Warning Signs
Posted on September 29th, 2009 in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
This morning on CNN I saw the governor of Florida, Republican Charlie Crist, pushing that Obama-is-Carter comparison—clearly now a Republican talking point—and suggesting that there’d be a Reagan-like GOP landslide in 2012.
Crist was talking about how he’d started a health insurance plan in Florida that had “no goverment mandates” and wouldn’t mean higher taxes. The CNN interviewer pointed out that there are almost 4 million people without health insurance in Florida and only 3700 people have signed up for Crist’s plan.
“Actually, it’s over 4,000 now,” Crist said.
A few minutes later, I saw an ad attacking the “Obama/Democrats'” health care plan, saying things like you wouldn’t be able to keep your doctor and you might be jailed if you don’t buy health insurance. It’s all because of Obama’s “public option,” the ad, paid for by a group called “Conservatives for Patients’ Rights,” charged—neglecting to mention that the public option is off the table (and even if it weren’t, neither of those things were true).
And the Washington Post reports that the Secret Service is investigating the origin of a Facebook poll asking the question, “Should Obama Be Killed?”
The choices were: No, Maybe, Yes, and Yes if he cuts my health care.
To which one can only say, WTF? Who are these people?
It’s clear that the Republican Party is more interested in being obstructionist than in helping to solve the country’s problems.
[I also saw Missouri Republican senator Kit Bond on CNN attacking Obama for going to Europe to woo the Olympics instead of “taking the time to meet with his generals about Afghanistan,” which is just absurd.
(And speaking of the Olympics, they should of course be in Rio, I mean, Rio vs. Chicago? Don’t be silly.)]
What is of greater concern is whether the Republican Party is trying to incite the assassination of the president.
5 Responses
9/29/2009 10:19 am
The public option is NOT off the table. At ALL.
Keep up.
Conference committee is where it gets decided.
9/29/2009 12:39 pm
On life support, SE, seems to me….
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/09/so_what_will_happen_with_the_p.html
9/29/2009 1:49 pm
Most of the elements of that link are actually pretty darn bullish on the prospect of the public option, especially compared to the many death knells for it that have sounded over the last month.
I’m putting it at 80% likely, including a 35% likelihood that the Senate actually passes it. There are two other ways to get it, though, in case jackasses like Conrad and Nelson go along with a Republic filibuster — budget reconciliation (the PO could save tons of money) and conference committee.
Mark my words — this president knows what he’s doing.
SE
9/29/2009 2:31 pm
Your choice of pictures to illustrate Chicago vs. Rio, is not esp. Fair or Balanced. I suspect that there are more than a few neighborhoods of Rio that look as bad as the chosen picture of Chicago, and the Chicago Lake Front is quite beautiful (see this or this)
9/29/2009 2:33 pm
I screwed up the links. Let me try again.
… the Chicago Lake Front is quite beautiful (see this or this)