I'm hearing on the news channels this morning that the WH is upset with Dr. Dean...how can we get

[Skidmore]

message to them that Dr. Dean is not "irrelevant" and that he commands a great deal of respect out here? Savannah Guthrie on MSNBC just now reported that WH staff are furious with Dr. Dean's comments last night and that they referred to him as being irrelevant. This is pissing me off. They should have been consulting him throughout this process instead of sucking up to Lieberman and Collins and Snow.

[babylonsister]

1. Dean doesn't have a vote; Lieberman, Collins and Snowe do.

Seems to me sucking up to Dean instead would have accomplished nothing.

[chimpymustgo]

5. Look what sucking up to Lieberman and Snowe got 'em. A big SHIT SANDWICH.

:puke:

[MercutioATC]

10. I have a feeling that the White House is gettting exactly what it wants...

...as is 90%+ of Congress.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

35. +1

[truedelphi]

53. Perhaps many here have that feeling.

And probably a good many DU'ers are out having a stiff one, or trying to not think about this.

[democrank]

If politicians "sucked up to Dean"

know who would win? The people, not the insurance companies or Big Pharma. Of course the White House is furious. Dr. Dean is on to the scam.

[babylonsister]

19. No, the people would not win, because absolutely nothing would

be passed. What part of this isn't clear? Lots of discouraged people around here, but lots of people, like Nate Silver, who are viewing this realistically. I'm disappointed Dean isn't.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x62132


* 'Why Progressives Are Batshit Crazy to Oppose the Senate Bill' Nate Silver crunches the numbers and finds that a hypothetical family earning $54,000/year would pay $19,576 for health insurance in 2016 if nothing changes. But with the Senate legislation (sans public option), that drops to $9,000. "I understand that most of the liberal skepticism over the Senate bill is well intentioned. But it has become way, way off the mark. Where do you think the $800 billion goes? It goes to low-income families just like these. Where do you think it comes from? We won't know for sure until the Senate and House produce their conference bill, but it comes substantially from corporations and high-income earners, plus some efficiency gains."

[rpannier]

9. So do Burris and Sanders

Burris (from my state) has repeatedly said he will not vote for a bill w/o a public option.
Seems they're probably in a no win situation

I also called his DC Office -- Sen Burris still stands by what he said earlier

[babylonsister]

16. I read about Burris yesterday; I think he's longing for attention, but

bet he won't take a stand in the long run. Or maybe he will; he has nothing to lose.

[WeDidIt]

2. The White House is now irrelevent

They've done everything they cna to drive away those who supported them the most in 2008.

What. Fucking. Idiots.

[DCBob]

7. Speak for yoursellf.. most still support President Obama..

You need to realize you are in a tiny vocal minority who are becoming more and more irrational and more and more irrelevant.

[Nite Owl]

11. That's funny,

I don't know anyone who supports him anymore. Especially the younger group that did a lot to get him in office.

[babylonsister]

12. +1. nt

[sendero]

13. You are delusional..

... even the most stupid eventually figure out they've been punked. Well, maybe not you.

[placton]

23. 40% of Dems

likely won't be voting - is that insignificant? But hey, facts dont matter?

[freddie mertz]

29. What does "Support President Obama" actually mean at this point?

I support the Obama who declared that any bill he will sign "must have a robust public option."

Where has that Obama been for the past six months?

[xiamiam]

48. not true..people are losing their houses, health care, jobs..nothing

is being done except flowery speeches..a war is being escalated that most of us think is bs..we're united in more ways than you can ever imagine

[MissDeeds]

40. +1 n/t

[xultar]

3. Ban MSNBC as a news source

:hide:

[freddie mertz]

30. Or you can just plug up your ears and deny the facts.

[xultar]

41. I was being sarcastic...based on the people who wanted to ban Politico for reporting correctly

that the WH wanted to deal with Nomentum.

[LiberalLoner]

4. I don't think there IS any getting through. I think lost elections will get through to them.

I don't know if the administration is out of touch, clueless, or corrupt, or has some gun held to their collective heads to make them act just like Repukelicants, but I don't see any indication they care one bit what the people who once elected them think.

[ErinBerin84]

6. that's depressing me too

And I know that Joe, Mika, and Norah are not credible on some things (strike that, a lot of things) , but Christ, Norah said that the administration wants to "tie Dean to a tree and beat him" and that when they asked administation officials last night at the Christmas party about Leiberman, they pretty much shrugged and said "This happens", but got really mad when asked about Dean. What the fuck.

[deminks]

8. Barnacle Mike sayez it's displacement, they can't get mad at Lieberputz, so

they get mad at Dean.

What will they promise the Liebershit? War with Iran? I can see it happening.

[sendero]

15. Oh bullshit..

... Lieberman is working WITH THEM. This is all a strategy to do nothing good and yet have political cover for not doing it.

