If you want to understand how the left-wing views opposition to ObamaCare, look no further than MSNBC's Aug. 12 "Countdown with Keith Olbermann."
According to Huffington Post editor and co-founder Arianna Huffington and MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, nobody could possibly oppose health care/health insurance reform on the merits of the legislation or for ideological or philosophical reasons. There must be something nefarious occurring.
At a town hall meeting on Aug. 12, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, voiced his opposition to H.R. 3200 and other forms of legislation that would dramatically change health care, which he felt would be for the worse. This was too much for Huffington, who called Grassley a liar.
"Actually, I think that Senator Reid should actually call for a vote of censure on Sen. Grassley," Huffington said. "Remember, Republicans do that a lot. Whenever a Democrat says something which doesn't make sense, which crosses a line, they call for a vote of censure. Well, what about calling for a vote of censure on Sen. Grassley? After all, he absolutely lied about what is in the bill and he's a senator. He's not just a member of the lunatic fringe, you know? He's not a Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter or Michelle Malkin, you know? He is a United States senator. There should be certain things that he does not do or say."
Olbermann proposed that there was something else at play. He wondered if Grassley, one of the more moderate Republicans and a thorn in the side of conservatives for notoriously supporting ethanol subsidies, and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., (who once voiced support to reform the health system) received threats to their campaign funding for supporting health care efforts.
"Do we assume in both of these cases that somebody got to them both - in Isakson's case and in Grassley's - and said, ‘If you do not repudiate what you seem to have said yesterday, this compromise, this good behavior, this societally cognizant willingness to compromise, if you don't do that, we're never going to contribute to you again'?" Olbermann said.
Huffington certainly thought it possible. She and others on the left are insisting that senators on both sides of the aisle who oppose a public insurance option, including Grassley, Isakson and even Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., must be in the pockets of special interests.
"Well, remember, Sen. Grassley has received over $2 million from the drug and health insurance industry since 2003. But equally troubling, Keith, is the fact that Sen. Baucus has received $1.5 million just in the last two years," Huffington added. "So, we need to acknowledge that there are people who are really going to do everything they can and use especially fear-mongering to undermine reform. That's why we haven't had reform for so many years."
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How scary and freightening
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:20 ET by c5thenThe far left call for censorship on ideas and concepts that they disagree with. It seems that they are absolutely opposed to free speech and a free market system, but have no problem with a slow slide into fascism.
Throw 'da bums out!
no incumbent re-elected, with very few exceptions!
www.loyaltoliberty.com
Rasmussen shows only 42% want Obamacare.
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:22 ET by jazboThe leftists and their media enablers are getting desperate and increasingly shrill. The death throes of a doomed animal.
"Democrats; Breeding voters like farm animals since 1962"
You just don't get
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 13:04 ET by NL207You just don't get it. Obama and the other leftists could care less if a majority of the public actually want this farce. They will do this anyway, by stealth if necessary to avoid opposition.
Yes they will
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 13:06 ET by BlondeI notice the new dem talking point is "it's good for America".
I hope he fails, too.
Did the money these special interest consist of the same
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:24 ET by JTPAmerican currency that was given to Dodd, Frank and Obama from Freddie and Fanny? It could'nt have been because there was no uproar from these Bozo's at that time.
"Live for yourself...there's no one else more worth living for.
Begging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more"- Rush--Anthem
Countdown
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:24 ET by PeterDDemocratic president. Democratic majority in the House. Democratic majority in the Senate, at the magic 60 number. Democratic-favoring media. Healthcare "reform" isn't being passed so far, and its because of Republicans? What color is the sun on Planet Countdown?
I you know nothing else about these congressional clunkers
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:32 ET by 10ksnookerKnow this -- Their job, their position in the WDC politburo, is more important than anything else in their WDC walled lives.
One other thing, the trade-in value of a congressional clunker is near zero.
Can't accept the truth
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:33 ET by KC MulvilleLet me make an analogy. I oppose capital punishment. I think I can make a strong argument against it. However, the truth is that the majority of the country is for it. How should I respond to the reality that the majority is against my point of view?
I disagree with the majority, but with respect. Even though I see it as a moral issue, I don't think people are immoral for disagreeing with me. Same goes with the majority that believes that even though they feel abortion is immoral, they don't think they should "impose" their beliefs on others. I strongly disagree with them about that, but I don't think they're being insane or stupid or bribed into believing it.
But see how Olbermann and Huffington respond to disagreement. They attack the person, not the policy.
It's become standard analysis that there are two ways to conduct politics. The first way is to examine the policies, and choose your political organizations according to how they represent your policies. The second way is personal; you pick who you admire, and then you shape your policies to match those people. One is intellectual, one is personal. In this case, the knee-jerk liberalism of Olbermann and Huffington is all personal. They went right to the personal, and had little to say about the policy.
"But see how Olbermann and
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 10:01 ET by black47211"But see how Olbermann and Huffington respond to disagreement. They attack the person, not the policy."
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Tactics straight outta the Alinsky playbook. Liberals are predictable if nothing else.
www.pelicanmarsh68.blogspot.com
Grassley a liar? What a joke
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:48 ET by nkviking75Huffington undermines her own argument that Grassley has been corrupted by Big Pharma money when she says:
"Well, remember, Sen. Grassley has received over $2 million from the
drug and health insurance industry since 2003. But equally troubling,
Keith, is the fact that Sen. Baucus has received $1.5 million just in
the last two years," Huffington added. "So, we need to acknowledge that
there are people who are really going to do everything they can and use
especially fear-mongering to undermine reform. That's why we haven't
had reform for so many years."
