Blue Dog Dem Dan Boren Echoes GOP Line: Health Care Reform Won’t Happen Unless It’s “Bipartisan”
The GOP’s latest strategy is to aggressively link the White House-backed energy and health care initiatives with the “already failed” stimulus package, and to say that health care reform is doomed unless it’s “bipartisan.”
Now the GOP strategy has picked up an assist from an unlikely — or perhaps likely — figure: Blue Dog Dem Dan Boren.
In remarks in his district that were reported by The Oklahoman, Boren aggressively trashed the Obama-backed cap and trade bill, said it could exacerbate the country’s economic problems, and challenged Obama to be “bipartisan” on health care.
Boren on cap and trade:
“The cap and trade bill is really the worst piece of legislation I’ve seen since I’ve been there. It raises energy prices on businesses, raises electric bills on families, and it even raises gasoline prices in the middle of a recession. And, it makes America less competitive in the global economy.”
Boren on health care:
“If health care reform is going to happen, it’s going to have to happen in a bipartisan way,” he said. “It’s really up to the president.”
It’s worth noting that calls for “bipartisanship” have stopped having any meaning. Multiple Republicans have said that health care reform won’t have bipartisan support unless the White House’s main goals are ditched, so demands that Dems be more bipartisan basically mean “do nothing,” or “dump your top priorities because Republicans want you to.”
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Why does anyone even call Dan Boren a Democrat anymore? Its apparent to anyone paying attention that if the GOP ever gets back to power he will jump ship. Assuming he is still there of course.
What are “the White House’s main goals?” I thought they were health care for all and reduced federal spending so we don’t bus the budget in 20 years time. I think Repubs can get behind those two goals. How aggressively did Obama promote the “public option” during his campaign?
Greg, I know that it is tempting to think that the GOP is getting a “fresh” voice espousing their talking points… but these talking points have no purchase past those already subscribing to them. Democrats on the fence won’t be convinced by an obscure voice from the house, one I wager will be drowned out by President Obama taking the bully pulpit tomorrow.
More exciting news in terms of those willing to cross the aisle with Olympia Snow endorsing the public option over the weekend.
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_treatment/archive/2009/07/20/some-good-news-from-olympia-snowe.aspx
Paul W
Olympia Snowe’s words are encouraging but I wouldn’t call that an “endorsement” of the public option. Maybe a luke warm endorsement at best. Its a start but there is a long way to go.
Yea!!! on Snowe…thanks @Paul W….I hadn’t seen this one…
I think that what Sen Snowe is saying in public is more reserved than her actual position…it was the same way with the Recovery Plan…she hedges a little when making public statements, but I think she is considering much more.
sgw:
That sounds pretty full-throated to me…
Not so full-throated:
“Snowe’s version of this “public option,” . . . would be available in states where private insurance companies fail to offer an acceptable range of affordable plans. Most Democrats favor a public option that would be available regardless of what private insurers offer.”
“The GOP’s latest strategy is to aggressively link the White House-backed energy and health care initiatives with the “already failed” stimulus package,”
I have to say that there appears to be a giant disconnect on the left that has made this argument about the “failure of the stimulus” a lot easier for the GOP to make.
Read HuffPo – Arianna is obsessed with it. Not a day goes by that Salon, TPM, the entire damn bunch, makes the same claim about the stimulus that the GOP is making.
So I have to wonder: WTF?
Yeah, for the first time ever I have to say….What sbj said. Snowe’s vision of a public option isn’t what most of us think a public option should be.
@sg: “And the corners of heaven were filled with the sounds of the hallelujahs.”
Is this the same Dan Boren that was just last week bragging about how much his (white supremacist) district thinks Obama sucks?
The current Republican mind set is what was responsible for events like the Dark Ages. America is fortunate the Democrats hold majorities now and will give us the Age of Enlightenment.
I mean heck, look at how far out there some of the statements were for Mike Castle (R-DE). The irrationality is no longer just the fringe. It’s completely assimilated main stream Republicans.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/21/castle-townhall/#comments
Some highlights from the link.
Regarding Global Warming: “It’s still a theory, so is Darwin’s theory of evolution!”
Regarding Swine Flu: “The virus was built and created in Fort Dix, a small bioweapons plant outside of Fort Dix.”
Regarding Obama’s citizenship: “He is not an American citizen! He is a citizen of Kenya!” [Applause]
It is all about language at this point, Obama is about to hit the trail and as long as everyone is mouthing the words “public option” he is going to find increasing support for a genuine public option. Republicans taking up a critical Dem talking points is a much bigger deal than a Blue Dog speaking in terms of fiscal conservatism.
My point is that despite the media running stories about health care deep into one side of the field (hint, it ain’t liberally biased), and depending on how strongly Obama comes out, there is going to be some serious push going the other way in the coming week.
If you’ve been keeping tabs you will have noted that Obama has gotten support for decreasing future costs by: hospitals, pharmaceuticals, and doctors. He will be able to claim that they back him in some capacity, and then frame this against the GOP who have no plan at all and can only say “slow down” and “socialism! Times a bajillion!”
@SW & SJ:
Her idea of a public option may not be what Dems want it to be, but remember Dems don’t need her vote for the bill – only for Cloture. If the public option in the bill doesn’t match what she wants, she might still be willing to vote for cloture and vote against final passage. The fact that she endorsed ANY version of a public option means a possible willingness to help break a fillibuster.
