Senate Democrats need to grow a backbone

[BirminghamExaminer]

Excerpt:

According to a CBS/New York Times poll published June 20, 2009, 72% of Americans support a government health plan.

Half of all Americans believe that the government would do a better job of holding down health care costs than private insurers.

Surprisingly 57% of Americans say they would be willing to pay higher taxes to get a government sponsored health insurance plan (public option).

It's very clear from the results of the poll that a large majority of Americans want to have the choice between a public option and private health insurance. But over the weekend, it wasn't Republicans who were putting the kibash on President Obama's efforts to produce a government sponsored health care option, it was Senator Dianne Feinstein (D), California.

Feinstein said, "I don't know that he has the votes right now. I think there's a lot of concern in the Democratic caucus," in an interview on CNN with John King. Feinstein then went on to bring up Republican Senator Dick Lugar's concerns about the economy.

The GOP strategy of opposition and obstructionism appears to be working, on the Democrats in the Senate at least. But the American people want a public option.

If Feinstein and other Democratic Senators can't stand up to the Grand Opposition Party, it's time to vote her and those like her, out of the Senate and replace them with Democrats who aren't afraid of their vociferous Republican colleagues.

Read the rest of the article here. Includes a video of Gov. Howard Dean talking to Carlos Watson about this issue.

[sandnsea]

1. No. WE need to grow a backbone

and WE need to grow a brain and fight them on the facts and quit thinking it's all about backbone. It's not. They're fighting 75% of the country and that's a pretty strong backbone. We're the ones who aren't out there on every corner spreading INFORMATION and not just waving signs.

[tularetom]

2. Some of them may be fighting 75% of the country but not Feinstein

Her constituents are 75% in favor of single payer. I don't think its backbone in her case. She's just a fucking corrupt crook in the pocket of the insurance bidness.

[sandnsea]

4. And she's fighting that 75%, that's what I'm saying

She doesn't have a backbone problem. Her backbone is fine. It's just not standing up for what you want it to. Clearly California, and Oregon against Wyden, haven't made our displeasure clear enough.

[bemildred]

7. And we need to grow a better and more progressive Congress. nt

[R. P. McMurphy]

9. Absolutely Correct n/t

[NC_Nurse]

3. No. They need to get their hands out of the fucking cookie jar. They are always

looking for money for campaigns and favors from lobbyists. They are indebted to all of the big healthcare co's that
don't want any reform. So they don't support it. Big surprise.

[mwooldri]

5. There needs to be an effective whip in the Senate.

Get those Senators in line... speaking from the same hymnsheet. The Republicans are pretty organized but the Democrats? Appears they couldn't organize their way out of a wet paper bag right now. And Feinstein saying "I don't know if we have the votes" ??? How many Democratic and Independent Senators right now? There's your votes... just get them in line!

Regrettably in the system we have, we can't de-select a candidate for re-election as can be done back home in the UK. In the UK, if a Member of Parliament is being totally out of line, the party can choose to select someone else as their candidate, of course that de-selected MP can run for election again, just not for that party. If a member of Congress (House or Senate) could be "de-selected" and the party has that power, then I'm sure there would be a more unified message.

[IndianaGreen]

6. The problem is not lack of backbone, but the fact they are whoring for health industry

If you want real change, you must demand a political party that represents the interests of the working class to the exclusion of everything else.

[bertman]

8. I agree with you, Birmingham. If they had backbones they would tell the health insurance

lobbyists to kiss their asses and vote for what their constituents want. Right now they're worried about where the campaign finance money is going to come from AND all those negative ads that will be run by the insurance lobby. Spines are optional for our elected reps as long as they have the backing of the folks with the big money.

It takes a spine, aka guts, intestinal fortitude, balls, cajones, ovaries, brass, etc. to stand tall and represent the people, not the corporations.