Sunday, March 21, 2010

Thank you, House of Representatives


Thank you House of Representatives, and thank you Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has done something none of the ' legendary' Speakers were able to do.
Today was history, folks.

FINAL VOTE-HR 3590: 219 Yea 212 Nay





from Wonkette:
HAHAHAHAH. Nancy Pelosi loves pissing off teabaggers. Here she is linking arms with John Lewis, just like in the Selma march, to remind America of how teabaggers chanted “nigger” at John Lewis fifteen times yesterday. And if anyone gets in her way, she will smash their skulls into sandhills of calcium with her Weapon, the “1965 Medicare gavel,” forged by ancient socialist hobbits in a distant epoch, as a paean to Thor.


From BooMan:

Waterloo Bounces Off Us, Sticks to You
by BooMan
Sun Mar 21st, 2010 at 06:12:00 PM EST


David Frum is feeling glum.
Former Bush speechwriter David Frum says Republicans bet that the health care reform bill would be President Obama's Waterloo -- "just as health care was Clinton's in 1994."

"Only, the hardliners overlooked a few key facts: Obama was elected with 53% of the vote, not Clinton's 42%. The liberal block within the Democratic congressional caucus is bigger and stronger than it was in 1993-94. And of course the Democrats also remember their history, and also remember the consequences of their 1994 failure."

"This time, when we went for all the marbles, we ended with none... We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat."

I wouldn't say they got nothing. It just got a lot harder for those of us who would like to do away with the Hyde Amendment, and if we're not careful, the stupid Ben Nelson language in the Senate bill will make it harder for people to find a provider to help end a pregnancy. I'd say that the anti-choice movement made some progress in this messy process, and that's at least something that Republicans can point to as progress. But, in the larger picture, David Frum is correct. This bill might have been the Republican version of health care fifteen-twenty years ago. Today it passes with no Republican support. And they have so poisoned the minds of their supporters, that they will never be able to govern effectively in this new paradigm. They screwed themselves. Plus, this bill greatly expands Medicaid. Last I checked, not too many people using Medicaid vote for Republicans. If their party goes from being the Party of No to the Party of Repeal, they'll create at least 31 million solid Democrats. Idiots.



is it what I wanted?

NO.

But, it's a first step.

4 comments:

Stop shouting... said...

I think it's a little premature to be popping champagne corks and celebrating "victory".

The Dems arrogance and tone deaf obstinance will prove to be their undoing. It has not gone unnoticed by the Patriotic Resistance that the "Intolerable Stamp Acts" were signed into law on March 22, 1765. And we know how well that ended for the arrogant overlords. 245 years later, that same spirit of defiance against tyranny and defense of liberty has been reinvigorated.

Once Obama signs this into law, the state lawsuits begin. It will be very hard for any court to claim that State AG's lack standing. One AG has even stated part of their lawsuit will be to file a "Quo Warranto", challenging Obama's legitimacy.

This will be a long, drawn out battle and the "victory" the Progressives are crowing about today is in no way guarantee.

In the meantime, expect increased civil disobedience and defiance of the authority of the Federal Government in even the smallest of manners.

Be heartened, however, since "dissent is the highest form of patriotism". The Progressives told us so.

Brian said...

I would celebrate Rikyrah.... but watching the ineptness of Obama's advisers & Dem strategists over the past year has worn me down.

The fact is... the battle isn't over yet. Republican thugs and their rabid followers intend to crank things up a notch or two over the next several months.

Brian said...

Also a little worried about the cost of this bill.

rikyrah said...

I hear you AI, but, they had to do it. They had to follow through.