This same Dan Boren? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/10/dan-boren-oklahoma-dem-sa_n_106420.html
Yeah, he’s a steaming pile..
Greg Sargent is a leftwing hack. Journalists (or is it journolists?) like him helped cover our genius president’s hard-left tracks and sell him to independent voters as a “moderate.” He was no such thing. The Blue Dog Democrats didn’t get elected by embracing Obamanomics and Obamacare, they got elected by claiming Obama was something he is not. Good luck ruining our heathcare system, you commies are going to need it.
@Greg:
“It’s worth noting that calls for ‘bipartisanship’ have stopped having any meaning. Multiple Republicans have said that health care reform won’t have bipartisan support unless the White House’s main goals are ditched, so demands that Dems be more bipartisan basically mean ‘do nothing,’ or ‘dump your top priorities because Republicans want you to.’”
I hate to incenuate that you’re being naive here, but seriously…when did “bipartisanship” mean anything other than “do what Republicans want” in DC? It’s been this way for decades.
Dan Boren is a coward of the first order. He lacked the spine to support either Obama or Hillary, the latter being the Dem primary choice in his yellow-dog district.
Its gotta suck to be a troll that nobody pays any attention to lol
“Some highlights from the link.
Regarding Global Warming: “It’s still a theory, so is Darwin’s theory of evolution!”
Regarding Swine Flu: “The virus was built and created in Fort Dix, a small bioweapons plant outside of Fort Dix.”
Regarding Obama’s citizenship: “He is not an American citizen! He is a citizen of Kenya!” ”
It’s things like this that really cause me to want to give up. I can’t believe I live in a country where people who are ostensibly leaders of the country say things like this – the ignorance is so breathtaking anymore – it rules.
It certainly rules the right and it rules more than the right and the ignorant are proud of it. And this has had to be all but beaten into me – for years I defended Americans against the charge of stupidity. But I surrender. This kind of thing is getting applause from American Idiots every single day. I give up!
Our education system – Oy! It’s producing some of the world’s least informed people.
@Tena: The quotes are from audience members, not “leaders of the country.” Castle is one of the few Repubs who voted FOR Cap and trade and his angry constituents are the ones spouting this ignorance. To claim that those on the right somehow hold a monopoly on ignorance is a bridge too far; there is plenty of ignorance on the left. I think we can agree, however, that our educational system is dysfunctional – let’s stop throwing good money after bad and make some fundamental changes?
I’ve lived in Delaware, and south of New Castle County. That Mike Castle would experience such audience comments from his constituents (he’s the only representative so the entire state is his constituency) surprises me not in the slightest. Politically, the two southern counties in Delaware are basically Dixie. Given how many moderate Republicans have left the party to become independents, I’m not the slightest bit surprised to find Castle’s now contending primarily with fundies.
As to “bipartisanship” on healthcare:
“But do you want to be non-partisan and get nothing? Or do you want to be partisan and end up with a good health-care plan? That is the choice.”
- Sen. Jay Rockefeller
Agreed sbj, if we can’t stay relevant to the subject at hand then we are no better than Palinites.
Are Blue Dogs the same as blue balls?
Couldn’t be. The evidence suggesting Blue Dogs have balls is really pretty weak.
If memory serves, it was Boren’s father, then a “Democratic” senator, who almost single-handedly killed Bill Clinton’s effort to adopt what amounted to a carbon tax on gasoline in 1993. Imagine how different things would be now if that modest effort to tax the burning of fossil fuel in vehicles had succeeded 16 years ago. But the Borens of the world would not hear of it, and with literally no Republican support, Clinton needed all Democrats to go along. Boren the Younger is following his proud family tradition of obstruction and special pleading — big surprise!
On page 486 of the current Obama health care plan…older people will NOT be able to get the same health care as anyone else…the type and quality of health care will be based on your age. Instead…older people will be given a “choice” (to what? Die! or just Suffer!?). Gee in Hitler’s Fascist Utopia, he killed off the old, crippled and infirm…now why is Obama any different?
And this is “why” all the butt licking Obama Fascists…want it passed now..so you don’t have a chance to read it. Well, some of us read it…and were NOT disappointed…Because..
I TOLD YOU SO! I just won a bet that in just six months, when people found out who Obama really was, i.e. some tribal, wannabe HNIC, who has never done anything, never held a job, we have no idea if he really was born in the US…or why the only country he visited before being elected was Pakistan, and that he was a Manchurean candidate…that in six months…he would either be “impeached” (wanna bet on that one?)…or be “isolated and contained” by his own party…as one of the most hideous, bizarre, Fascist Left Wing neoHitler’s to ever be elected president. He is not intelligent…he is merely “clever”…and we will kick this unAmerican socialist out of this country before the end of his term.
As a Roman Catholic…you will be appalled, that if Obama’s Rationed health care was in place….they would pull the plug on thousands and thousands of brain-dead Maria Shiavo’s. I told you so. But…you all wanted Change…but you never asked: Change to What? Fascist, Experimental Health Care?
Sie f-cking Arschlöcher sind dumm linke Nazi-Idioten
Has any Dem looked at the polls to learn just how much respect the PEOPLE have for thes Jackasses?. No the y just go along thinking “arent We the Greates”. Come November they will find out just “How Great Tey ARE”.I hop they make it on un employment.
I respect Dan Boren for standing up for what he believes is right, even if it is going against his party. If only more politicians, both Democrat and Republucan, would stand up for what they personally believe is in the best interest of this country instead of what is in the ineterest of their party.