Category: Amy Klobuchar

by Dave Mindeman

Is this really our Senior Senator from Minnesota?

From the Minnesota Independent in regards to the Franken supported letter to use reconciliation to pass health care:

Klobuchar didn’t indicate she’d sign the letter, but said she supports “using reconciliation to pass the health reform bill with changes, such as getting rid of the Nebraska deal” — a reference to an addition to the bill to win conservative Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson’s vote.

Yes..yes. That sounds like very promising. We are with you, Amy. Kill that Nebraska travesty. Yes..yes... lumbar vertebrae are forming.

But wait...there's more!

I would want to make sure that the bill contains the Medicare care cost reform measures included in the existing bill. I am also supportive of the President’s efforts to forge a bipartisan agreement. We must reduce health care costs for the people of this country.

OK, OK, a reasonable argument. Saw that bi-partisan thing again -- not good for spinal conditions but we are on the right track here, so I won't quibble. Yes, the Medicare provisions should stay. They are important for Minnesota. We seem to be getting a glimpse of thoracic vertebrae appearing.

But now, the coup de grace:

I support the House bill version of the public option which is based on negotiated rates. I do not support a public option based on Medicare rates because it exacerbates geographic disparities that already hurt Minnesota.

OK...OK..it wasn't a complete commitment, but the words "public option" formed in her vocal cords and, yes, they did come out and it sounded supportive -- at least sort of. Oh, what the heck, I'll take it. I see cervical vertebrae are on the horizon.

It's a medical miracle!

Open Left has started a whip count on this. Remember, we need to get to 50.

Category: Amy Klobuchar

by Dave Mindeman

If you have read my blog in the past, you probably know that I get a bit irritated at Sen. Amy Klobuchar. I understand her desire to appeal as a centrist legislator but really? defending Joe Lieberman?

Lieberman has been a corporate insurance shill from the very beginning of this health care debate. He has been falling all over himself finding pieces of the bill to criticize or to hold hostage.

It has made a mockery of the supposed "power of 60" that Democrats were given as a gift in 2008. Lieberman who apparently thinks he can punish the left for working to unseat him while he was flouting his "man-crush" on Bush 43, has been trying to nail the coffin on health care while flip flopping on most of his previously held positions.

And yet, here we have Sen. Klobuchar telling us that Lieberman is just a misunderstood schnauzer peeing on the carpet and those whacks with the newspaper are unwarranted.

She says:

"No matter how mad people might be with him right now, when you look at his record and when you say, 'Does he vote more like a Democrat or does he vote more like a Republican?' He votes more like a Democrat," she said.

Really?

He supported the Bush interpretation of the Geneva convention.

And then there's Iraq.

He voted in favor of the Bush Energy Bill of 2005.

And then there's Iraq.

He voted with Bush for limitations on class action lawsuits.

And then there's Iraq.

Granted, Lieberman has supported EFCA and most labor issues; and has been involved in promoting some good energy policy; but it has been hard to describe him as "voting like a Democrat".

Klobuchar acknowledged progressive frustration with Lieberman's antics. She put it this way:

"I think everyone gets irritated when you want to get to a goal line and when someones running zig-zag down the field," she said.

The problem in health care is not Lieberman's zig-zagging. It's that he is heading in the wrong direction....and with the ball.

Category: Amy Klobuchar

by Dave Mindeman

OK, let's continue with more on Amy Klobuchar. Now let's talk about Klobuchar's positions on health care reform....or more precisely, the lack of positions.

Doug Grow, on MinnPost, gives a revealing account of the "Tele-Town Hall" phone meeting that Klobuchar fielded on Sunday night.

Grow was particularly "impressed" by the answer Klobuchar gave to a fairly straightforward question:

Do you support a public option?

Not a complicated question. Could be answered yes or no. But it wasn't. Klobuchar said this:

"I will tell you this,'' the senator said. "I'm open to a competitive option. You need to put pressure on the insurance companies. One way to do that [is allow the public to join] the federal health care plan or one just like it. The government does administer it, but it's a private plan. That's one way. And then there's this co-op plan proposal [in the Senate]. That really hasn't been formed yet. Those are some of the ideas. I want to make sure whatever option we choose works for our state. Make sure it makes it easier for small businesses and the self-employed."

There were some insinuations in there that she might, maybe possibly, if conditions are right, with a push towards consensus, give a nod to, if everything is in order, a public option or something very similar.

Yuk.

I don't know what she is trying to accomplish with that. Is she hoping that a generally accepted bill will emerge before she has to make a committment?

Please, Amy, your not satisfying anybody with this double IHOP special. If you are trying to throw the Republicans a bone here, they're only going to throw red meat back.

The best response came from commenter, Ginny Martin, on the MinnPost article:

I expected more from Klobuchar. I thought she'd support a true health care reform and that means a public options. For months she has said absolutely nothing meaningful. I can only think that, given all the time she's had to think about it, she just lacks any kind of courage or backbone. Or she really has no opinions, which is worse I guess. I think all of us should lean, hard, on her.

And Ginny posted an appropriate afterthought as well:

One more thing: of course it's complex. That's why we hired her. She is beginning to sound like W. complaining that his job was hard, really hard, really hard. Then maybe we need someone else with opinions, guts and energy.

I would say that about sums it up.