Reviewing President Rahm Emanuel's Health Care Speech

[Orwellian_Ghost]

Reviewing President Rahm Emanuel's Health Care Speech

"Not to be too much of a downer, but I found Obama's speech tonight a big O-bummer. Really, other than his very important reminder that "we're all in this together," it was disappointing (although that's probably not the right word, because it implies I expected something more). And remember, while I have at times been critical of Obama, I've been very supportive of him on health care...up until tonight. Here's a list of my basic problems:

- Why do Republican presidents and politicians never bash "The Right," but President Obama uses a joint session speech to bash "The Left?"

- Obama felt the need to tell the country that he's devoted to making sure the wildly unpopular private insurance industry at the heart of the health care meltdown remains profitable. He also made sure to forget that Americans love Medicare and hate private insurance when he went out of his way to reiterate his support for "market" economics (shocker - this was the line both parties stood up and gave a thundering round of applause). Awesome.

- Completely unclear why Obama promised to "call out lies," and then proceeded to embrace the Right's most dishonest narrative about tort reform being a major vehicle to fix health care (not surprisingly, the "don't negotiate with legislative terrorists" lesson was reinforced when the GOP response called Obama's bluff and pushed to work with him on tort reform).

- The wavering on the public option would be hilarious if it wasn't so serious. Really - his insistence that he supports it but might also support removing it reminded me of a Saturday Night Live skit parodying wavering and waffling Democrats. Obviously he just had to listen to pundits insisting he must abandon the public option, when a huge majority of Americans continue to support it, and he has a huge legislative majority in Congress. He obviosuly just HAS to compromise on it because...well...just because - and he certainly can't use reconciliation like President Bush did because...well, again, just because. And, of course, those of us who don't expect him to compromise away an already compromised yet still wildly popular public option are obviously on the radical fringe regardless of polling data. Obviously!

...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/reviewing-president-rahm_b_281559.html

[mucifer]

1. yes it's all a big Jewish conspiracy. President Obama can't have a mind of his own.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

5. What a weird comment

In any case the "mind of his own" seems to be superseded by big money.

Now back to the "Good War" right?

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. Lets see what the market has to say about Insurance and Pharma stocks today

Conspiracy? No. Bailout of the industry? You bet it is.

[Luminous Animal]

47. So the first thing you think of when you see "Rahn Emanuel" is "Jew"?

[placton]

2. ditto

we got sold out - the stileto, not the butcher knife - it goes in soooooo much easier

[ShortnFiery]

3. There's too many "true believers" here. You will be accused of being Un-American

or even worse, anti-Obama.

Nobody is saying that President Obama is not a gifted speaker but MOST objective people know that he is going to essentially give 900 Billion to the Big Insurance Companies.

I want to believe but "hope" is not to be found ... only K Street and their cronies lining up for "the big feed at the trough."

And our glorious progressive dems, almost to a person, are eating that Health Reform shit sandwich. :puke:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

7. President Obama is the most charismatic gifted speakers of our time but when you

go into what he said, this is a massive giveaway to the corporate insurance companies with a possible, non-guaranteed public option (to satisfy the Left for now).

BTW...notice 4 years for the public option to kick in unless something different comes along. Guarantees Obama 4 more years.....

Yes, there are some regulations on the insurance companies but the mandatory coverage will more than make up for those regulations and fill the insurance industry's coffers.

In a post last week I called Rahm Emanuel, President Emanuel. He was the one pushing the trigger (although I know he wasn't going rogue).

[stray cat]

14. Obama is a mindless fool that is completely handled - sounds kind of anti-Obama

[ShortnFiery]

16. You typed it, I didn't.

Read my post again? :shrug:

[Mari333]

21. not Kucinich!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if5fgI-w-CY

[joeycola]

30. I rated it up. HOPE all do the same. Thanks for pointing to it.

[Myrina]

24. +10

:applause:

[debbierlus]

37. It is so sad. I thought REAL health care reform would be aline in the sand moment

Turns out, all it takes is a eloquent sales pitch from the hired corporate puppet.

It is disgusting.

[treestar]

41. No one has ever said that

I haven't seen it.

If the insurance companies get the money, people will be covered.

[TornadoTN]

49. Insurance companies get the money does not equal people will be covered

At least in any meaningful way. We will still have a system that does it best to pad the corporate bottom line by playing fast and loose with peoples health.

They are destroying people today - I can't imagine what they are going to do with a little more money in their pocket and a group of citizens who can barely afford to pay their premiums.

[seabeyond]

44. this whole thread sounds republicn.... vomit. so, you cant disagree with poster unless

"true believer". is that a good way to put head in sand?

i havent read op. dont care. but title alone feels like somthing my fox news, limbaugh loving brother would say. makes skin crawl. then i read your post and hand in hand with repug attitude

[HamdenRice]

50. He's articulate and "clean", but that's it, right? Doesn't talk too loud either! nt

[spanone]

4. i love comedy in the morning

[Orwellian_Ghost]

15. Yes but remember

Simply because pathological behavior has become normalized that does not make that behavior any less insane. You might re-check on who has gone of the deep end as we all get thrown under the bus while insurance companies reap even bigger profits. Cause that's what you are defending.

Which part of Sirota's article do you find so nutty? I await your analytical erudition.

[berni_mccoy]

6. Sorry, but you've really gone insane.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

28. See post #15

Sent it to the wrong response. It's for you.

[SidDithers]

33. +1...nt

Sid

[Mari333]

8. well, at least now I am pretty convinced without a doubt

who runs the USA. $$$$$
getting too old now to even care anymore.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. Mari, I'm starting not to care too for myself, but I have two kids and their

well being to be concerned about.

