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Begala on bipartisanship: Democrats "have accepted over 100 Republican amendments, in exchange for" no Republican votes

August 19, 2009 9:06 pm ET

From the August 19 edition of CNN's Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull:

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    • Author by snoopy (August 19, 2009 9:18 pm ET)
      7  
      Exactly. Screw the republicans, go it without them. They'll do what Rush commands them to do irregardless, and Rush made it clear he hates black people.
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      • Author by IRONY 101 (August 19, 2009 9:31 pm ET)
        8  
        Exactly...screw them. The ones who are are really ticking me off, though, are the so-called Blue Dog Democrats...a self-preserving, spineless, wannabe Republican bunch if I ever saw one. I hope they all lose in their next elections...
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        • Author by smarshall1432997 (August 20, 2009 7:40 am ET)
          4  
          Irony, you know blaming the Blue Dog Democrats is exactly what the Republicans had hoped for. Republicans "proudly" stated that they do "NOT" want the HealthCare Reform Bill to pass, and will use everything possible to help their cause. Yet, when people say to them that the Republicans do "NOT" want HealthCare Reform these guys/women quickly say how the Democrats are the majority party and it's their own Blue Dogs that are holding it up 'cause Republicans do want reform. Huh? We, Republicans, stopped the HealthCare Reform Bill to ALL that listen. We, Republicans, did "NOT" stop the HealthCare Reform Bill 'cause we are "NOT" the majority party to ALL that listen. Republicans are having it both ways and MSM just let them get away with it. LOL
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        • Author by Nelia (August 22, 2009 4:57 am ET)
             
          Dear IRONY101 - for an instant I tended to agree, than mathematic took over.
          Are you sure that without those conservative Dems Obama would still have a mayority?

          We in Germany have the same problems, our BueDogs are called "SeeheimerKreis" - and more often than not I like to blow them...
          But what s the alternative? Isn't discussion and confronting them with the possibilities of Not-voting them (if you live in that district)in again better than defacto loosing their voices?

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      • Author by reanna-mator (August 19, 2009 9:34 pm ET)
        7  
        I've been all for bipartisanship when it was touted as the answer to our woes during the campaign, but it's becoming painfully clear to my naive self that it's just not going to happen.

        If we have to leave them in the dust to achieve progress, so be it.
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        • Author by IRONY 101 (August 19, 2009 9:48 pm ET)
          4 1
          I'd prefer grinding them into dust. ;>)
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          • Author by phredicles (August 19, 2009 11:41 pm ET)
            2  
            Exactly, as a student of the Romans, I've been hankering for a good ol' plow-and-salt based approach to "bipartisanship". I'm not holding my breath yet, but for once leading Democrats are actually sounding cheesed off.
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    • Author by garkin (August 19, 2009 10:24 pm ET)
         
      Hopefully the Dems will go it alone, that way, they can assume all the blame, as healthcare reform, as it is before the house now, adds 40-some million people to the roster, without increasing the amount of doctors to care for them all. Some doctors will retire, some will travel to other countries to at least get paid for what they put themselves through school for. The audacity of the government to tell doctors what their time and schooling is worth, and who to use it on, reaks of nothing good to come of it.
      So have at it Demorcrats, Liberals, Progressives, whatever you are calling yourselves these days, you deserve the accolades if it works, and the blame if it fails.
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    • Author by christopher howard (August 19, 2009 11:06 pm ET)
      6  
      I'd love a return to civility and genuine bipartisanship in this country. Maybe someday in my lifetime we'll see it again. But for now, bipartisanship seems to mean the Democrats rushing to appease a minority party that has absolutely no intention of being part of the solution. If they are going to obstruct purely for partisan advantage, then I hope the Democrats will finally wake up a bit and use power with the same ruthless tenacity that Republicans wield without a second thought.
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    • Author by phredicles (August 19, 2009 11:39 pm ET)
      3 1
      Dang, could we finally be closing in on a successful conclusion to the Democrats' 30-year search for their backbones?

      I still wouldn't bet money on it, mind you, but for once it's feeling like it's possible at least.
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    • Author by 1st Republic 14th Star (August 20, 2009 12:08 am ET)
      5  
      Have Democrats figured this out yet? They negotiate with Chuck Grassley on health care reform, and Grassley says that even he won't vote yes on the deal that HE negotiated. So why even deal with him and his fellow Republicans? They don't bargain in good faith.