It's not uncommon for big business of all types to give campaign money to candidates of both parties as a way of hedging their bets at election time. As for Grassley being a liar, anyone who knows the man would laugh that idea off in a heartbeat. Grassley is not always as conservative as I'd like, but he does what he does because he sincerely believes it's the right thing to do.
The left is so desperate right now that they seem to be willing to try any tactic to smear opponents of health care "reform". About all that's left is to claim that anti-reformers are actually from Mars.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:50 ET by jessieHOk, let's talk about lies. Pelosi, Reid, Boxer, Hoyer, Waxmann, Frank, obama, Kennedy, Markey, Napolitano, Waters, Kerry, McCaskill, ect., ect., ect. I call for a vote of censure on these elected servants. Then we can talk about Grassley...........
By all means, let's have
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 11:39 ET by mattmBy all means, let's have Olbermental and Huff-n-Puff dictate policy and procedures.... phew!
NB should get into the movie business and do a mockumentary about these two entitled "Mental and Mentaler."
Ridiculous
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 12:22 ET by PatConFor these two to be questioning anyone's integrity is utterly absurd. Let's remember Ms. Huffington's hard right days a scant 15 years ago before the revelation of her husband's (he of the $28 million U.S. Senate campaign) sexual priorities led to her reinvention as the champagne socialist apotheosis. Glad to see she could take time out of her busy schedule of droning on about the evils of SUVs to offer poorly-argued speculation as to the motivation of U.S. Senators opposing wildly-unpopular legislation.
I've talked at length about the "Countdown" host before, but isn't it lovely to see the unreconstructed, craven Olbermann completely self-destruct in the wake of "Trucegate" and the Richard Wolffe debacle? Offering the gutless excuse of his mother's death to throw his "management team" under the bus. Claiming Stelter's coverage of him was completely fabricated, then contradicting himself seconds later by quoting the very story to attack Rupert Murdoch. One wonders when MSNBC will understand the individual with whom they've entrusted their news brand.
Ariana, as usual, is 100%
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 12:01 ET by Roger the ShrubberAriana, as usual, is 100% correct.
The Republicans are always trying to censure Democrats, as we can see here. And here. And here. And here. And here.
To give the Dems some credit, the Cali state Dems did censure Feinstein. Whoops, maybe not!
Finally, an attempt (failed) to censure a Democrat is uncovered!
BTW, there has not been a censure in the House in over 25 years, the Senate in 19. WTF is Huffington huffing?
Visit The Daily Wave
not so. Charles
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 13:52 ET by NL207not so.
Charles Schumer.
"During his first term as a U.S. Congressman, he was censured for using his taxpayer- funded staff to illegally collect campaign contributions for his re-election. "
http://keenobserver.blogtownhall.com/2009/07/17/sarahs_irony.thtml
Schumer became a
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 15:16 ET by Roger the ShrubberSchumer became a congressman in the 1980 elections, so if he was censured during his first term, that would mean either 1981 or 1982, which is 27-28 years ago, if he actually was. I believe I said there have been no censures in Congress in 25 years.
Hell, I don't think Schumer was even censured. Are you sure of the veracity of your source? I guess 1990 was the last censuring, according to the list I gave the link to.
Visit The Daily Wave
I finally found an
Fri, 08/14/2009 - 09:52 ET by NL207I finally found an authoritative reference: http://www.rules.house.gov/Archives/rl31382.pdf
It appears that Schumer was never censured by the full House. I have found several blogger references to a censure of Schumer and a specific offense for which he was 'censured', yet this source omits him from the list of those members censured by the House.
As for you claims of no censures in the last 25 years, while technically correct, it ignores the more serious outright expulsion of James Trafficant in 2002 and the reprimands of Barney Frank in 1990 and Newt Gingrich in 1997.
Another interesting omission: Rep. Randall Cunningham, who is in jail for corruption but was not actually censured or reprimanded by, or expelled from, the House despite accepting bribes.
So HuffPo is concerned
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 12:48 ET by dscottSo HuffPo is concerned about $3.5 million in campaign contributions over what, 8 years? But they are not concerned about the $150 million dollar bribe big pharma negotiated with President Obama to propagandize for ObamaCare in exchange for not squeezing them for more discounts if ObamaCare should be enacted? Quid Pro Quo anyone? So the corrupt President gets a pass?
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
KOthe JO strikes again
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 13:18 ET by east tennessee johnIf KOtheJO wants to talk about campaign contributions and their potential influence does he have the intellectual honesty to dicuss the SEIU, AFofL-CIO, Teamsters, NEA Goldman Sachs, Trial Lawyers and evry other union donation to BO? Why hell no. Nothing more than a coniving easel with a microphone. Better not take any more vacationKOtheJO, O'Donnell lurks in the west wing.
You know, that old story...
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 15:51 ET by fstaffWell, it just goes to show you what happens when a piece of Euro-trash becomes a “beard” to a multi-millionaire with political aspirations then blackmails him into a fortune AND a 50 year old delusional screamer who rode the coat tails of the much more talented Dan Patrick to notoriety and who still plays with baseball cards in mothers basement get together on a shameless leftist cable network who no one watches except the sycophants in West Wing of the White House and Hugo Chavez.
Hey Look! It's Arianna!
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 18:10 ET by TeddyOh, She's a favorite. Ugh. So what exactly Is the "Drag and Health Industry(etc.)"? Because I need a translator to understand WTH she's saying when she speaks now, and I'm fluent in both English And Greek.
Speak English Μορί! HOW Long have you been here?
My (Legal!) immigrant Parents don't speak with an accent, and they Didn't Go to "Kamebritz", otherwise known as Cambridge.