From Washington Post:

Lacking unity on an alternative agenda to Obama’s health-care plans, Republicans have instead focused on a strategy of rallying public opposition and wooing the conservative Democrats in Congress, whose votes will ultimately determine the fate of any health-care bill. That plan depends in large part on Congress going on break before it votes on a bill. On Monday, though, Republicans made clear that they see an opportunity to derail the legislation now.

Here are the current members of the Blue Dog Coalition (from House.Gov):

Blue Dog Leadership Team

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip

Blue Dog Members

Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)

Now, I’m not necessarily one to promote bullying or threats as a tactic of persuasion, but what we have here in the healthcare debate are a group of people who see obstructionism of this issue as constructive. I’m sure there are some that are genuine about getting a healthcare plan through, but, being a cynical person, I assume most of them are either owned by their healthcare lobby, motivated only by politics alone - or just plain cowards.

Whatever they consider themselves to be as politicians or human beings, we have a duty in this debate to brand them as obstructionists if they decide to become the Ralph Nader’s of this reform bill. As a blogging community we actually have the power to shape the votes of these folks - and the power to punish them if they don’t show the backbone necessary to do the job. Most posts from the Daily Kos alone show up on the first page of a Google news search for any particular subject - and I’ve found that lists like these are very closely monitored by Washington (one of my most viewed posts on my own blog involved republicans who voted against the stimulus but took the money. Every other visitor to the site was from either the Congress or the Senate according to my tracking software. One senator even enlisted a blogger to debate me on that particular subject and put in a good word for him).

Advertising, branding and PR are powerful tools. While we all need to call their offices and push them to pass this bill, we also need to threaten that we will duplicate this list on thousands of blogs and brand the proper people as “Healthcare Reform Obstructionists” or maybe “Hx’s”. (Come up with something more catchy, anyone. I don’t work for BBDO).

Going after the republicans on this one is a lost cause. They’re so thoroughly owned by special interests that their only action can be whatever is worst for us. Fuck them.

These folks above will turn this debate. Not Obama. Not Harry Reid (useless) or Nancy Pelosi. The republicans spent years strong-arming their fence-sitting members. We cannot shy away from doing the same here.

What this group needs to know is that no matter what they do in the future or have done in the past, their obituary will say “Obstructed healthcare reform, subjecting millions to bankruptcy and certain death.” They may feel their conservative stance on this issue in commendable. What they need to know is how long its tentacles are and how vulnerable they are to get caught in them. We ACTUALLY as a group have the capability to produce this kind of result.

Duplicate this list above and speak your mind on this.

Verbal Paintball blue dog democrats, healthcare reform, republican obstructionists

Many folks have huge issues with profanity on this site. I’ve witnessed comments - some on my posts, some on others - that discredit a post purely based on some of the language used. In fact, on Daily Kos I contemplated titling my post “Sarah Palin is a filthy, lying bitch” with that exact title (did it here). I thought the title, and my description of why I made that kind of statement, are part of the discussion. Didn’t do it because of the PC nature of that site. I felt bad about having to make that choice. I think the post explained in fairly clear terms why I would call her that. Most seemed to “get” that.

Here’s my feeling about all this. Cursing has it’s place. It has a raw emotion to it. It can sometimes wake up a reader at the very point they need it to. It’s not always used for lack of a better vocabulary or unnecessary shock value. Sometimes that shock value is absolutely necessary. While I appreciate the argument that cursing devalues your message - and I understand that many people cannot get past it when reading a post (and, as a consequence, disregards your post), I still feel it is a similar discussion as the one’s people had when debating whether showing simulated sex in movies or extreme violence enhanced or detracted from certain movies. I think it depends completely on the subject and the message - and the openness one has in giving it consideration.

Profanity, at least in my case, can denote a certain trust or lack thereof. I’ve lived in New York and Los Angeles. People in New York curse more. I trust the folks in LA less. When someone tells me to go fuck myself, I know where I stand with them. When they say “have a nice day” and tell others to fuck me over, I’ll give that less credence.

