Democratic Insider

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine tonight called on Republicans to tone down their over the top rhetoric and tactics and to condemn the deplorable behavior of their supporters which has included the vandalizing of Congressional offices and threats on Democratic Members of Congress who voted in favor of health insurance reform. Please see a statement from Chairman Kaine below:

“I am very concerned that it has become necessary for federal law enforcement officials to look into actions directed possibly at Members of Congress and their families following the historic vote on health insurance reform. I understand that law enforcement officials are taking these actions seriously. In all, at least ten Members have related concerns about threats made since last weekend.

“This is especially troubling given racial and other slurs that Members were subjected to over the weekend by protesters on Capitol Hill.

“No policy dispute justifies violence and intimidation. It is time for Republicans to do more than express concern about the actions of some of their supporters.

“Republican leaders are themselves engaging in actions and rhetoric that previously would have been limited to fringe elements of the Republican Party. Sarah Palin has invoked health care ‘death panels’ and has now placed gun sights on 20 Members of Congress who supported reform. House Minority Leader John Boehner used overheated language and tone of the floor of Congress to denounce the health insurance reform vote. Off the floor, he said that passing health reform was ‘Armageddon’ for America and that a Democratic Congressman in an adjoining Congressional District would be a ‘dead man’ for voting for reform. A Texas Congressman yelled “Baby Killer” on the House floor while a Democratic Member was speaking.

“The Republican National Committee has followed up its infamous fundraising presentation with a new fundraising appeal that shows the Speaker of the House aflame online. The RNC’s Chairman has said that the Speaker should be put before a firing squad and vehemently defended Rep. Boehner’s characterization of the passage of health insurance reform as ‘Armageddon.’

“It is no coincidence that we now have reports that Democratic Congressional offices have been vandalized, Democratic Members of Congress have received threats and been subject to racial epithets and homophobic slurs, and a gas line was cut at what was thought to be the home of a Democratic Member of Congress after the address was posted online and tea partiers were encouraged to intimidate the Congressman.

“These now cannot be brushed off as isolated incidents.

“It is no longer enough for Republicans to characterize threats and incidents of vandalism as isolated. It is no longer enough for Republicans to blame these events on outsiders.

“Republican leaders must disassociate themselves from this deplorable behavior, they must condemn these acts decisively and, most importantly, they must tone down their own tactics and rhetoric to set a better example for their supporters and the country. I call on them to do so.

Continue reading "Tim Kaine Calls on Republicans to Tone Down Their Rhetoric and to Condemn the Deplorable Behavior of their Supporters in Aftermath of Health Reform Vote" »

On the eve of the House of Representatives’ vote on health reform, President Obama visited the Capitol, where he spoke about tomorrow’s unique opportunity for representatives to make history and deliver real change for the American people.

The President quoted Abraham Lincoln in his closing argument:

We are not bound to win, but we are bound to be true. We are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shine.

We have been debating health care for decades.

It now has been debated for a year.

It is in your hands.

It is time to pass health care reform for America, and I am confident that you are going to do it tomorrow.

Thank you very much, House of Representatives. Let’s get this done.

Continue reading "President Obama to House Democrats: “It is in your hands.”" »

Wouldn’t it be easier to just join the Democratic party & all work together to ruin the United States of America?

Suggested Reading:
The Obama Diaries(WASHINGTON, D.C.) On May 20, 2010, Laura Ingraham received a package from an anonymous source that will change the history of the United States and t… Read More >

Continue reading "Why on Earth would the Republican party change its views to be more like the Democratic party?" »

Richard Shelby of Alabama has demonstrated how a single Republican senator, though a member of the minority party, can prevent the president of the U.S. from doing his job. Shelby used a hold to prevent the confirmation of not 1 but of 70 executive appointees merely to gain some pork for Alabama. An excellent example of the exercise of naked Republican power through obstructionism.

The Huffington Post says:

Sen. Richard Shelby’s (R-Ala.) decision to place a “blanket hold” on all presidential nominations until a pair of billion-dollar earmarks for his home state are fast-tracked has reignited the debate over the parliamentary tactics being deployed by the Republican Party. It also has thrust into the spotlight the clout that major defense contractors often yield on the political process.
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The Senator confirmed that he launched the hold, in part, because he is upset with a tanker contract worth $35 billion that remains unresolved between Northrop Grumman/EADs and Boeing. Shelby favors the Northrop Grummann-EADS bid largely because it would result in tankers being assembled in his home state. The two contractors, in turn, have donated to Shelby’s campaign committees, hoping ostensibly to secure favor or at least an audience with the Alabama Republican.

EADS stands for Airbus. So, Shelby is stopping all government activity to make sure that a foreign company – Airbus – beats an American company – Boeing – and gets an American defense contract because it would provide some manufacturing jobs for Mobile, Alabama. This is more than obstructionism; it is extortion.

