Shorter White House Meme: "Stupak Amendment Stays In, But Woo-Hoo! Send In Money!"

honestly

did anyone really believe that it would pass without such an amendment?

It's sad for women everywhere, and it's disgusting to see congress doing effectively the same thing to women that they are always doing to gays (just too darn sensitive culturally!), but it's the truth.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised, for example, if the final legislation gets rid of the measure that takes the tax off dp benefits for lgbs (which was included in the house bill) just to try to pick up more votes that it wasn't going to get anyway.

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by: tbaxfer @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 12:29:49 PM CST

that being said

I am still happy the bill passed. While it is SO FAR from perfect it's not even funny, it's still a step forward in my opinion. It offers something to build on in the coming years.

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by: tbaxfer @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 15:25:42 PM CST

[ Parent ]

where to build?

The big thing is where do you build on it? We have the same basic system here in Mass and it does cover less afluent people better. Ok, that's good.

But it does nothing to address the major shortcomings with the US system: cost, insecurity, burden on business, pushing people into "insurance jobs," and lack of security. You can't build into fixing those things because they're inherent in the system and "reform" leaves the system unchanged. You have to go back and scrap the system (and hence scrap the "reform") and start over.

What I'm afraid of is that this will discredit health reform sufficiently that it will sour people on fixing things and set back when we can get real reform that actually fixes the problems with the system, rather than just covering more people under it.

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by: kathygnome @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 12:52:16 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I don't know yet...

I'm waiting to see if Obama finally keeps a promise for once and has the Stupak Amendment stripped from the Conference bill. If he does that and has some of the more odious Senate amendments stripped as well, I'll go along and support the bill. But if not, I may have to sit out the rest of the health care compromise and only support single-payer. Honestly, I sometimes wonder if progressives were wrong in agreeing to what's turned out to be a constant process of watering down and "conservatizing" the health care bill.

Act on Principles and make equality happen.  

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by: atdnext @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 13:56:42 PM CST

[ Parent ]

If that anti CHOICE amendment stays in conference

I'll work to kill the entire bill.

This is the same sh*t for women....we'll come back for you later.How the f*ck this happens with women being the majority and holding most of the wealth of the country, is insane.
I want every democrat who supported Stupak killed in PRIMARY races.
Pelosi showed how weak a leader she is, and Blue Dogs were never worth the effort to elect.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 13:00:03 PM CST

Open Left is already working on primary challenges...

Let's join their discussion here. Harvey Milk really got it right when he talked about all of the "us's", the oppressed minorities, consolidating our power by joining together to support each other. I'd like to see us queers join the feminists, the unions, the environmentalists, and all the other progressives who've been thrown under the bus by The White House & the ConservaDems in teaching them a lesson.  

Act on Principles and make equality happen.  

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by: atdnext @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 14:01:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

That's how I got HERE

was by learning and joining feminist blogs.  

Click HERE and sign up: Campaign For Military Partners

Click here for DADT photobook

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by: Louise @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 14:46:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It makes no more sense to tie health ins to employment

now than it did in 1948.  Until we can get to single payer, the whole system will just continue to sink under its own weight.  I can just hear the Repugs in a couple of years when the costs skyrocket yelling "We told you so!".

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by: annwsc1 @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 13:30:09 PM CST

Also just got another DSCC fundraising letter from Carville & Co.

Honestly, chutzpah doesn't even cover the shamelessness.

I typed out a letter in response and sent it back in using their pre-paid envelope:

"Dear Mr. Carville and DSCC,

I am in receipt of your most recent solicitation for funds.  Apparently, the last two email responses were not direct enough or were misplaced.

Let me repeat:

I will not send a single dime of my hard-earned money to any Democratic organization that sits on its hands regarding equality for the LGBT community.

I will continue to support individual politicians -- in the Senate that includes Senators Harkin, Merkley and Franken because of their leadership on ENDA -- as they have demonstrated fully that they not only support equality, but are willing to act like Democrats and work for it.

The DSCC, the DNC, the DHCC and the Obama administration talk of equality but seem all-to-willing to compromise, equivocate and defer on civil equality for LGBT Americans.  If you believe this is somehow in the service of the greater good, the compromises you and your membership have made on health care reform, global warming and protecting a woman's reproductive freedom belie that.

Simply put, to paraphrase from the banking industry, 'Your current transaction has been declined.  The risk for providing any additional monetary credit is too high at the present time.  Pay off your current debt to the LGBT community, and we'll see if your score improves enough to revisit the situation.'

In other words, the gAyTM is closed.

If you feel that this assessment is in error, please feel free to submit evidence to the contrary.

Have a nice day!"

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by: txmichael @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 13:37:39 PM CST

Perfect

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 13:43:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

To hell with OFA (DNC)!

I've been going easy on them for far too long, but NOT ANY MORE! It was horrid enough to see them throw us queers under the bus repeatedly, first in completely ignoring federal LGBT equality legislation, then providing excuses for Obama's inaction, and most recently UNDERMINING us in Maine by stealing volunteers away from No on 1 to call/travel to New Jersey.

But now they further weaken women's reproductive freedom while passing on passing the public option, and they expect kudos and donations for us?

HELL, NO!

OFA is nothing more than an Obama/DNC propaganda/excuse machine. As Pam keeps saying, the GayTM needs to shut down and stay out of order until OFA stops obstructing our agenda. I also hope our progressive allies who care about other issues, like reproductive freedom, single-payer health care, civil liberties (Obama now wants to expand the unconstitutional [Un]PATRIOT Act!), and/or the environment (since the next agenda item is to further weaken the Senate climate bill after defanging the House bill over the summer), now realize they've also been fooled and join us in ONLY supporting progressive Democrats and progressive issue campaigns.