Words. William F. Buckley used words like “dithyrambic” and “tergiversation” to describe the actions of other writers or those debating him. I always thought to myself he could gain more ground by saying something more gutteral, such as “You don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about.” It’s not that I didn’t understand him, or felt that he was not expressing himself truthfully - I just felt that his arguments could have benefitted now and again by a display of raw emotion that curse words provide. It’s okay if some members of the audience are offended. Maybe they should be.

It really comes down to Freedom and Truth - the freedom for a writer to say whatever it is he wants to say, be it loving, hateful, smart or stupid - and the truth to not pussy-foot around what it is he’s trying to say with language that cloaks it. While I may not agree with a typical hate-filled rant, I am reminded of the value of freedom of speech and how recently we’ve had people in office who didn’t attach the same value I did to it. When I see a writer curse, I don’t ask whether the word offends me but whether it’s “supposed” to offend me and if it fits the discussion. A poster named The Eyewitness Muse had a recent article titled “f*ck, f*ck, F*ck.” Many posted about their distaste of the title. I read the article and found it to be completely justified. It was about the emotion and frustration he was feeling in firing an employee. Should he have censored himself and titled it something like “Oh, Beans!”? Don’t think so. Others might disagree. Doesn’t mean they’re right.

Sometimes it’s necessary to curse. When I refer to George Bush and Dick Cheney as “pieces of shit” it is justified. They are murderers. Someone needs to get angry about that and say something that resonates. Words have power. Curse words, used skillfully (and sometimes not so skillfully), have extraordinary power.

John Boehner, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are “scumbags.” Sarah Palin is “gutter trash”. Those who spew racism are “human garbage.” Michelle Bachmann is a “bitch” and Richard Shelby is a “prick.” Granted, some of these people give speeches and rants that might not use profanity (well, with the exception of Boehner), but their rhetoric is hurtful, divisive, ugly, and many times racist - hidden under the cloak of a smile and a few “kind” words.

Personally, I’d rather they tell me to go fuck myself. At least I’d know where I stand.

Verbal Paintball Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, profanity, rush limbaugh, Sean Hannity

From Huffington Post:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sharply criticized a national advertising campaign partly directed at centrist Democrats wavering on health care reform on Thursday.

Reid said the he was unaware of the campaign targeting Democrats but that it was a “waste of money.”

The ads are funded by a wing of the Democratic National Committee, Organizing for America, controlled largely by President Obama.

Asked to elaborate, Reid added, “It’s a waste of money to have Democrats running ads against Democrats.”

Don’t like the ads? Well, I have an idea for you, Reid, - you stupid, useless, ineffectual fuck - get the votes you need for healthcare. You have that, the White House (and, for that matter, the majority of the American people) won’t have to strong arm you about shit you should already be forceful on.

You see, Harry, the biggest problem as always is you. You have proven yourself in the last three years of Democrat majorities to be nothing more than a company man for the Senate. You would rather make compromises and deals behind the scenes, complain of insurmountable obstacles to votes or just plain throw your hands up in the air and claim sabotage than DO YOU JOB.

Remember Tom Delay? Asshole, right? He was - but he got the votes he needed by pushing the hell out of people and, when that didn’t work, he threatened them. Sure, he probably put more pork into a million bills than you guys have, but I hardly think any of you are pure. Bill Frist? Hell, he did your job better than you and ALSO got the votes he needed. The bottom line is that NOTHING gets done in the Senate - and you are to blame. Nobody else. Don’t look around and call the small minority of republicans the culprits. You have division in your ranks (blue dogs, etc.) and are unable to corral them for the right reasons.

Furthermore, you need to OWN some issues, not be a fucking pussy and water down bills so some of the useless republicans can vote for them. Fuck them. They fucked all of us for eight years. The American majority doesn’t care about them, only results - and you’re falling flat on that. Also, don’t give me this guff that the democrats don’t fall in line like the republicans do. It doesn’t wash. Your job is to get them to.

Simply put, if you can’t get the votes for healthcare reform, the senators with the courage to give their votes easily, those who actually care about the rest of us, ought to take you out behind the senate chambers and beat and kick you DeNiro-style.

