I am totally shocked by what has happened.
It had appeared that Dennis Kucinich had Obama worried, rather than the other way around.
It appeared with Obama and Kucinich "discussing" Health Care on Air Force 1 no less, that the opportunity existed where Obama might possibly consider making a concession or two, just to secure Kucinich's vote.
Suddenly, and sadly, Kucinich just gave in, and got absolutely nothing back in return.
While DKos, MoveOn.bored, and mainstream Democrats all publically threatened to oppose Kucinich and get their pay back and revenge on him, it is pretty well established that Kucinich is in a district which knows him well, and that re-elects him every two years -- whether or not he faces a Primary challenge. I can't see Kucinich caving just on something like empty "reelection" bluffs, hot air, and threats of this nature. Kucinich has been through all of that many times before and won the War.
Remember Dennis Kucinich is a guy who stared down the Bank Monopoly in Ohio before and won. He even faced an assassination attempt before and won. This is a man not easily shaken. So why would Kucinich suddenly be so easily intimidated now?
What threat did Obama issue? Black Ops? Did his unconstitutional wiretapping program create or fabricate some embarrassing family story or personal smear? Did Obama threaten Elizabeth Kucinich? Did Obama and Pelosi move to take away Kucinich's SubCommittee Chair (something they'd never do to Joe Lieberman)? Was Dennis Kucinich's life directly threatened?
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In his announcement today, Kucinich said absolutely nothing to endorse the bill on any its so-called "merits". He even condemned the bill, even as he stated simultaneously that he must submit a yes vote. This makes no sense. Clearly, some unusual, and possibly criminal personal threat was made here.
Dennis Kucinich never just backs down and says "oh well, never mind"...
It is also clear that the U.S. Senate had, and still has, 50 Senators willing to vote in favor of a public option, if the House sends it to them (which Nancy Pelosi has assured they won't at Obama's own request).
If the resistence and pressure from the Left had refused to back down, perhaps some improvements could've been made to an otherwise terribly bad, awful bill.
But nothing has changed. As Michael Moore pointed out, there is no true "ban on preexisting conditions". That talking-point is a complete falsehood. First of all, the clause does not even kick in for 4 whole years, so the Insurance Companies can deny care and eligibility all that they want to for the next 4 whole years. Secondly, when the clause does kick in, it only imposes just a very small penalty (a fine) if they reject people. So for an Insurance Company, it is going to be much cheaper for them to pay a simple $5000 fine, then it would ever be to cover a citizen with a health problem of any consequence (especially someone with a past cancer diagnosis). So, this is all just a big lie. There is no "ban on pre-existing conditions".
The other completely false talking point is that" "the bill will get 30 million new people covered." It does nothing of the kind. All the bill does is to mandate that people write horribly expensive checks to the Insurance Monopolies, and become their victims and slaves -- with no choices and no options. But no actual "care" is ever assured. The Insurance Companies set all the rules, and can continue to deny treatments, deny surgeries, deny tests, and even terminate your entire policy (for a small fine) if you get too expensive.
So the entire rationale for this bill that is being made by Obama, the Democrats in Congress, and even so-called "progressive" groups like MoveOn.dog is a lie.
It's a LIE folks. But, unlike others who don't even bother to read the fine print, Dennis Kucinich knows all of this.
So why did he cave?
The Remarkable Depth Of Obama's Lies.
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