The Whitehouse is furious. Gibbs said:

I guess if you needed one example of what’s wrong with this town, it might be that one senator can hold up 70 qualified individuals to make government work better because he didn’t get his earmarks, If that’s not the poster child for how this town needs to change the way it works, I fear there won’t be a greater example of silliness throughout the entire year of 2010.

This is not the first time Republicans have used holds to frustrate Obama and the Democrats. What makes the hold so powerful is that it comes with the promise to filibuster. And filibustering is the primary goal of Republicans in today’s senate. With the filibuster, Republicans are preventing Congress from dealing with healthcare, with the economy and with other important problems facing the nation. With the filibuster they plan to bring all executive activity to a halt. With the filibuster Republicans plan to “win” in November.

Don’t call them Republicans. Call them Filibusterers. Filibustering leads to naked power and naked Power is all Republicans want.

Continue reading "Naked Republican Power" »

There are 2 major parties in the U.S.: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Democrats, under the leadership of President Obama, are doing their utmost to solve the Depression the financial bums in Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and other financial powerhouses have plunged us into. At every turn, the Republicans are stymying the Democratic efforts. They are fighting FOR the financial bums and against the American people.

Read this article published in the conservative Wall Street Journal:

Last week, House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio made a pitch to Democratic contributor James Dimon, the chairman and chief executive of J.P. Morgan, over drinks at a Capitol Hill restaurant, according to people familiar with the matter.

Mr. Boehner told Mr. Dimon congressional Republicans had stood up to Mr. Obama’s efforts to curb pay and impose new regulations. The Republican leader also said he was disappointed many on Wall Street continue to donate their money to Democrats, according to the people familiar with the matter.

Boehner is telling Dimon that Republicans are friends of Wall Street and Democrats are not. Why are you giving money to Democrats who want to restrict your activities? Give it to Republicans because we work hard for you.

This incident makes it extremely obvious on which side Republicans are. They favor financial bums that caused our economic misery over the rest of us who are suffering from this economic misery. Republicans are disappointed they are not getting paid for their services to the financial community. They believe, however, if they keep it up, they will eventually be rewarded by the financial bums.

If Republicans manage to prevent the Democrats from producing legislation regulating the financial industry, they no doubt will get more money from the financial bums. But who will suffer as a result? You and I. America will remain with a high percentage of us jobless for far longer than necessary.

Whose side are YOU on? Are you with the financial bums and Republicans who fight for them or with the jobless Americans and Democrats who are trying to help all of us?

Continue reading "Republicans Fighting for Financial Bums" »

We have a Supreme Court that is supposed to interpret the Constitution and the laws of the land in a way that increases the democratic voice of all our people. What the Court has done in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case is nullify the voice of real people and amplify the voice of ersatz people: corporations. The Supreme Court sold our democracy to the corporations.

In a 5-4 decision, the conservatives on the Court found that there are no limits to campaign funding by corporations. Corporations can spend what they want and at any time before, during or after a campaign.

They call themselves originalists and strict interpreters of the Constitution. Imagine that? Court originalists Scalia and Thomas found a new interpretation for the Constitution. Although the rest of us can’t see it, they concluded that the founders believed that a corporation is a person entitled to free speech. Futhermore, the more money you have the more free speech you deserve.

Forget about voting. As a person, you have only one vote. As a corporation you have millions of votes. After all, Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, Alito and Kennedy say that money is free speech. Most of the free speech in the country belongs to the corporations because they have the vast majority of the money.

The U.S. Supreme Court sold our democracy to the corporations. Viva The United Corporate States of America.

Continue reading "Sold, Sold, Sold to the Corporations" »

The loss of Ted Kennedy’s former seat, a seat solidly Democratic for as long as anyone can remember, is the only chance President Obama may have of showing conviction in his beliefs. While many pundits will promote the notion that the loss of this long standing Democratic bastion signals a shift away from the Democrats, it is too early to jump to conclusions. While health care was a major contributing factor in the loss of the late Kennedy’s seat, I believe it is a sign that the President has been too weak, and people are starting to get fed up.

President Obama talks the good talk, but so far his actions haven’t spoken any louder than his words. His words, it turns out, are empty hot air. There have been several opportunities for the president to show America that he indeed has the courage to stand up for his convictions, but the utter dissection and sell-out of health care reform has exposed him terribly. If he does indeed want true change then he certainly hasn’t shown himself capable of getting it done. Rather, he stood by and allowed our so-called representatives to consult with the insurance industry on what best would suit our corporate masters, not help the American people and make their lives better.