Verbal Paintball harry reid, healthcare debate

From MSNBC:

When asked about a Republican alternative to the Democratic health-care reform plan, Boehner replied, “That’s the real crux of this — how do we help those who don’t have insurance get it and, secondly, this does nothing about the cost of health care in America. And if we are serious about fixing our health-care system we [have] got to go to the cost and the cost side is pretty simple. We have to do something about reforming junk lawsuits that drive up the cost of health care for all Americans.”

When pressed for more specifics like cost of the GOP plan, Boehner said, “We are continuing to draft our bill, and we hope to have it soon.”

Look for the GOP to continue to tie health-care reform directly into the issue of the poor economy. Expect more statements on fiscal responsibility, how health-care reform hurts small businesses and how it’s too much, too soon.

Here’s the real problem with the healthcare debate: it’s EVEN a debate.

Senators like Cantor and Boehner DO NOT CARE whether you have a shaky healthcare plan from a company that might not be around in two months. They could give a shit whether you have a pre-existing condition that precludes you from ever getting the kind of coverage that would cover it without constant challenges from the billing department and the potential that your healthcare insurer will drop you like a bad habit.

They don’t care about these kind of things because it is not their concern. They WANT to be ignorant on the issue. Listen to them. They have a million reasons at their disposal as to why the Democrats program won’t work and not a single good explanation of what will. They are OWNED by the same companies that have saturated the airwaves with commercials telling you that the Obama plan is “socialized medicine” and will set this country and your wallets back. Look at their faces. Look deep into their eyes when they spew this filth on the Sunday morning talk shows. Behind that indifferent stare is a brain that is gleaming with calculations of how much money will fill their coffers for their next campaign. It makes perfect sense to them to blame you and your lawsuits for the problem. In their world, that benefits them.

You see - you, the taxpayer, are collateral damage to these pieces of shit. Consider that strong language? Well, how would you feel if you had a parent or loved one about to collapse under an unjust healthcare system and the only thing standing in the way of them and the next generation getting some relief are these indifferent, callous fuckheads.

I’ve never been one to wish bad things on anyone. It’s ugly in concept, let alone actually applying it. Still in all, I’m reminded of George Wallace and Ronald Reagan. Wallace spent most of his life fighting to retain segregation and promoting hatred. During his Presidential campaign he was shot and paralyzed. By the time of his death he had renounced his earlier ways. Could it have been that as a paralyzed man he may have faced some of the adversity that blacks have faced in society - at least enough to give him a small amount of enlightenment? And as for Reagan, who helped cultivate the power of the recently demoted religious right - would have been so eager to support some of their issues, including stem cell research, if it could have helped him in his future. Ironic as always.

The best way to be out of touch in this world is to say “no.” When you find yourself promoting a way of life/work/thought that is mired in the past, built on lies or prejudices or narrow thinking, it’s good to understand that you are wrong before you even begin going down that path. There will also come a point when your narrow thinking diverges into discrimination - and possibly visceral hatred. Those who choose to hold onto the past, like the current crop of republicans regarding healthcare, can only get uglier and more divisive in their rhetoric. They don’t know this because they’re too caught up in hateful thought.

Cantor and Boehner will likely go home to their families tonight, sit at the dinner table, enjoy the simple pleasures of life and feel pretty relaxed and comfortable within their small little world. They can use us as “examples” and “chess pieces” because they have that luxury. But God forbid the real world enters their privileged little lives and either they or their loved ones have to face challenges that only the “little people” have to generally endure. What will they think then? Fortunately for them in the here and now, ignorance is bliss.

Verbal Paintball boehner, cantor, healthcare reform

Palin’s return to her home state has been a rocky one. Beyond a flood of ethics complaints — most of which have been dismissed — the governor was forced to backtrack on her decision to reject federal stimulus funds, her pick for attorney general was rejected by an increasingly hostile legislature, and her personal life has continued to grab headlines.