[Nite Owl]

14. They never liked Dean

That's why he wasn't even considered for HHS. They don't want to ever give him credit for the wins in '06 or '08, Rahm took credit for that!

[optimator]

17. good. more proof Obama is not on our side.

I hope they slam Dean hard so that he leaves this sick party and considers an independent run.

[polichick]

25. Or challenges Obama in the Dem primary. nt

[MissDeeds]

46. I bet he'd have a lot of support

There are plenty of former Dean supporters who are unhappy with the Obama administration. I doubt Dean would ever run against an incumbent. Maybe there will be a "draft Dean" movement if this crap keeps up.

[polichick]

52. I won't be surprised if we see a "draft Dean" movement very soon...

His campaign was the beginning of the change movement. Unfortunately, Obama seems more like a distracting shiny object than the continuation of that movement - time to get back on track.

[Pirate Smile]

18. The issue is how to get shit through the Senate. Dean should know that.

He was just saying how Harry Reid had the worst job of anyone then he goes off and makes it worse instead of trying to make it better. I'm disappointed with him and I actually caucused for him in Iowa in 2004. I wish he would try to work productively with the Senate to try to make things better instead of throwing bombs from outside - but, I guess, I'm kind of hoping that is what he is trying to do right now. However, it is having the wrong effect.

[CTyankee]

36. Howard Dean has a thorough understanding of what our health care system needs. It's as simple

as that. He is telling us the truth and we just don't want to hear it.

I watched President Obama speak yesterday after he met with Sen. Dems. I felt that he was not being sincere in his support for this thing. I think he knows how truly imperfect it is and how risky it is to pass "something" that has the potential of blowing up in our faces and making matters worse, not better.

Howard Dean is credible. He has done his homework and more. He is right and the White House is wrong on this issue. And it is important. Secretly, Obama knows this. He is just too smart not to.

[elleng]

20. 'THEY' is probably rahm, and he's been 'upset' with Dean for a LONG time.

[Pirate Smile]

38. I agree and I don't think of Rahm as everyone in the White House.

[elleng]

42. He's not 'everyone,' but he is important AND

press uses such shortcuts in describing from whom they've gotten their tips all the time, I think.

[Pirate Smile]

45. I agree with that too.

[polichick]

21. Maybe the Dr. will now consider a primary challenge. He tried to work with...

...the fools at the WH only to have them slam him over and over again.

[rpannier]

22. Unfortunately he is from Vermont

They have two great Senators
If he was from New Hampshire, that would have rocked.

[polichick]

24. I was thinking presidential. :) nt

[rpannier]

26. My bad. Sorry

i was thinking 2010

Thanks for clarifying

[freddie mertz]

31. I would support a Dean challenge to Obama. nt.

[JohnnyBoots]

39. Me too, nt

[Freddie Stubbs]

33. He can be 2012's 1980 Ted Kennedy

[elleng]

43. Sure, and how far did that go?

[Freddie Stubbs]

51. Far enough to weaken Carter and ensure a Reagan victory

[JHB]

27. The thing that seems obvious to me is...

...if the WH actually considered Dean "irrelevant" they wouldn't be "furious" at his comments.

Dean may not have a vote nor have his hands directly on the levers of power here, but if they actually considered him irrelevant the reaction would be more of bemused "so what?"

[MissDeeds]

49. Excellent point

They're furious because he hit a nerve. Dean has credibility and respect, both of which the WH is losing.

[freddie mertz]

28. The fact that they pushed Dr. Dean to the side from the beginning,,,

...Shows them for what they really are.

And we should have known it then.

They dug this grave, not just for themselves, but for all of this.

They can lie in it as far as I am concerned.

[L0oniX]

32. WH to progressives ...GET LOST!

[Vinca]

34. Quite frankly, I don't really give a shit what the White House thinks.

They don't listen to us anyway, so what's the point? Little has changed. This is still government by the corporations and for the corporations. It wasn't Howard Dean that pushed me over the edge yesterday, it was the vote on reimportation of drugs. I honestly could not believe that failed.

[Cetacea]

37. Savannah Guthrie ? Please.

[ljm2002]

44. Oh that's rich...

...they're upset with Dr. Dean because he speaks the truth and advises this shell of a bill be scrapped like the piece of garbage it is.

Oh boo, hoo, hooey.

[PassingFair]

47. Donating to DFA will surely help.

Money talks.

[rvablue]

50. If the WH did indeed tag Dr. Dean as irrelevant, then they are losing touch.

I didn't support or vote for Dean in 2004.

But I'm one of those people who have grown to have enormous respect for him. I love his candor. And I truly believe he speaks from his heart and a set of concrete principles -- one which is getting ALL Americans decent, solid health care.

I've been trying to stay optimistic and battle the naysayers. Last night, when I watched Dr. Dean on Countdown, it really, really got to me. I trust him to tell me the truth.