Act on Principles and make equality happen.  

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by: atdnext @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 13:52:52 PM CST

Peanuts

Every time I get a solicitation from the Democrats, I also get a picture in my head of Lucy holding a football.

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by: myroro @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 14:52:08 PM CST

NOT

ONE

FUCKING

PENNY!

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by: David Ehrenstein @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 14:52:53 PM CST

YES

+5

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by: tsokol1 @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 16:00:37 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Could you people...

be any more childish and unreasonable. What was passed was the best that could possibly get passed in Congress.

Would you rather a repeat of 1994 all over again where nothing gets done?

Face it, single payer does not have a chance in hell of passing in the country (not now anyway). As nice as such a system would be, the reality is that the electorate is not behind such a plan and congress is even further behind.

If it takes getting there in steps then so be it. While its clear that most Democrats did not support the abortion amendment, its also clear that the bill would not have passed in the house without it. More importantly, the amendment is ultimately redundant, and simply a bone thrown to the anti choice folks...given that restrictions on funding for abortion is already written into the law. This is just a restatement of facts.

I was listening to a representative from Planned Parenthood the other day talk about this very issue. It was made clear that they did not like the amendment, but the recognized that in the long run the best thing for women in America is to have health care. They were willing to compromise on abortion if doing so meant that women could get the medical support they needed in other areas.

This is just how politics works...sometimes you compromise now in order to fight for what you want another day.

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by: SciFi Geek @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 18:05:42 PM CST

never again

  http://myrtlebeachbum.files.wo...

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 18:39:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

So you're saying

that you're ready to scrap health care reform AGAIN? That is precisely why the Republicans forced this issue.

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by: SciFi Geek @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 08:41:53 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Like the Hippocratic Oath

First do no harm

The anti-CHOICE amendment makes it worse for women's reproductive CHOICE, than what is available now.

THAT'S why it was put in, as a poison pill, that progressives won't support. I'd investigate every Democrat who voted yea for it, they are in Big Pharma's and Big Insurance's pockets....they don't give a rat's a$$ about fetuses.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 09:57:35 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Did someone say something?

God save ornery old queens! - kevinchi

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by: Keori @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 21:03:28 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Please

All this will do is enrich the insurance companies by requiring at least 21 million Americans to purchase private insurance. Clearly, the insurance companies are the problem, not the solution. Obama sold us out to  the corporate interests when he first announced single-payer was off the table. It seems to me that the electorate is behind single payer in spite of what a few highly visible wing-nuts would have you believe.

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
- William James(1842 - 1910)

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by: nudewoody @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 21:12:26 PM CST

[ Parent ]

So what's YOUR plan...

to get health care reform that actually has a chance of reaching the President's desk?

This is not about what we would like to see done...its about what actually can get done.

The Democrats have had to fight tooth and nail for the public option, and you seriously think that there was any chance of single payer being enacted by congress?

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by: SciFi Geek @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 08:44:48 AM CST

[ Parent ]

"Two legs good; four legs baaaaad!"

The sheeple chourus speaks up again.

"Would you rather a repeat of 1994 all over again where nothing gets done?"

You seem perfectly content with a repeat of 1894.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.

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by: TechBear @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 08:32:49 AM CST

[ Parent ]

healthcare FOR ALL.......men

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 20:08:23 PM CST

This surprises you?

Nearly every private insurance plan covers Viagra; quite a few do not cover birth control pills. And those insurance plans that cover pre-natal and delivery typically offer piss-poor coverage.

Clearly, men are much more important than women.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.

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by: TechBear @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 09:30:54 AM CST

[ Parent ]

It suprises me in 2009

Women are a Majority, and more women are working through this recession (many the ONLY paycheck coming into the household), and women have most of the wealth, because they out live men.

So with all that CLOUT, how are they allowing something as basic as their Right to CHOICE to be taken away, is a mystery. That's also why Dem politicians ought to quake with fear, if they band together to toss them out of office. Big Pharma won't save ya then, they'll wait and bribe the next politician.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 10:57:21 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Most plans DON'T cover Viagra

Just sayin.

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by: Kringas @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 11:38:10 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Then things have changed

Within weeks of hitting the U.S. market in 1998, more than half of Viagra prescriptions received health insurance coverage. If many women weren't already outraged that they had to pay for birth control out of pocket, they were infuriated at the preference given to the anti-impotence pills.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story...

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.

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by: TechBear @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 12:43:15 PM CST

[ Parent ]

the LEFT has LEFT

healthcare FOR ALL.......men If the Stupak anti CHOICE amendment is still in the Bill from conference, KILL the entire bill. Pelosi and Hoyer are worthless, and Blue Dogs weren't worth a dime progressives invested in their campaigns. EVERY Democrat who voted yea on Stupak should be defeated in a PRIMARY. Purge this pack of bloody coathanger toting PIGS. Democrats you lost LGBT support doing absolutely NOTHING in Maine, you just angered every pro-CHOICE woman, your unemployment figures are losing Labor, Independants just sent you a flip off in NJ and VA, you might have just as well thrown in an amendment to kill care for sickle cell anemia...and killed the ENTIRE Party. Drop kick that useless Tim Kaine before there aren't 2 Democrats left in the whole country. **note the LEFT has LEFT


"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 21:03:32 PM CST

btw the above post has been censored from two threads on HuffPo

don't speak ill of the democrats

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 21:37:49 PM CST

[ Parent ]

let them get their money from THE FAMILY

let them get their money from THE FAMILY, since apparently thats who they serve anyway, rather than their constituents.

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by: grover nerdkissed @ Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 07:18:17 AM CST