Corker (4.00 / 4)

This morning is a classic example. On the front page is a remarkable puff piece that I had to do a double take on because it was so strange: an article on Senator Bob Corker with the headline, "A GOP Senator Looking To Meet Halfway."

After Snow and Collin stole tens of billions of dollars from education and health care for children, I'd hardly call them "moderates".  But just for comparison to Corker, here's the relevant Progressive Punch data:

Senator   Crucial Votes      Overall Record

          Lifetime  2009     Lifetime  2009
Snowe     27.21     28.26    37.46     56.04 
Collins	  24.28     28.26    35.74     54.11
...
Corker     4.00     2.17     13.70     15.69

So, the relevant question is: What do they smoke at the Post?

My bet's on angel's dust.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

---

by: Paul Rosenberg @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 10:38:34 AM CDT

Some of this is amazing just amazing. (4.00 / 1)

group of bloggers raised over $400,000 from 6,800 people to support strong supporters of a public option.

I posted this link and graphic for the pledge donators again yesterday, and it stood, where it had been for quite some time at +/- $406,000, it has grown overnight by $7,000.

I have no idea where the link throughs came from, if it was just a coincidence of timing, or another site posted and reminded or what. But it sure seems like yesterdays discussion, and the new Representatives coming forward with a pledge to defeat any bill that doesn't have a REAL Public Option as new pledger Jan Schakowski said:

will not support a health insurance reform bill that does not break the strangle hold of private insurance companies on our health care system," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). "That requires that consumers have a choice of a robust public health insurance plan. I will support nothing short of a robust public health insurance plan upon implementation, no triggers.

or what it was but just  few hours later its nice to see it keep growing.

Of the MSM doesn't cover it. We have to work harder to get the message past the communications industry.

Maybe we should hold a contest for a new name for the Main Stream Media, how about The Quash? The "talkstoppers" or Relaxium?

Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.

---

by: HousesofProgress @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 10:39:33 AM CDT

"This link", sorry, the link disappeared. Here. (4.00 / 1)

Supporting the Pledge takers, defending reform.
If you didnt know, this is the site to donate to and show support for, those Pledge Takers who will stop any bill without a strong public option. As it say on the site:

"These were the men and women who promised to vote against any health care reform bill that didn't include, at the minimum, a robust public option. 60 signed a letter to Secretary Sebelius and 18 took the FDL Pledge.

Democratic members of Congress need to understand that a healthcare reform bill with a Public Option is simply not an option-- it's a requirement. The congressmembers on this list have said in no uncertain terms that they will not vote for a bill without a public option all the way through Conference. That takes courage, and we need to show them how much we appreciate them for doing so. Please make a contribution-- and thanks for everything else you're doing for the public option."

Click the Actblue graphic above for the link to donate a few bucks. Or a single buck to each, or just five dollars to the one who has raised the least. This is organizing, this how we begin to get what we need. This is the development of an engaged civic America

Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.

---

by: HousesofProgress @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 11:09:50 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

A new name? (4.00 / 3)

"Corporate whores" is an apt description.

---

by: Ramsgate @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 11:01:00 AM CDT

But we need a subset of corporate whore whose purpose is to shut people up, stop reform, spread lies and stop communication, while whoring. (0.00 / 0)

Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.

---

by: HousesofProgress @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 11:11:17 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Corporate Goons (4.00 / 3)

"It sounds wrong...
     ...but its right."

---

by: SpitBall @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 12:08:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Closer closer..... (0.00 / 0)

We an image that's noisy and drowns out discussion.

I am beginning to feel good about calliope because its the music of the circus and cheap scam artists, its the music of rides that go nowhere and flashy sparkly dross.

Our National Calliope!!

That could work.

Are there others?

Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.

---

by: HousesofProgress @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 15:15:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Corporate whorns. (4.00 / 1)

Whores . . . goons . . . mouthpieces.

---

by: NC 11 CD @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 22:22:32 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This is a propaganda effort for the textbooks (4.00 / 2)

The corporate media's primary function these days is not reporting news, it's distorting the "news" for the purpose of shutting down debate. This is a classic propaganda function of the corporate media, but there haven't been that many examples as big as this one. The run-up to the Iraq invasion was one of them. But the context is different. People aren't scared to death this time and they have a vested personal interest in a good outcome in this contest.

The fact that so many people have managed to get involved in this debate, despite what they're being told by every major outlet in the land, demonstrates the waning influence of those outlets. Let's hope the continued rejection of these corporate propaganda outlets continues unabated.

It's too bad the WH is so keen to rely on the media to protect them from public ridicule--so they can do all the wrong things on healthcare. It doesn't seem to be working very well.

When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

-- Frederic Bastiat, "The Law", 1850

---

by: Emocrat @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 11:17:15 AM CDT

Mike and Dana (0.00 / 0)

While Mike Lux is complaining that the WashPo and especially that mean and cynical Dana Milbank are unfair to poor little Democrats, he should also consider replacing his whiny apologetics for garbage politicians like Obama with Milbank's breezy fluency, like this description of Rep. Becerra's pitiful spin-doctoring...

"We had all of August to tell people how we're going to try to pack the parachute. Now its time to start to get ready and take the jump."

It was an unfortunate metaphor for a piece of legislation that is losing altitude.

Harharharhar!!!

---

by: Jacob Freeze @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 11:33:39 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Are there data on the Town Halls? (4.00 / 1)

How many were held? How many disrupted? How many had over-flow crowds? Who held them? Break-down by state? district?

