Don't Make Me Laugh Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin, way back in July, promising true meaningful reform for the "Affordable Health choices Act", an oxymoron now as it ever was:
Tom Harkin in October, said a public option will be in the final bill:
Tom Harkin in November, on Rachel Maddow (start at 4:02 mark), ending we are "rounding third and heading home":
All throughout the last six months, Tom Harkin has said every day that meaningful health care reform would happen, leading me to believe that he was going to fight for meaningful health reform and only get meaningful health reform for his vote on the final bill.
It appears now that is certainly no longer the case:
Tom Harkin, tonight:
The Iowa Democrat has all year said that meaningful reform for the nation, where a majority in any poll of true substance you have seen have given broad support for a public option, would be at the bill's conclusion.
Instead, Harkin's comments of a total tap out to the powers that be signal the ultimate nadir point as the process is in its all but crucial final stages.
I like Tom Harkin a lot, and there a certain more fingers to point at for this process going in the terrible direction it is treading on now.
But for a man talking about trying to get rid of the filibuster for good in the Senate, it sure doesn't give me ANY confidence in him even trying to do just that.
Tom Harkin in October, said a public option will be in the final bill:
Tom Harkin in November, on Rachel Maddow (start at 4:02 mark), ending we are "rounding third and heading home":
All throughout the last six months, Tom Harkin has said every day that meaningful health care reform would happen, leading me to believe that he was going to fight for meaningful health reform and only get meaningful health reform for his vote on the final bill.
It appears now that is certainly no longer the case:
Tom Harkin, tonight:
Asked by a reporter if the Medicare buy-in will be pulled out, Harkin said "looks that way," before praising a Democratic health care bill without the two public option compromises.Harkin's about face and total capitulation hear speaks (or reads) volumes of a situation where even the supposedly dependable key members in the Senate are falling by the waste side.
"There's enough good in this bill that even without those two, we gotta move," he said. "All the insurance reforms, all the stuff we wrote so hard for prevention and wellness in there, the workforce development issues that we have in there, the reimbursement based on quality not on quantity -- there's good stuff in this bill. It's a giant step forward, changing the paradigm of health care in America."
The Iowa Democrat has all year said that meaningful reform for the nation, where a majority in any poll of true substance you have seen have given broad support for a public option, would be at the bill's conclusion.
Instead, Harkin's comments of a total tap out to the powers that be signal the ultimate nadir point as the process is in its all but crucial final stages.
I like Tom Harkin a lot, and there a certain more fingers to point at for this process going in the terrible direction it is treading on now.
But for a man talking about trying to get rid of the filibuster for good in the Senate, it sure doesn't give me ANY confidence in him even trying to do just that.
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