And to be fair, perhaps this is a symptom of the President’s naiveté. He ran for office with an admirable goal of bridging the gap between the party divide, but this has proven to be an impossible challenge to meet. Partisanship is so engrained in the American political psyche that I am fairly certain there is no way back from the dark path it has been leading us down. We are lost. America is a cesspool of ideologues from two opposing sides, and it seems the President really believed the horrendous state of our country would be enough to get these sand-box-bully partisans to set aside their differences and work together. That is his most tragic mistake to date.

There is no way to bring America’s extreme poles closer, ideologically, policy-wise, or even civilly in the same room. It is a vicious dogfight where neither side cares the least for the suffering of those involved. President Obama had a noble goal of trying to rally our government around the pursuit of fixing the country, but he sorely underestimated the vice grip strangling all opportunities for progress.

He has had a full year to acclimate to his office. He still has three years left, three years in which he can make great strides, but only if he has the gumption to enact real change in spite of the forces profiting from the status quo. Until he shows some willingness to throw our problems back in the face of those who created them America will continue to deteriorate, and President Obama will go down as one of the most lily-livered presidents in America history. Sorry Carter…

Continue reading "Weak or Strong, Mr. President?" »

Shortly after the Senate vote this morning, President Obama sent out the following email to supporters:

Although it’s Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill.

In all the back and forth, it’s easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick.

There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they’ll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they’ll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.

If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.

In Decembers to come, millions more will have access to affordable coverage. Parents will have the security and stability of knowing their insurance can’t be revoked at a moment’s notice. And the skyrocketing costs plaguing our small businesses will be brought under control.

When you make calls, write letters, organize, this is the change you’re making — a better life for your family and for men and women in every state.

There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law — a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House — and I’m counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

President Barack Obama

P.S. — Supporters of reform are signing a note of appreciation to all the senators who have worked so hard to make this possible. I hope you’ll join them.

Continue reading "Message from the President: “A historic moment”" »

This morning, the Senate voted 60-39 to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, after overcoming a series of procedural hurdles and delay tactics by Republicans that were designed to stop the bill from ever reaching the Senate floor for a vote on final passage. DNC Chairman Tim Kaine issued the following statement after the vote:

“Years from now, when historians look back on 2009, they will recall a Christmas Eve vote in the Senate that took us one giant step closer to finally delivering health reform to the American people.

“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is landmark legislation. It is the most significant piece of domestic policy since Social Security, the single largest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare and the largest deficit reduction package in more than a decade.

“This bill will help more than 30 million Americans access quality affordable insurance. It will outlaw the insurance industry’s worst practices, prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition or retroactively canceling coverage when someone gets sick. It will lower premiums for individuals, families and businesses. And it will actually reduce our deficit by more than $130 billion over the next 10 years.

“This bill accomplishes the goals President Obama articulated at the beginning of this debate: more stable and secure coverage for the insured, more quality affordable choices for the uninsured, and reducing the skyrocketing costs of care for everyone, including our government.

“For Senate Democrats – who stand united in the belief that health care is a right not a privilege – this bill represents hard fought common ground. Thanks to President Obama’s extraordinary leadership and the legislative acumen of Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV), Committee Chairmen Max Baucus (MT), Chris Dodd (CT), Tom Harkin (IA) and the inspiration of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, Democrats are now closer than ever to achieving what no president in the past 100 years has been able to do. While there is still more work to do in the weeks ahead, comprehensive health reform is finally within our grasp.

“This victory for the American people comes despite the incessant and virulent obstructionism of Senate Republicans. Not one voted in a favor of reform – a crippling commentary on their failure to fulfill the responsibilities of leadership. As we move forward, the onus is on the GOP to explain why they sided with their insurance industry friends instead of American families – why they turned their backs on workers and small businesses who are struggling to stay afloat under the status quo.

“Democrats will continue to move forward; we will continue to make progress; and as the New Year dawns, President Obama and Congressional Democrats will deliver the critical changes to our health care system that have been nearly a century in the making.”

Continue reading "DNC Chairman Tim Kaine on Senate Health Reform Vote: “Historic… victory for the American People”" »

Yesterday was Governor Kaine’s final appearance on WTOP’s “Ask the Governor” (WTOP is an all-news radio station in the Washington, DC-metro area).

Governor Kaine was fielding questions from callers, when “Barry from DC” called in. Surprise! Barry was actually President Barack Obama – calling in to thank the Governor for his service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and wish him happy holidays.

Here’s an excerpt from the round up in the Washington Post:

Obama started his call by telling Kaine that he had some questions about traffic in Northern Virginia. Both men laughed, and then Obama went on to say, “Rather than go there, I just want to say how proud we are of your service as governor as the Commonwealth of Virginia and just you and the family all the best this Christmas season, after a just terrific round of service for the people of Virginia.” “Well, Mr President, that means a lot,” Kaine told Obama. “As I think back about my four years as governor, I still think my happiest day as governor was in November of 2008 and the great work we did together across the nation and in Virginia was spectacular and I’m excited to continue to be in service, as they say.”