Stapleton denied that Palin was leaving office because she’d decided her lightning rod status was a liability to the state — but conceded that the governor felt personally targeted. “I know you want to put that sort of negative word in there, but it’s not a ‘liability’ — it’s that she has a vision for the state…the best way and the best place to effect change at this point is outside her role as governor, because as governor people are just focused on bringing her down rather than building up the state, and that’s not who she is.”

And THIS was someone the right thought would be a great President? No, lady, the micro-focus on YOUR life is the result of your need to constantly be in the spotlight and remain “the victim.” You didn’t need to pick a fight with David Letterman, did you? No, you could have left that alone like any reasonable politician would. You just have an ego issue.

You could have ignored the blogger who created a photoshop file you didn’t like. Instead, you show yourself to be a petty, sensitive ass. And as far as the ethics issues are concerned, no one doubts that you tried to twist and manipulate your office to pressure those who didn’t agree with you. Thats NOT how a respectable elected official acts - but, then again, you seem to worship George W. Bush so that shows us right there how off-course your thinking is.

I’m so tired of people who cannot get their head out of their ass and then blame the rest of the world for their bad back because of it. She wants to resign? GOOD! Buh, bye Sarah. Don’t let the door slam you in the ass on the way out. Or better yet, let it.

Verbal Paintball Alaska, CNN, Sarah Palin

From CNBN:

Sarah Palin’s announced a press conference this afternoon to discuss a disturbing discovery she made last night while rummaging through a neighbor’s garbage. To her dismay, she found an autographed photo from her early TV anchor days with a sloppily markered Adolf Hitler mustache.

“This is an outrage to all women, especially those who are family oriented. The intention of this photo is clear: My neighbor is attacking my oldest son, Track, for simply being a formidable young man. While I am aware that the photo is a likeness of me, and was deep inside my neighbor’s garbage bin flanked by two half-eaten burritos, I am also aware that she is a democrat and has ties to the Wasilla P.T.A.

We will take the appropriate actions to make sure this woman cannot do this kind of thing to American’s ever again - and to those democrats who obviously hate all my children, I will hold another press conference tomorrow so they can give voice to their own objections.”

Okay. Maybe the first quote on this posting is somewhat fabricated. Well, maybe completely fabricated. But it doesn’t seem to far from reality, does it? Here’s reality:

From CNN:

Who even KNOWS what this photo means. I sure as fuck don't. Nonetheless, it's called freedom of expression.

Palin’s latest response comes after liberal Alaskan Blogger Linda Kellen Biegel doctored a photograph of the former Republican vice presidential candidate with her 1-year-old son Trig, who suffers from Down Syndrome.

Biegel, who blogs in support of the Alaska Democratic Party under the name “Celtic Diva,” superimposed a picture of conservative Alaskan radio host Eddie Burke over Trig’s face in an apparent effort to show how close the radio host is with the Alaskan governor.

“Recently we learned of a malicious desecration of a photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother’s love for a special needs child,” Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapelton said in a statement provided to CNN. “The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling.”

Please. Give me one…little…break. The photo in question had NOTHING to do with insulting a special needs child. In fact, any FOOL can see the blog photo she’s referring to is a metaphor that is simply using her son’s image comment on a particular radio host. Most abstract-thinking adults can parse this little bit of visual commentary. Anyone but the far right wing and the Palin family. Will someone please shut this woman up?

Sarah Palin will do ANYTHING to remain in the spotlight. She is a vindictive high-schooler who exploits her children any chance she gets. I truly hope she is the Presidential front-runner in 2012.

Verbal Paintball Alaska Democratic Party, Meghan Stapelton, Sarah Palin

Mark Sanford's hike to the summit.

From Huffington Post:

Sanford apologized at a press conference to his family, and his staff at a press conference for “the way that I let them down.” He said he had a conversation with his father-in-law a few weeks ago about where “my heart was … laying my cards on the table.”

“There are moral absolutes, God’s law is indeed there to protect you from yourself. There are consequences if you breach that. This press conference is a consequence.”

At first it was not clear what Sanford was referencing.

