DiFi may back drug bill; "Moderate Dems could give Bush major victory"

[RichM]

This article was front-paged in the paper edition of today's SF Chronicle. Please note, in particular, the phrasing of the headline:

===================

Feinstein may back drug bill for seniors
Moderate Dems could give Bush a major victory

Washington -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is among a handful of moderate Democrats who are poised to vote for the Medicare prescription drug bill, potentially handing President Bush an enormous domestic policy victory heading into next year's elections.

Health care lobbyists predicted Wednesday that the highly controversial reform measure -- which would constitute the biggest expansion of Medicare since it was created in 1965 -- will pass the House and Senate by the end of this week with the aid of moderate Democrats in both chambers.

Feinstein is often a bellwether in the Senate on significant bills that aim for bipartisan support....

...Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.... slammed the bill Wednesday in the Senate .... Kennedy called the bill "a Trojan horse to destroy the Medicare program" and an "enormous give-away to insurance companies and an enormous take-away from senior citizens."

====================

Now, boys and girls, what does this tell you about how much faith you should be placing in the political species known as "moderate Dems?"

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/11/20/MNGDO368UK1.DTL

[Cleita]

1. I wrote to Barbara Bush and Lois Capps how much

this bill is a slap in senior's faces. I didn't write to DiFi because I knew this is what she would do, although I did write to Bill Thomas (my congressional rep.) to let him know if this bill causes me or anyone I know to be left without the medical care and medication we need, we would personally make a point of dying on his front lawn, the sidewalk of his office, or wherever he may be when the time comes. Maybe it's time to write DiFi a similar letter.

[oasis]

7. I hope you wrote Barbara Boxer. Most likely Babs Bush will back Chimpy.

;-)

[Cleita]

9. Yeah, Barbara Boxer. Yesch not Bush. The fingers

automatically typed it. Whew, thanks for the correction.

[Q]

2. I friggin give up...

...let's just give away the whole party while we're at it.

- Kennedy is right....but the 'moderate' corporate stooges don't want to listen.

- Expect the energy bill to see the same fate. We continue to compromise but get little or nothing in return.

[dawgman]

6. We don't get anything in return because we don't fight for anything

things will change when we stop electing people simply based on the D next to their names and start electing people based on their desire to effect real and positive change. Until that time we will be ruled by corporate stooges on both sides of the aisle.

[dawgman]

3. Fuck moderate dems and DLC pieces of shit

we say we want to change things and then we go and elect pieces of shit like feinstein and leiberman .... and all the other spineless, DLC cocksuckers who are just as much a part of the machine as any republican.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

4. Feinstein, Ms Indentured Servitude

She's basically the architect of H1B and L1 and other abusive visa programs, which deport people when they lose their jobs.

She's no moderate, she's a socially liberal Republican.

[Terwilliger]

5. My Senator sucks

can someone re-apportion me to Boxer's district?

[roughsatori]

8. This bill and anyone who votes for it is a disgrace NT

[nn2004]

10. What choice do we have?

Can we really get a far left senator elected in these times? I'm not too pretty sure it could be done.

[Terwilliger]

16. far left?

people in the East consider DiFi far left...did you have a point?

[1a2b3c]

11. So difi is trying to give away the election again?

What else is new from the gun-grabbing elitist whore?

[Frangible]

22. Amen.

nt

[frank frankly]

12. corrupt fools

ugh.

[Cocoa]

13. so what did she say when you contacted her?

If she were my senator, I would be pushing her big time to filibuster this.

Don't you live in CA?

[knight_of_the_star]

14. Won't matter

She got hundreds, maybe thousands of phone calls to vote against IWR and the 87 billion from her constituents in CA and she still voted yes on both. We just have to take her out when her seat comes up with someone who is the real deal.

[Cleita]

18. Any ideas whom to run against her in the primaries?

If I remember correctly, in the last election no one challenged her. I would like to see maybe Lois Capps, a terrific Congressperson from my area or one of the many fine Democratic men in California.

[knight_of_the_star]

21. We'll find someone

We have to.

[Terwilliger]

17. Like the IWR vote?

Thousands of calls nearly 10 to 1 against the IWR and she voted for it anyway.

[giantrobot_2000]

15. A proposal.

I propose a swap with the Republican party. They give us McCain and Snowe and we give them Lieberman and Feinstein.

God, I can't stand Feinstein, she's a DINO in the worst way.

[Terwilliger]

19. They can keep McCain, too

how bout Chaffee?

[Cleita]

20. Why would we want McCain or Snowe?

However, the Republicans can have Feinstein anytime they like.

[giantrobot_2000]

25. Hmm...

Let's be fair.

Lieberman and Feinstein are Republicans on everything except for abortion. They betrayed Clinton and I'll never forgive them for that. They consistently vote to increase military spending, voted for the Iraq resolution, have a disgusting moralistic streak that I don't like and so on.

McCain's a moderate, not insane Republican. He hates the religious right wing after the smear job Reed and Rove did on him in South Carolina and Michigan. Most importantly, he has some modicum of integrity and is honest about pork-barrel politics. That means a lot to me in today's world of sweetheart deals for Halliburton. I respect that, even if he's pro-life or whatever. He's also the only Republican to be vocally honest about what a royal fuck-up Iraq has been.

I think you've misread Snowe. Olympia Snowe is a good woman. She's like Jim Jeffords -- perfectly reasonable on social issues, dislikes corporate welfare but likes the idea of free market, like me. Snowe's an old school Republican, from the days back when they understood it was in business and society's best moral interest to have happy, healthy workers (to make their profits, admittedly). I thought she was going to jump ship after Jeffords left the GOP. Her voting record is to the left of Feinstein. Take a look. She's someone Democrats can work with.

But you're right, I'd take Chaffee over McCain.

I didn't used to hate Republicans, they're not all bad people. It's important to realize that they're not all frothing cockroaches (or exterminators thereof) like Delay the Orkin Man. There are still some holdovers from before the time the Army of God took over the party.

[tkmorris]

23. Thread is about Feinstein

so I guess she can go but number 2 has to be Zell Miller don't ya think?

[Cleita]

24. If you can vote Zell Miller out of office do so.

I can't, but I can vote Dianne Feinstein out.

[giantrobot_2000]

26. Miller

Zell Miller doesn't even count anymore. Why in the hell is the DNC even giving him moeny? He's a walking liability! Boot his ass from the party!