As usual the data will be useful in taking down false narratives. It does not, however, solve the problem of the M$M ignoring all but one aspect of the story.

Apparently, the healthcare/health insurance reform issue is a big issue with the American people. From every corner of the political spectrum. The issue is far from settled.


"It sounds wrong...
     ...but its right."

---

by: SpitBall @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 12:15:40 PM CDT

Somewhere between anecdote and data (4.00 / 2)

Is memory of data.

Yesterday a saw a poll released on Weds that showed that the people who had 'heard a lot' about health care moved up 11 points from July to August, from 41% to 53%. To me a clear reflection of the impact of the publicity around and actual attendance of the town halls. In that same poll the number of people who picked 'oppose' in regards to Health Care was up from 46 to 48%. Now IIRC this was more move than we saw on the other side but still just makes up 1 in 6 people who now put themselves in the 'heard a lot' moving more definitely against the proposal.

Which suggest that most people are at least still willing to listen and that there is not a stampede away. And as such validates what Mike is seeing here. Considering the volume coming from the opposition side, we are just not losing that many people. Not that the sale has been made.

---

by: Bruce Webb @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 15:19:49 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Please tell me (0.00 / 0)

that old fashioned paper copy of the morning Washington Post is comp'ed and that you don't actually support them with a paid subscription...

---

by: BigTuna @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 13:16:03 PM CDT

This is a huge problem (0.00 / 0)

Not the reporting as such, but the Washington bubble.

The worst aspects of the small town, corporate headquarters think we see reflected in our media is only the tip. This type of thinking infects the approach to policy in a seldom conscious way. We must find some ways to break this bubble with at least some of our institutions.

As a first step I suggest we get the DNC headquarters moved to Minneapolis.

---

by: Judeling @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 13:27:43 PM CDT

interesting (0.00 / 0)

I can't remember ever seeing in any traditional media story, for example, the fact that (as Chris Bowers reported) there is now a majority in both the House and the Senate that are on the public record in support of a public option.

Now, how could that be?

Okay, so the White House is circulating an  upbeat polling memo citing a bunch of public surveys showing that public opinion still tilts heavily in Obama's favor on health care.

The memo, by Obama pollster Joel Benenson, doesn't mention the public option (the White House may not be committed to it) and largely cites general numbers showing support for action and for Obama's plan.

But here's the funny thing: We went back and checked, and virtually every poll cited in this memo also found strong support for the inclusion of a public plan.

[...]

To be clear, it's not surprising that the White House wouldn't include these numbers, since it's currently weighing whether to ditch the public option. But the fact that the very same polls the White House is citing also show very strong support for the public option should tell the White House something, shouldn't it?

not everything worth doing is profitable. not everything profitable is worth doing.

---

by: tatere @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 13:34:41 PM CDT

odd... (0.00 / 0)

when the White House was ignoring the support for Single Payer, where were your expressions of concern?  

It didn't exist -- and that's the real problem with the "access progressives" who decided that taking "single payer" off the table was acceptable in favor of a "public option" -- they simply ignore how the media really works in favor of invitations to insider conference calls (and cocktail parties.)

I mean, if you don't know by now that the media feeds on conflict, what the FUCK are you doing posting on a blog like this?   If you want the media's attention, you create conflict -- and if you want progressive policies to be implemented, you first have to move the Overton window to the left.

Don't complain about media behavior NOW, when you've spent all your time on this issue moving the discussion to the RIGHT, and helping to make the idea of the "Hacker" public option a "far left" concept.    

---

by: paul_lukasiak @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 14:08:07 PM CDT

I trusted Dingell, Rangell and Brown (4.00 / 1)

to get the best deal they could out of their respective Committees. If Single Payer was possible they would have pushed for it. Same with Kennedy. Each of these guys have decades in Congress and no particular record of selling the Left out. Additionally there was a separate Single Payer Bill going through the House. I believe the current environment shows there was no chance for Single Payer and that the mistake was believing that any Republicans would compromise on anything that would move the HELP Bill TOWARDS the Tri-Committee one. Meaning Pelosi and the Tri-Committee Chairs should have pushed to get it out of the House and as such the default point for discussion.

Well that didn't happen and so we lost a month. But in the final analysis I trust a guy that has been introducing a bill to get universal coverage every year since 1955 to have a good sense of the possible. Which apparently didn't include Single Payer.

---

by: Bruce Webb @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 15:29:23 PM CDT

"supporting the President" (0.00 / 0)

Obama took single-payer off the table, thus removing it from the options that Dingell, Rangel, & Brown could consider -- indeed, Obama did everything he could to marginalize the entire House of Representatives -- and the Senate HELP committee -- making it clear that the "baucus caucus" was the only thing he really cared about.

Dems in the House had no choice (given Obama's popularity at that point) but to go along with Obama's corporate oligarch strategy, regardless of how much they favored single payer.

Single payer may (or may not) have been possible... we don't know, because it was never tried.  We DO know that the nation was ready for major, significant change, and that Obama had a choice --- "mainstream" the idea of single-payer, or marginalize it.    (It never ceases to amaze me that the same people who believed in the 'impossible dream' of Obama becoming president suddenly become hard-nosed cynics when it came to health care reform...)

---

by: paul_lukasiak @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 15:39:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

hey mike (0.00 / 0)

you mention you check reports from org and groups doing research, can you list a few of them, i would love to get my hands on the real information, like your site provides, that the corporate run media refuses to give us,

thanks
ian

whatever you think people owe you, that is what you owe people

---

by: eomonroe00 @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 22:04:26 PM CDT