If they haul me away to debtors prison, at least I'll have free healthcare.

:hi:

[Mari333]

18. I have 2 adult sons also but at this point

I just dont see much more hope on the horizon. I have, what, maybe 20 yrs in this body left, and most of the last 40 yrs has been working to fight the system, wars, moneymen, big govt, wars, injustice. and for what, to get a dem president in there who still wavers and hems and haws and lets the corporations speak for him. I guess Im just tired and let the chips fall where they may.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

22. My sons are younger 18 and 22, still in school and although my oldest just went away to college

is home for the weekends...they are still quite unformed.

I've been in your shoes and understand completely. As to 20 more years left in my body? Every day I wake up and breathe, seems like a gift to me. I haven't been to a doctor in over 10 years and frankly scared to death to see one if I do have a "plan".

[Mari333]

26. I dont have the insurance to see a doctor either

I have catastrophic care. it only covers catastrophies and its expensive, but it keeps my retirement savings safer. I havent had a pap smear or a breast exam for yrs, or been to see a doc. dont have the coverage. I will keep my fingers crossed that I will stay healthy til Im 65 when I can get Medicare. I stopped smoking and am a vegan. I am going to try and leave the bulk of my savings to my 2 remaining sons. My youngest son passed on in 2006 from horrible back disease which used up most of his money . He doesnt have to worry about this shit anymore. Oh, and as for getting help for my grief, I paid out of pocket for a grief counselor, who was nice enough to let me pay at a reduced rate.
Really, we are on our own out here, floundering.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

27. Now you did it, I'm in tears here.

:hug:

[Mari333]

29. dont cry

I know that Joey is with me everyday and he shows me he is..he says "dont worry mom its okay, Im okay, love is what its all about"..I know hes okay, and he keeps me going thru all this.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

31. I understand what you are saying. My parents and my soulmate passed over

and they are still with me. In fact my Mom passed just 2 months ago and was too hovering afterwards and I swear I was feeling her former physical ills and I asked her to back off a bit. :) I know that they're all ok too but
I still cry when I hear of close loss...it's just something in me.

Another :hug: just because.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. The black guy's not really president, see?

:eyes:

Despicable.

[sufrommich]

10. Amazing, isn't it? nt

[stray cat]

11. In other words - Obama is a mindless empty suit parrot - just like W or because he is black

its worse than Joe Wilson calling out liar

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. Some of these posters have always believed that

In Rahm Emanuel, they just have a clearer path to mask the true nature of their argument.

It really is a sickening display.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

19. Noone said anything like that

You misrepresented what Sirota said in a most dishonest way. That's worse than anything the Right would do. Well okay on about a par with.

Special interests run the show. You doubt that?

[treestar]

42. If special interests are that powerful, what are we going to do about it?

The President said he wanted a P.O., so standing behind him on this would be the thing to do. Seems obvious to me. Now he knows the far left does not. So the far left can take responsibility for there not being a P.O.

Now if the far right had wanted something, and the President did too, you can bet they'd be behind him. Then they'd get what the want.

The Permanentely Annoyed and Angry appear to want to be upset and depressed and hopeless. So they sabotage what they say they want.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

17. In a post last week, I referred to Rahm as President Emanuel. But we all know, he isn't going rogue

Like a good Jew (I am Jewish), he is the scapegoat.

[Mari333]

20. Kucinich hits it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if5fgI-w-CY

[Ruby the Liberal]

25. When I recommended this, it went from +3 to 0

Did people actually LISTEN to the speech last night?

[SidDithers]

32. Unrecc'd. "President Rahm Emanuel" is just fucking stupid...nt

Sid

[Laelth]

34. Fully agree. I was very displeased with the plan the President outlined.

I wasn't pleased with his attack on the uninsured, either.

:dem:

-Laelth

[HamdenRice]

35. Scheming clever Jew pulling strings of dumb Negro--why am I not surprised by your perspective?

considering some of the other shit you've written?

[Orwellian_Ghost]

36. Slander is all you know

Pretty amazing that you support full on racist institutions and continue to slander people through your absurd conflations. All you are attempting is discrediting a source as you are unable to coherently argue against any of Sirota's points and you definitely do not want the discussion to actually hinge upon ideas as your guy is in the pocket of the big business interests that you so ardently support.

Your slanderous post should be scrubbed but it's useful to see how dishonest you are.

[HamdenRice]

38. As you can see upthread, several have drawn the same conclusions about the OP nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

39. Where do you see anything like that in the OP?

[HamdenRice]

40. "President Rahm Emanuel"

Isn't it obvious that the point is that Obama isn't president and Rahm is?

[Luminous Animal]

46. I suppose you will also accuse Sirota of being a self-hating Jew, eh?

[seabeyond]

43. Reviewing President Rahm Emanuel's ... didnt read your post. this sounds so, ...

republicanish

[Marr]

45. Maybe he put Emanuel in that spot because they're ideologically in synch.

I understand where you're coming from, but even that is too generous, IMHO. When Obama acts like a corporate tool, it doesn't mean he's being manipulated by his support staff of corporate tools. He did hire them, after all.

[Individualist]

53. No doubt about it!

One wouldn't surround himself with DLCers if he weren't in agreement with them.

[Jennicut]

48. Man, I usually don't unrec your posts as I like you being a firebrand liberal and you stick to your

principles but President Rahm? Obama is a big boy...can't you criticize him directly?

[DevonRex]

51. Right. The black President is too stoopid so somebody else tells him what to say.

[maryf]

52. K&R nt