Obama to Progressives: 31 Million People--And My Presidency--Are On The Line If Health Care Fails

[FourScore]

Obama to Progressives: 31 Million People--And My Presidency--Are On The Line If Health Care Fails
Brian Beutler | March 4, 2010, 4:26PM

...Obama reminded the assembled Democrats that doing nothing would be politically disastrous. "To maintain a strong presidency we need to pass this bill," the President said, according to Grijalva.

Progressives aren't without demands of their own. They are looking for all assurances that the Senate bill won't pass without a companion reconciliation bill amending it. Obama assured the members he sees the two bills as companions.

"We don't want to get trapped voting for the Senate bill as is without a full understanding that what he signs, and comes to his desk, are the two pieces of legislation, and the other part being the critical part being the reconciliation," Grijalva said.

Obama also apparently pledged to revisit the public option in the future.

Grijalva's account was echoed by Congressional Black Caucus chair Barbara Lee, who said the President reminded them: "31 million people will have health insurance as a result of this bill."

"Did the message resonate?" I asked.

"I think it resonates for a lot of people," Lee said.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/obama-to-progressives-31-million-people--and-my-presidency--are-on-the-line-if-health-care-fails.php?ref=dcblt

[Bluebear]

1. Oh, is he talking to us now?

:)

[Divine Discontent]

3. BWHAAHAHAHAHAHA!

that seriously was very funny to read! thank you dear BB....

:)

[Bluebear]

5. XO

[Cerridwen]

4. *To* us or *at* us?

If this is how he and the New Democrat (sic) Party do horse trading, I wouldn't let them sell the fugliest horse I'd ever seen.

Me - I want $25,000 for this horse with its bloodlines and racing wins and proved progeny.
Them - We'll start the bidding at $2,500.
*sigh*

[DaveinJapan]

17. Wrong.

Us - We want $25,000 for this horse with its bloodlines and racing wins and proved progeny.
Them - There will be a $2,500 cap on todays auction. If today isn't convenient for you, we can postpone indefinitely. We'll start the bidding at $25.

*double sigh*

[Cerridwen]

23. :(

A study posted on DU a couple of days ago said 68 people per day, die due to lack of health care due to lack of insurance. I wonder how many more are dying or living a miserable, unhealthy life due to lack of adequate health care due to lack of adequate insurance.

It looks like they're letting the horse starve to death in the interim.

[area51]

38. Another study says

Every day, 273 people die due to lack of healthcare in the U.S., for a figure of 100,000 per year.

[gateley]

2. "Obama also apparently pledged to revisit the public option in the future."

Since there won't be any Republicans voting for whatever we come up with, why can't we just include it NOW?

I really need it! And I know I speak for millions!!

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Leftist Agitator]

13. you know, cliffordu, I rarely disagree with your posts, but this time, I'm going to have to.

Perhaps the post that you responded to wasn't the most eloquent expression of displeasure, but damned if it doesn't ring more true than not.

[cliffordu]

16. It's just the vituperation I object to.

Anyone can second guess, opine and bloviate. I do it all the time, it's my favorite thing in the world.

But the hatred....Please......

My wife and I were bankrupted by medical bills, lost everything.

If this bill stops that from happening to ONE MORE FAMILY, it's almost worth it.

Obama might not fix it. It's a shitty bill. To lay the blame on him alone and not the scumsucking cretins in Congress is disengenuous at best....

But the hatred is really unneccessary.

[Leftist Agitator]

18. To lay the blame on him alone and not the scumsucking cretins in Congress is disengenuous at best...

You will get not one iota of argument from me, amigo.

But just the same, the poster has a valid point. President Obama has certainly betrayed the ideals that Candidate Obama seemingly embraced.

[cliffordu]

19. I'm not completely sure we can EVER find someone who

will be a damned bit better. Nobody seems to be able to keep their word once they're Prez.

Except maybe the fucking tax cut war suck Republicans....

I ain't excusing Obama for anything....I just cannot see anyone getting a better bill through congress....

THIS IS WHAT THE CORPORATIONS HAVE LEFT US. UNLESS WE TAKE THEM OUT OF THE EQUATION, THIS IS THE BEST WE WILL GET.

No true progressive will gain the white house as long as the status quo of money and K street run the fucking show.

