The public-option compromise reportedly reached Tuesday between moderate and liberal Democratic senators in order to ram Harry Reid’s $900 billion monstrosity to a successful vote may not do much to keep the government from taking over healthcare delivery–but it sure has progressive pundits enraged, according to Politico. The public option is the Holy Grail of the Dems’ progressive base–because it’s the camel’s nose under the tent flap for the single-payer socialized-medicine system that they crave.
Politico focuses on Markos “Daily Kos” Moulitsas and Jane “Fire Dog Lake” Hamsher, both of whom are hopping about like novice fakirs on their first bed of hot coals as they vent against both the compromising Seante Dems and President Obama, who reportedly neglected to utter the words “public option” in his closed-door Senate pep talk on Sunday.
(Warning: Exceedingly gross language ahead, the kind that progressives love because it’s “transgressive”):
This is so freakin’ obnoxious I can hardly stand it. We are about to get a turd of a “reform” package, potentially worse than the status quo. We have the insurance industry declaring victory, Republicans cackling with glee, and the administration is using that piece of shit to raise money?
Obama spent all year enabling Max Baucus and Olympia Snowe, and he thinks we’re supposed to get excited about whatever end result we’re about to get, so much so that we’re going to fork over money? Well, it might work with some of you guys, but I’m certainly not biting. In fact, this is insulting, betraying a lack of understanding of just how pissed the base is at this so-called reform. The administration may be happy to declare victory with a mandate that enriches insurance companies, yet creates little incentive to control costs or change the very business practices that have screwed so many people. But I’ll pass.
Democrats are demoralized, and have little incentive to turn out next year. The teabaggers will turn out. If this is how the Obama camp thinks we can energize the base — by promising them a health care pony for $5 to the same Democratic Party that is home to the likes of Baucus, Nelson, Lincoln, Lieberman, and the rest of the obstructionist gang — then we’re in for a world of hurt in 2010.
I can’t tell you the number of people who have contacted me furious about the OFA [that's Obama's election machine, still campaigning] fundraising email that went out yesterday
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So far from what Obama promised when he announced his health care plan in 2007 it’s not even funny.
No, but what is funny is watching Kos, Hamsher, and the rest of the progressives writhe in ideological agony. Keep it up, Markos and Jane! Be purists! Campaign against the Senate bill! Campaign against Baucus! Campaign against Obama! Please, please, please! I can’t wait until this time next year–and maybe this time in 2012.