      Here's the thing that really bugs me: Democrats negotiate in good faith, Republicans get all the concessions they want, Republicans all vote no, but they still get to keep their concessions.

      Isn't the implication that if Democrats compromise with Republicans, Republicans are going to support the final bill? If not, why did they negotiate in the first place?

      To go one step further, if Democrats give Republicans concessions to get their support for the final measure, and if Republicans vote no on the final measure, why are Democrats bound to keep the Republican concessions? If Republicans won't vote yes after getting everything they want, the alternative ought to be that they get NOTHING.
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    • Author by fawltylogic (August 20, 2009 1:41 am ET)
      3  
      Democrats are behaving like an abused spouse, seeking approval from the abuser who time and time again keeps mistreating them. "We're sorry, Republicans... we know you want what's best for us, we didn't mean to upset you. We just want you to love us. Here, we'll change this text just for you. It was our fault that you got upset and lashed out at us. It won't happen again."

      Repeat every time the Republicans organize their noise machine.
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      • Author by Scotty Johnson (August 20, 2009 4:18 am ET)
        3  
        Democrats are behaving like an abused spouse, seeking approval from the abuser who time and time again keeps mistreating them.
        Yes. Another way to think about it is that the Republicans are the jocks and the Democrats are the nerds. The jocks only have power over the nerds because they let them. Democratic politicians seem to have a collective inferiority complex. I wish I knew how to change that.
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        • Author by Nelia (August 22, 2009 5:08 am ET)
             
          I do not have the silver bullet to change that, but an observation:
          Since CNN#s "Situation Room" got more and more unfair with the health-care debate, Philips, the sponsor of Gupta#s medical-show is to be seen less und less in the announcments...
          Let Phillips know you do not approve the media-enviroment of "SitautionRoom", "Political Mann", "Bias/Bull".
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    • Author by sodapopok (August 20, 2009 2:24 am ET)
         
      the republicans had a chance to participate forget the braggards and
      continue for improved healthcare

      to late Mr Grassley
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    • Author by rwmacdonald2091 (August 20, 2009 6:04 am ET)
      2  
      I've said it her before, and I will say it again YOU CAN NOT NEGOTIATE WITH REPUBLICANS, PERIOD
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      • Author by achrispage6992 (August 20, 2009 7:55 am ET)
        5  
        I agree. The thing that bugs me the most is that Senators are representatives of the respective states in the union. Here we have a national problem of our entire health system needing to be overhauled and we have 6 senators 4 of which hail from some of the least populated states in the union holding up progress for the rest of us. Seriously, why is Max Baucus, who is a senator from MONTANA, have so much power in deciding progress for people in say California or New York, or anywhere where this is people instead of rolling prairie's?

        I say Fu*k Max Baucus, Chuck Grassley, and anyone else who stands in the way of giving people in this nation a choice in their health coverage. The reality is that if you ask any hard working person who is paying over 1,000 per month for family coverage if they would like to pay less and receive the type of coverage their grandparents get, what do you think they'll choose? This reality scares the h3ll out of these politicians who are beholden to big insurance companies.

        Furthermore, how in the world do people willingly accept that an insurance CEO hauls in 11 million per year, while their rates increase only to complain about the government giving them an opportunity to pay less? Some of these people are simply stupid. Here is a good example:http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lawrence+O'Donnell+Katy+abram+interview+youtube&docid=1210412499391&FORM=VIRE2#

        Or just google Lawrence O'Donnell Katy Abram you tube. It is a must see and painfully indicative of how ignorant some of these town hall people really are.
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    • Author by tman418 (August 20, 2009 11:58 pm ET)
      1  
      Why is it that whenever Republicans win elections, people say, "Democrats, they won. Go with them and shut up. They have a mandate". Whereas whenever Democrats win elections, people (MSM) say "Okay, But divided government is best. Make sure you be bipartisan. Let the Republicans (those who lost the election) govern too".

      I don't think it has much to do with Democrats not having any spine. I think the media really enforces it. George W. Bush was given a "mandate" and the GOP was considered to have won in a "landslide" in 2004 with less than 51% of the popular vote.
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