After many months of Obama staffers making it very clear that they were very willing to trade away the public option in order to achieve success, it seemed earlier today that this was exactly what theyd done.

It looked like Obama had lucked out by having Joe Lieberman step up to take the both the bait and the blame for this and save having "the One" pay the price for failing to achieve real and lasting health care reform.  

Needing and wanting a Obama victory much more than they ever cared for any kind of reform, the Obama cheerleaders and fanboys - like Nate Silver - then began crying that Democrats must rally behin Obama and support this totally fake health care reform bill or we will NEVER see any attempt to do reform again...I guess the idea being that if the great Obama cant do it, no one could...

So it seemed that we were going to get what I always expected - a Obama political victory that sacrificed real reform for his greater glory...

But look what member of the ol' Obama "under the bus" brigade has been the first to stand up in the Senate and say no to this bullroar-

Roland Burris thats who!

From the NY Times"

Roland W. Burris, Democrat of Illinois, has vowed that he will not vote for a health care bill that does not include a government-run insurance plan, or public option.

And on Monday, after Democrats indicated that they were prepared to meet the demands of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and strip the last vestige of a public option from their bill, Mr. Burris went to the Senate floor to warn that he had not committed to vote for the legislation.

"I am committed to voting for a bill that achieves the goals of a public option: competition, cost savings and accountability," he said. "I will not be able to vote for lesser legislation that ignores those fundamentals."

"My colleagues may have forged a compromise bill that can achieve the 60 votes that will be needed for it to pass. But until this bill addresses cost, competition and accountability in a meaningful way, it will not win mine."

"As Mohandas Gandhi once famously said, `All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender.'"

Other liberals are also expected to resist appeasing Mr. Lieberman. But they may have little choice if Democrats hope to adopt a health care bill and avoid a failure to achieve President Obama's top domestic priority.

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These days, to many Democrats - on and off the web, its Really ALL about Obama isnt it?

They're all willing to pass this sham of a bill, this give away to big pharm and big insurance and then head off to Christmas and pretend that its all n' all its been a great success for the Obama administration.  Yay team! Go Obama!

BS.

Good to see that a real man of principle did come from Chicago to serve in DC in 2001 afterall.  

How come Im not surprised that his name is not Barack Obama?

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BURRIS AND THE SEAT

Did Roland Burris try to buy from former g0vernor Rod Blagojevich the Senate seat formerly held by President Obama? Many of the TV talking heads think so. I think not.

Chris Matthews and some pundits cite the FBI wiretap transcript of conversations with the brother of Blagojevich dealing with possible contributions and fund raising by Senator Burris. Burris has not helped his cause by his varying and confusing explanations of the phone conversations. However, he did make at least one good point, how ludicrous it is to think that a $1000 contribution could "buy" the seat.

My view is that the conversation was with the bounds of normal campaign discourse and not "pay to play". Burris could be expected to give support to the governor's campaign. The conversation was convoluted because of Burris' wish to get the Senate appointment.

But two main points. Burris had neither the political or financial clout to "buy" the seat. And, more important, Blagojevich made the appointment, not for any payoff, but as a way to thumb his nose at his critics.

homer   www.altara.blogspot.com

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Looks like we are at last going to have the 58th Senator in place before inaguration. What ever family feauds we might have it is important for us to get over the Burris problem. Sen Reid should not pick up public fights unless he could control their outcome. I am glad President(elect) Obama told Reid to get over it.

Here is a report from Politico:

Following a decision by the Illinois Supreme Court, Jesse White, the Illinois secretary of state, has certified Roland Burris' appointment to the Senate, removing a major roadblock against Burris' ascension to the body.

According to his office, White has signed a certificate saying that Burris' appointment document is "true and accurate."

The move came just hours after Illinois' top state court ruled that White's approval was not necessary for a valid appointment to the Senate for Burris by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The Illinois House earlier in the day had impeached Blagojevich by a vote of 114-1. Blagojevich has been indicted on a number of federal corruption charges, including allegations that he attempted to "sell" President-elect Barack Obama's seat in the Senate to the highest bidder.

Burris' attorneys argued White's certification, following the earlier state court ruling, meant there was no reason that the Burris' appointment should not be accepted by Democratic leaders.

"We've done everything we've been asked to do," said Timothy W. Wright III, Burris' attorney on Friday evening. "We're hoping they respond tonight, this weekend, as soon as possible."

Wright added that he was not aware of a case where an appointment by a state's chief executive, coupled with certification of that appointment by the secretary of state, had been rejected by the Senate.

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