“I’ve been unfaithful to my wife and I’ve developed a relationship with what stared as a dear, dear friend from Argentina,” he finally said. The affair has been going on for a year, he later explained

Several months back, Sanford was one of the primary republican voices on rejecting stimulus money. After discovering he could not stop it from arriving in his state, he decided, for purely political reason, that the money was not going to go to the programs and people it was intended for. He would shift it into paying off the state debt. Good representative of the people, isn’t he?

Well, he was apparently screwing more than just the people of his state - and doing so with complete disregard for proper protocol.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and judge this man’s affair. Life is complicated. Relationships are complicated. He must have reached some crossroad. That’s not what is at issue here. It is the way he did it. What I expect to hear from the republican side is the following excuse:

“Well, Sanford may have lied to the state and his family, but at least he didn’t do it under oath.”

Yeah, well, the republicans have destroyed our economy, destroyed their moral authority, lied us into a war and bullied their way to bills that ONLY benefit the top 1% and the corporations. And now they have two of their own - two people who flew under the “I’m a moral Christian and you’re not because you’re a democrat” flag - within the last month that exposed themselves for the hypocrites they really were.

Sorry for his family. Sorry for his state. Not sorry for those who voted for him. They should have known better.

Verbal Paintball affair, Mark Sanford, stimulus

From NY Magazine:

Here’s the link to a video of Rabid Letterman Protesters Turn Out to Be Big Leno Fans

Or, if you can embed an IFrame:

Probably the best response to this grotesque display of hatred and ignorance comes from a commenter named msdusti who wrote the following:

WOW. Looks like a bunch of people fell through the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down!

The last remaining residue of conservative idiocy is available for all to see on 54th and Broadway - but the emotion we are seeing here isn’t too difference from what happened after Nixon took office in 1969. Shortly thereafter, we saw the rise of angry far-left activists like the Weathermen and the SLA who went as far as bombing and kidnapping to spread their messages. While those two groups had manifestos to define their rebellion, these morons have only bad judgement.

Now, I’m not suggesting these particular people who stand in front of the Ed Sullivan theater will move to that level, but their anger and frustration at losing a political voice - and in the case of many conservatives having a kindred spirit in their prejudices and discrimination - is displaying itself in abortion doctor assassinations and attempts on Obama himself.

All in all, I find these people pathetic. They are all lemmings - and don’t have one independent thought between them. Their anger is completely irrational - in fact, what it does show us is that these people are simply looking for a way to vent anger any way they can and this tame Letterman joke provided them with a vessel for their hatred.

Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and Fox News are fanning the flames. If this were happening on the left instead of the right, the right would be screaming “treason!” We’re a little more level headed than those idiots.

So anyway, far right, if you want to continue with this stupid support of an ignorant hick from Alaska who can’t even form a coherent sentence, have at it. If you want to convince yourself that David Letterman, a perfectly gentlemanly mid-westerner who I think is funny most of the time, is a closeted molester, you are alone in your stance.

Verbal Paintball conservative losers, David Letterman, Sarah Palin

Errol Morris, director of films such as The Thin Blue Line and A Brief History of Time made a statement recently in defense of the truth that, while being common sense to me might come off as profound to others:

There is such a thing as truth, but we often have a vested interest in ignoring it or outright denying it.

Also, it’s not just thinking something that makes it true. Truth is not relative, it’s not subjective. It may be elusive or hidden. People may wish to disregard it. But there is such a thing as truth. And the pursuit of truth: Trying to figure out what has really happened; trying to figure out how things really are.

After eight years of George W. Bush, the truth has suffered a fatal blow in the collective conscience of this country. While others might pinpoint the beginning of this decline to Clinton’s “is” statement, I believe the truth on that is a little clouded. Clinton was in a court of law and, being of a law background himself, it is not unreasonable to demand the parsing of words, especially when you’re the one on the chopping block.

Bush and Cheney, however, were the real culprits. They spent years trying to turn the truth into a gray area. Suddenly, under these guys, a vague satellite image of trucks becomes a chemical weapon laboratory. A suggested meeting between a 9/11 hijacker and Saddam, always a lie, becomes a possible truth. An economy heading into the abyss is still “vibrant.” The fact is, the truth isn’t really malleable. It is what it is. Words don’t define the truth. The truth is that space between words and interpretation.

