress. Sort of.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. it very well may be that the votes would have been there

for single payer, public option or medicare for all. I think there were. But the White House delayed getting off its rump for almost a year, and that was a nail in that coffin.

Let's make some lemons out of this sour bill we did pass, and use them lemons to make future lemonade.