WTF ...15

[pbmus]

""

[boguspotus]

1. There was no way single payer would pass:

Unfortunately that's true.

[freshwest]

2. Thanks!

[pbmus]

3. Unfortunately that's true...nt

[boguspotus]

8. Didn't they even have to appease Lieberman too?

When he ran for vice president wasn't his stance Medicare for all? But since no one wanted him to be president in 2004 he turned into a whiney little asshole and became a right winger? Joe was so important (to himself) that he just had to be a dick because he could.
(He wasn't the only one though.)

[awoke_in_2003]

7. True, but had our side started negations there...

we might have gotten public option.

[MannyGoldstein]

11. Two-thirds of Americans wanted single payer.

Still do.

Two thirds!

If Democrats didn't get it done, they either didn't want it or they totally suck as politicians.

[Ed Suspicious]

14. This is true. What is the point of electing them if they are feckless?

[Doctor_J]

17. Not you're getting to why so many 2008 (D) voters stayed home in 2010

Many millions cast their first vote or crossed over in 2008 because they thought a Dem WH and big congressional majorities would enact a sea change in priorities. For whatever reason, Reid & Pelosi & Obama were unable to deliver, and...oops.

[jeff47]

25. Unfortunately, a lot of those hopes weren't based on anything.

For example, lots and lots of people on DU claim they voted for Obama in 2008 so that we'd get out of Afghanistan. And they were pissed when he didn't immediately pull out.

He campaigned on staying in Afghanistan. In fact, he was calling for additional troops during the campaign.

An enormous amount of that "sea change" you describe is similar. It's people deciding Obama must be for _______ despite candidate Obama saying nothing or saying the opposite.

[drm604]

33. Yeah, if they weren't so feckless they would have passed it even if they didn't have enough votes!

[Ed Suspicious]

34. If they weren't so feckless they would have gotten the votes.

[jeff47]

18. Still waiting for you to explain how they could have gotten Lieberman's vote. (nt)

[MannyGoldstein]

19. If Lieberman's vote was needed, the solution

would rhyme with this:

[jeff47]

20. Lieberman's vote was needed. And your link's busted.

So, how could they have gotten "The Senator from Aetna" to vote for single-payer?

Oh, and once you've got that, then we can move down to getting Ben Nelson to vote for single-payer. And on to the next, and the next, and the next....

[MannyGoldstein]

21. Link's fixed, sorry.

Remind me... was Lieberman the 50th vote?

[jeff47]

22. 60th. And there were only about 20 votes for killing the filibuster

according to Sen. Wyden.

So you either need to come up with a way to get Leiberman's vote, or you need come up with a way to convince 30 Senators to give up power.

[MannyGoldstein]

24. Interesting.

Didn't ACA pass with 50 votes using reconciliation?

(Heck, I remember when almost any bill could pass with 50 votes, back when the filibuster rules weren't insane - but hey, it would be unreasonable to return to those rules.)

[jeff47]

26. Nope. The ACA was passed as two bills.

One with 60 votes, one with 50 to tweak paying for it. There's lots in the ACA that can't pass through reconciliation, such as "no pre-existing conditions".

[MannyGoldstein]

27. Ah. I'll check that out, thanks.

In any case, if 2/3rds of americans wanted it, and Democrats wanted it, it should have passed.

[ThoughtCriminal]

4. The gear, valve, pipe and boiler lobbies

if you follow the metaphor.

[Fred Sanders]

5. Because it would not have passed Congress, is the answer. And try he did.....

[Gothmog]

6. Great cartoon

[bhikkhu]

9. Obamacare has worked great for my family - 1st time we've had healthcare in 12 years

And statistics indicate that at least 10 million people would share my experience.

Also, I got a new job (at last) in a largish corporation that offers healthcare coverage. At our first benefits meeting, they were pleased to announce that for 2014-2015, for the first time in 15 years, there will be no increase in the cost of the employee share of benefits. In spite of having to up coverage to comply with the law.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/20/health-care-spending-growth/3650243/ "Healthcare Spending Increases Hit New Lows". The law works.

[Doctor_J]

10. Because Big Insurance owns a big chunk of the government, including the white house

[Enthusiast]

12. Correct.

[Mr.Bill]

13. They sure as hell owned Lieberman. n/t

[Unknown Beatle]

15. Right you are, Doctor_J.

Is that Doctor_J as in the basketball player or because you're a doctor of something?

[Doctor_J]

16. I am a doctor of something

[Cha]

23. We have a strong foundation for single payer .. at least President Obama got that started and it's

helping many many Families. No use whining about what could have never happened in the first place. We got this.. and it's only Growing. Thanks Obama!

[pbmus]

28. I am all for thanking Obama when he deserves thanking ....

at this point, insurance companies are still involved in health care, which is an oxymoron ...

[Cha]

30. Yeah, keep harping about insurance companies.. they love it that they have to accept

pre-existing conditions.

Blue dogs wouldn't let single payer go anywhere.. I know because I had one in NY back then and tried to talk to him about it.

[pbmus]

31. Did you tell him/her that we already have single payer and that it would

be less costly to do single payer than what they have concocted for the insurance companies benefit ...

[Amonester]

29. All that machinery makes me think of how this Congre$$

(and the one before it) does.not.work.

[mwrguy]

32. Lieberman should have woken up with a horse head in his bed

figuratively, of course.