Continue reading "“Barry from DC”" »

Shortly after 1:00 A.M. this morning, the Senate voted 60-40 to suspend debate and move towards a vote on final passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:

Following the vote, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine issued the following statement:

Tonight the Senate took another major step on the road to finally delivering health insurance reform to the American people.

Thanks to the leadership of Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV), Majority Whip Dick Durbin (IL), Committee Chairmen Max Baucus (MT) and Chris Dodd (CT) and countless others, we are now closer than ever to achieving historic reform that will provide more stability and security to people who have insurance and more quality affordable options to those who don’t, while lowering the high costs of care for families, businesses and entire country.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, if it, or health reform legislation passed by the House of Representatives were to become law, would represent the most significant piece of social and economic legislation since Social Security, and would be the largest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare passed in 1965.

The Senate’s bill will extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans; end abusive insurance industry practices, like denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition or canceling someone’s coverage when they get sick; strengthen Medicare and extend the life of the Medicare trust fund; help small businesses provide their employees affordable insurance; and it will reduce our deficit by 132 billion in the first 10 years, and hundreds of billions more in the years after that.

Seven presidents have tried and failed to reform our broken health care system. But today, thanks to Democratic senators who worked hard to find common ground and the extraordinary leadership and vision of President Obama, the fundamental change that has eluded this country for decades, is finally within reach.

Unfortunately, not one Republican senator voted to allow this legislation to come to a vote on the Senate floor. Throughout this debate, Republicans have done everything in their power to delay and obstruct progress. Instead of fighting for the American people, they are advocating passionately for the status quo – a scenario in which 14,000 people lose their insurance every day, small businesses struggle to stay open and families live with the constant worry of being one injury or illness away from financial ruin. While it is shocking enough that not a single Republican Senator supports this important bill, the fact that they have all stood firm to even deny any opportunity for the bill to be voted on at all demonstrates how badly they misread the responsibilities of leadership.

Democrats will not rest until we deliver health insurance reform to the American people.

The vote on Monday night was the first of three cloture votes (which must achieve a 60 vote threshold) before health insurance reform legislation can be brought to the floor for a final up or down vote. No Republicans voted in favor.

Continue reading "DNC Chairman Tim Kaine on Historic Senate Vote: “Fundamental change…is finally within reach”" »

In an op-ed in the New York Times today, Vice President Joe Biden explains why, if he were still a senator today, he would vote "yes" on the current health reform bill:

While it does not contain every measure President Obama and I wanted, I would vote yes for this bill certain that it includes the fundamental, essential change that opponents of reform have resisted for generations.

We have been here before. In the past, as the moment of decision drew nearer, criticism from both the left and the right grew louder. Compromises were derided. The perfect became the enemy of the good.

Most recently, in 1993, Democrats had a chance to forge a compromise with Senator John Chafee, Republican of Rhode Island, on a health care reform bill. Congress’s failure to pass health care reform that year led to 16 years of inaction — and 16 years of exploding health care costs and rising numbers of uninsured Americans.

We can’t let that happen again. While it is not perfect, the bill pending in the Senate today is not just good enough — it is very good. Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions or drop coverage when people get sick. Charging exorbitant premiums based on sex, age or health status will be outlawed. Annual and lifetime caps on benefits will be history. Those who already have insurance will be able to keep it, and will gain peace of mind knowing they won’t be priced out of the market by skyrocketing premiums. And more than 30 million uninsured Americans will gain access to affordable health care coverage.

The Vice President also addressed the disappointment that many feel over the removal of a public option from the Senate bill, but warned that there would be no second chance to vote yes for reform:

I share the frustration of other progressives that the Senate bill does not include a public option. But I’ve been around a long time, and I know that in Washington big changes never emerge in perfect form.

Those in our own party who would scuttle this bill because of what it doesn’t do seem not to appreciate the magnitude of what it has the potential to accomplish.

…Is America better off today because a chance at a compromise health bill was missed in 1993? For my friends on the left, the rising toll of the uninsured provides an emphatic no. For my friends on the right, the soaring share of federal spending on health care likewise provides a no. Let’s not make the same mistake again.

If the bill passes the Senate this week, there will be more chances to make changes to it before it becomes law. But if the bill dies this week, there is no second chance to vote yes. What those who care about health insurance reform need to realize is that unless we get 60 votes now, there will be no health care reform at all. Not this year, not in this Congress — and maybe not for another generation.

Read the full op-ed . . .

Continue reading "Vice President Joe Biden: Why the Senate Should Vote Yes on Health Care" »