August 18, 2009

8/18: Stood Up On The Night Of The Prom?

The liberal bloggers are revolting. And not just because they all just spent the weekend partying nonstop in Pittsburgh. A DailyKos blogger describes the emotional rollercoaster for progressives that was the past 48 hours:

"This is a Netroots Nation tradition I could do without. It seems like when the larger progressive community is all occupied by something like a huge and fabulous four-day conference, we get a big ol' bucket of cold water thrown on the party ... This year, it was increasing hints, followed by massive confusion and very, very poor messaging out of the White House, that the firm commitment [Pres.] Obama made for a public option as a candidate and new president has been slipping."

Liberal bloggers are lashing out at who they think is responsible for the so-called WH flip-flop on public option: "the clown show provided in tag team" by Sens. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Senate Finance Cmte chair Max Baucus (MT) is also taking hits.

Hurt feelings are evident all across the liberal blogscape:

• Josh Marshall highlights a tweet from SEIU Pres. Andy Stern under the headline "Where Is This Going?" Stern's tweet: ""We should not lower our expectations on health care. We won the election and a bad plan could lose the next one-America needs real reform."

• Ezra Klein recounts his day on MSNBC's "Morning Meeting" panel 8/17. Grassley appeared briefly as a guest. Klein writes, "His version of bipartisanship is strikingly partisan." Matt Yglesias goes a step further on the Grassley MSNBC appearance: "Grassley’s being a jerk, in other words."

Yglesias then moves on to a Dem who's also left him with a bad taste in his mouth lately. "what on earth is Max Baucus doing? He’s chairman of the committee. There are 60 Democratic Senators. He should write a bill and bring it to the floor. In fact, he should have done so a month ago. Instead, he’s given veto power over both the substantive and procedural aspects of reform to a man who’s not even pretending to be negotiating in good faith." In a later post, Yglesias leaves Obama off the list of the responsible if a public option isn't included in health care reform -- the real culprits are moderates in the Senate, he argues. "These are men and women who have amassed a great deal of power, and who ultimately need to decide on a daily basis what it is they want to do with that power. If they choose to use it for bad ends, then blame them for that, not Obama."

• As the idea of compromise takes hold, liberal bloggers are calling on progressive members of Congress to stand in the way of any bill that doesn't call for a public option. Chris Bowers: "The Progressive Block is the reason for the different direction of negotiations on health care, and the reason why there is still even a chance for a public option. With the White House clearly not drawing a line in the sand, we have to keep the Progressive Block together, or else the public option is dead, and the rightward slide will become unstoppable ... As such, we have to fight against the emerging meme of Paul Begala, President Clinton (and maybe even Paul Krugman) and other elite opinion makers in the Democratic Party urging the Progressive Block to fold."

Meanwhile, conservative bloggers aren't sure what all the fuss is about.

• Michelle Malkin on the remark by HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius on 8/16: "It’s not a misstatement. It’s not a surrender flag. It’s a trial balloon to measure the potential nutroots backlash versus the potential Senate pick-ups. Besides, the public option provision can always be stuffed back in via a 3am manager’s amendment or during the House/Senate conference to reconcile each chamber’s Obamacare bills."

NJ GOV: Blow The Hatch

Liberal bloggers are attacking on ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie (R) as information about a loan he gave to an employee while he was U.S. Atty comes out.

• From Emptywheel: "Amid all the questions of whether or not Christie violated the Hatch Act with his discussions with Karl Rove about his race, it seems rather, um, curious that the woman he has given a significant loan to also has had questions about Hatch Act violations raised."

FL SEN: The Incredible, Shrinking, Tan Governor

Conservatives are continuing to hammer FL Gov. Charlie Crist (R) over the way he's run the Sunshine State. Erick Erickson highlights a new study that shows FL's population is declining for the first time since the end of World War II.

He writes, "As Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist has done his best to implement ridiculous state level schemes like Barack Obama is doing at the national level. Now, to quote Rev. Wright, the chickens are coming home to roost — or rather they’re skipping the early bird special and fleeing."

PA SEN: Put Your Money Where My Mouth Is

Erickson also accuses Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), of being 'bribed' by Obama for his vote on several key bills. Conservatives are focusing on Specter's recent public appearance at Netroots Nation 8/14. During an audience Q & A session at the convo, Specter said he would "vote with the majority" on progressive legislative darlings like EFCA, cap-and-trade and a health care public option. On 8/17, Specter announced Obama would would attend a Sept fundraiser for Specter.

Erickson: "Sure, Obama had already said he’d campaign for Specter, but had actually done not one thing to help Specter ... The question is: which came first? Did Specter saying ‘yes’ persuade Obama or did Obama persuade Specter?

More: "Unless you think the news is wholly coincidental, we must now consider the need to spell Arlen Specter’s last name with a dollar sign instead of an 'S.'"

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: It's Still The Economics, Stupid

Amidst all the talk of progressives going to war with Dem leaders over the public option, conservative blogger Chip Hanlon reminds GOP leaders that they're not off the hook with their party, either.

Hanlon recounts a recent meeting he had with "a very senior member of the GOP Congressional leadership":

"In response to another attendee's question about where the GOP would head, this official flatly confirmed rumors I have been hearing for months, that Congressional GOP Leadership believes that the only reason they lost the majority in both houses was due to an unpopular war (Iraq) and an unpopular President (W). The ONLY reason."

"...If he had looked up from his soup after replying, he would have seen the many looks in my direction from others in attendance around the table: a couple were giving me the 'atta boy' look while a half dozen others were literally shaking their heads at his reply. One openly mouthed, ;unbelievable' to me."

"...The understanding in his mind is clear: us silly little fiscal conservatives out here aren't going anywhere. So, I guess if you expect the NRSC to stop endorsing extreme moderates in GOP primaries or are hoping the House GOP will hear our pleas on spending restraint and abusive earmarks, you are going to be very disappointed."

LEST WE FORGET: It's Always The Ones You Least Expect

"Obama Joker artist unmasked: A fellow Chicagoan" - Los Angeles Times

Posted by esantoro at August 18, 2009 01:20 PM