This brings me to one of the biggest abusers of the truth, Sara Palin. This shrew, short of actual political skill, has co-opted the Bush administrations failed “truth as a gray area” strategy and is attempting to use it to remain valid (another falsehood. She never was).

David Letterman recently made a joke about her daughter being knocked up by A-Rod. Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see who the subject was of this ribbing - Bristol Palin. She’s the one known for having been “knocked up” and it’s her life that has been under the microscope. Palin and her idiot husband have been trying to get mileage out of this by suggesting it was their younger daughter they were talking about, thus delving into the idea that Letterman was promoting the “rape” of their 14-year-old.

Was the younger daughter at the Yankee game in discussion? Sure - but comedy is not a gray area nor is it linear in it’s thinking. You have to be on-target to make a joke work and this one could only work with the recognition of who the subject matter was. It was Bristol. End of story.

The “truth” of this situation is not in parsing the words, it’s the space between. Letterman, of course, would never suggest anything so inflamatory. It’s not in his nature. The fact that these two media whores are trying to ruin his reputation so they can grab another minute in a spotlight they don’t deserve is more than pathetic, it’s borderline criminal.

Unfortunately, that 22% of the public that still loves George Bush now hates Letterman (if they didn’t before). Therefore, you’re getting numbskull responses like these in the blogs from people who have no sense of either truth or humor:

I don’t like Palin, but let’s be honest, he was talking about her 14 yr old daughter. She was the one at the Yankees game with Palin, not the 18 yr old. This guy is a sick freak. -Bob

Anyone who thinks any jokes about rape regardless of age is funny has serious issues. Another example of far left lack of class and plain meanness. You do not see the right joking about these things do you? - Mr. Joshua

Letterman just lost one more viewer any kind of joke about a raping any girl or women is in bad taste if someone had said the same thing about one of Obama girls or wife or Bill Clintons daughter they would be history. - Old Man

The fact that these morons above might be a little bit partisan is besides the point. In fact, on some level it is the point. The republican party has completely embraced this notion of the truth being gray. It’s sad. I have friends of mine that I cannot have a rational conversation with - a conversation or debate regarding well-known facts - without the truth being twisted by them. And even when you tell them the truth, they’ll tell you it’s the main stream media that’s promoting these “lies.” Hopefully, someday, the truth will be valuable again to these people. As it is right now, it’s just another casualty of their need to control the argument.

Verbal Paintball

Orrin Hatch started shooting his mouth off again in his signature way: Try to sound like a soft, accommodating “team player” on the healthcare issue - then tell us how you really think. Here are a few words (USA Today):

“This is too big for political gamesmanship,” says Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, a member of the Senate health committee. “The partisan part of me says, ‘Oh, I hope they do that; they’ll have to live with every stinking problem that comes up’ ” in a system passed without significant GOP support.

and a few more:

Mr. Hatch predicted that such an approach would meet the same fate as President Bill Clinton’s plan for universal coverage.

“If the Democrats go ahead with a purely partisan bill,” Mr. Hatch said, “you saw what happened on Hillarycare, and this will be just as bad.”

and lastly:

“If we go to a government plan, the government will be setting prices. They’ll be telling people what they can do. They’ll be injecting themselves between your doctor and yourself,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, calling a public plan “tremendously costly.”

and, so, Orrin Hatch will vote against the bill - but that’s nothing new. This prick would have voted against it anyway. All he’s doing now is providing the “easy out” for himself - and doing so by trying to make Obama and the democrats be the villians here.

None of this would mean anything if Hatch weren’t a flak for the Healthcare insurance lobby.

You see, Hatch makes a shitload of money from the same people Obama is trying to put some controls under. The same folks who charge $50 for a pill that costs them 50¢ to make (even after insurance and money going back into research). He’s got a reason to vote against this bill - but if you listen to his rhetoric it’s as if it’s all our fault the bill won’t get passed.

Fuck him and the horse he road in on.

Verbal Paintball Add new tag, Orrin Hatch