It's no accident that the Prez's election PR team recieved the highest award out there for his campaign - they were looking from the pure advertising point of view...

This is the fucking world we live in.

I'm amazed at what little good is in the bill is still there.

[Leftist Agitator]

20. This is why I like you, cliffordu.

You see the problem, but you're a pragmatist, not an idealist.

I suppose it comes with seeing disappointment after disappointment over the years.

Suffice it to say, I'm glad you're a DUer, and I have rather enjoyed our discourse thus far.

[cliffordu]

21. Right back at you, L. A....

When I was a kid I found out that my name wasn't really my name, and the father I thought was mine, wasn't.....And I developed this little mantra:

"Everything you think you know is wrong"

When I was in Vietnam I saw that we were the same dull monsters we were supposed to be fighting, not John Wayne, or Audie Murphy, or Sergent York...

"Everything you think you know is wrong"

I drank and used drugs for so many years and lied about it that the truth of any stripe didn't live anywhere near me at the end....

So I sobered up, and thought I was going to be fine, at last. After five years in the program and not touching a drop and still being crazy and dangerous and in the kind of pain that suicide relieves, I got diagnosed with a mental illness.

"Everything you think you know is wrong"

So, Fuck yeah, I'm used to reality suddenly becoming somewhat different than my current understanding of it....But that's OK.

Makes me flexible.
:rofl:

[DURHAM D]

7. That headline makes it sound like Obama wants them to help him keep his job.

But there is no indication that he feels their pain.

Obama should have been out front on this issue for the past 13 months. Instead he let everyone else carry the water. Now he wants to come in during the last leg of the relay, play hero, and act as if he is the only one on the team that matters and he can't even see all the injured players.

I hope that the sentiment in the room was not what I am taking from that article.

[Raineyb]

8. I was under the impression that there are over 50 million who are uninsured.

I guess we've all but given up getting EVERYONE covered huh?

[Sub Atomic]

9. Oh you moonbats and your hippie dippy feel-good ideas!

Don't you realize that 10s of millions of Americans don't DESERVE health care?















































:sarcasm:
Unfortunately, this emote is necessary. *sigh*

[laughingliberal]

24. We gave up on that long ago. nt

[Raineyb]

26. HE gave that up a long time ago. I haven't done any such thing.

Until that happens you'll see no jumping up and down from me on this pathetic excuse of a bill.

[laughingliberal]

31. Nor from me. By "We' I did mean those we elected to represent us. nt

[arcadian]

11. He will only have himself to blame.

[leftstreet]

12. Citizens to Obama: Our lives are on the line if we don't get Single Payer

Get a clue

[Ardent15]

22. + a million

[cascadiance]

14. Nice sell job. Why wouldn't we rather have Howard Dean or someone like win the primary instead?

You HAVE NOT been working for us last year. Perhaps your presidency going to another like Dean would be better.

[roguevalley]

15. saddest thing. he only needs his most loyal people when he needs

them and not a moment sooner. What a buncha crap. A year and a half of ineptitude and now we have to bail out his ass. Sad.

[laughingliberal]

25. Once again the Progressives are urged to suck it up while the Blue Dogs are pampered

And we'll 'fix' it? Sure, right after we get NAFTA fixed.

[Mari333]

27. I will vote for any progressive dem who runs in 2010 and 2012

and not for the DLC blue dogs.

[Individualist]

35. I'm with you.

No DLCer will ever get my vote.

[cascadiance]

36. We need to see DLCers for who they really are!

[Overseas]

28. Wish that were-- "Obama to Opponents of the Public Option" -- sigh //nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. CYA is a major part of the Master Chess Strategy. Blame the left.

[ThomWV]

30. It is not pleasing to hear that his Presidency is more important than the best that could be done

Because ever concession to the Republicans that comes without a pledged vote degrades that which is best for the nation.

[L0oniX]

32. Where did that 31 million figure come from?

[LWolf]

33. This is a dupe, and my reply is still the same.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7844663

His message leaves me cold. If he wanted my support, he shouldn't have thrown me under the bus.

I'm not going to suddenly support something I don't support to help his presidency when his presidency doesn't support me.

[BrotherLove]

34. Progressives to Obama: 45,000 will die, and you'll lose if Health Care doesn’t say Medicare for All

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

37. It was funnier when National Lampoon used it in 1973.

:shrug: