Axelrod: Left “insane” for wanting to kill the bill
posted at 3:00 pm on December 17, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
How serious is the split in the Democratic Party over the ObamaCare compromise that leaves progressives without a fig leaf? Howard Dean has gone on national TV for three days in a row demanding that his allies in the Democratic Party defeat the bill and force Barack Obama and the White House to start over from scratch. Joe Scarborough managed to get both Dean and David Axelrod on his show today to get both sides of the (Democratic) story. First, Axelrod says the Left would be “insane” to kill ObamaCare now:
Trying to stave off a sudden fusillade from the left, White House senior adviser David Axelrod said Thursday that Howard Dean’s criticisms of health-care reform are “predicated on a bunch of erroneous conclusions” and that for progressives to torpedo the legislation “would be a tragic, tragic outcome.”“To defeat a bill that will bend the curve on this inexorable rise in health-care costs is insane,” Axelrod said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I don’t think that you want this moment to pass. It will not come back.” …
Axelrod, responding on MSNBC, said: “I have a lot of respect for Governor Dean but he got on the phone with Nancy-Ann DeParle, our point person on the health care issue, went through point by point. She explained why he was wrong. And he simply didn’t want to hear that critique. I saw his piece in The Post this morning, and it is predicated on a bunch of erroneous conclusions.”
Former DNC chair Dean, unperturbed by accusations of either the insanity or intransigence, insisted that he remains a loyal — if unenthusiastic — Democrat (via The College Politico):
Look, every politician says this, and I hesitate to do it because they all say it, but sometimes the country is more important than either party. I’m going to support President Obama when he runs for re-election — not vigorously. I’m going to vote for him. [Laughter from Scarborough] I am, I am.
Peggy Noonan observed that the White House has managed a trifecta on ObamaCare by alienating the Right, the Center, and now the Left. Dean won’t be the only one who has lost his enthusiasm for Obama by 2012.
Blowback
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When whoever does it, asks for a reading of the entire bill, I want that clip here on Hot Air. Just so we can see the reaction.
kingsjester on December 17, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Just a quick thought for Axelrod.
When everyone else, politically right and now politically left is insane, perhaps it’s not really everyone else that is insane.
RJL on December 17, 2009 at 3:54 PM
I feel the same way. Under-estimating your opponent is a form of arrogance. Learn from the past and be humble.
-
TwilightStruggler on December 17, 2009 at 3:55 PM
2 points:
1. Those that do go to the polls will vote for him again no matter what (O.J. Simpson effect).
2. You can only vote for the first black president once.
sleepy-beans on December 17, 2009 at 3:55 PM
It’s not like Howard Dean would have reason to take offense at being portrayed as stubborn or clueless.
Tonus on December 17, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Oh my……the newest Senator, (sitting in the presiding president’s chair) the idiot from Minnesota, just cut off Lieberman and when Joe asked for one more minute to finish, Franken objected. John McCain just ripped Franken for his act and said he has not seen this in the Senate in his 25 plus years. Sounds like Franken’s doing a great job making new friends.
Rovin on December 17, 2009 at 3:56 PM
The Republicans would make me proud if they demanded the clerk read the Lieberman-Rockhead bill.
ConservativeTony on December 17, 2009 at 3:57 PM
McCain will pretend to be a Republican for the whole coming twelve months, of course, if reelected, the very next day McCain will once again start attacking fellow Republicans for the next five years.
RJL on December 17, 2009 at 4:03 PM
BadgerHawk on December 17, 2009 at 4:04 PM
While I am over-joyed to watch the implosion of the progressive agenda, my revelry is tempered by my familiarity with the progressive’s historical response to adversity, and it is not pretty. The progressive’s proclivity towards authoritarian temper tantrums is well documented, even here in the US…
http://knol.google.com/k/john-ray/the-american-roots-of-fascism/1a2p9co02fh9a/3#
.. with this in mind, and the recognition that desperate times call for despearate actions more often than not, ther ois a danger of this proclivity re-emerging as the progressives’ “once in a lifetime” opportunity begins to slip away.
With the Town Halls and the Tea Parties we saw the visceral reation by the progressive left, rabid denunciation, libelous accusations of perfidy and occasional outbreaks of violence, the early manifestations of the tactics reminiscent of the Brown-Shirts of the early 30′s. As their desperation grows, the worry should be that they not move into the latter stages, when one looks at those many (27 & counting) former members of the SDS/Weathermen that now make up the core of Team Obama and progressive coalition, one realizes this not being hyperbolic. As FBI agent Grathwol has testified to,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWMIwziGrAQ
…these people not only advocated later stage brown-shirt tactics, but advocated their intent for a final solution for dissidents opposed to their utopian nightmare.
The point is that though we can take pleasure in this small triumph as Obamacare implodes, we are by no means out of the dark. I fully expect that as the prospects for the progressives agenda begins to fade, they will moer and more take on the demeanor of the wounded animal, and become very dangerous indeed.
Archimedes on December 17, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Hey Axelrod! What’s that small fur-bearing rodent on your upper lip?
Del Dolemonte on December 17, 2009 at 4:04 PM
POS Franken has been meekly tapping the gavel now that Levin is speaking and exceeding his time.
The Democrats have succeeded in trashing a once great body.
ConservativeTony on December 17, 2009 at 4:05 PM
the blood is all over the floor. It’s Dems on Dems and it’s getting ugly. Kayo and Deano are both landing blows. Axelgrease can’t get up and Rahm is pulling on his tutu and ordering fish….
ted c on December 17, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Pinnochio just ran off to Copenhagen since he had such good luck last time with the Lympics deal and he’s needs to axe Hillary and Bill what to do about HealthScare!
I bet Bill and Hillary are laughing their asses off big time!
dhunter on December 17, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Never before have soo many stocked up on food, ammo and arms!
Bring it!
dhunter on December 17, 2009 at 4:11 PM
The Dems are seeing the writing on the wall for 2010 and trying to scramble out of the disaster they’ve caused for themselves, but it may be far too late.
Connie on December 17, 2009 at 4:12 PM
hahaha Lurch Kerry’s up to bat.
“Its Bush’s fault, but since The Won is here, the economy is sucking less and less and less.”
Paraphrasing here, but I’m really close.
ConservativeTony on December 17, 2009 at 4:15 PM
you forgot to add the *whiff* as kerry fails to make a substantive argument.
ted c on December 17, 2009 at 4:16 PM
Where’s Bill?
Ahh.
You must be Beatrix.
TheBigOldDog on December 17, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Whiff*
Don’t worry, the chair will give him additional strikes.
Question, has Kerry ever done anything substantive in the Senate? I see even the Democrat leadership won’t have anything to do with him.
ConservativeTony on December 17, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Never before have soo many stocked up on food, ammo and arms!
Bring it!
dhunter on December 17, 2009 at 4:11 PM
I am a part of that many, none-the-less it saddens me that the results of it comming to that, need not have happened. the electorate got lazy, the Fouth Estate became wantonly negligent(if not treasonous)and the possibility of tyranny was allowed to take root.
As Reagan aptly summed it up, liberty is never but one generation from being lost. A peripheral scan of any College campus and one can see that it took about 2-3, and will take at least as many to re-cement its foundations.
Archimedes on December 17, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Sally Pipes has a lucid commentary on why the Senate HC bill (whatever it is) must be rejected. She concludes with strategies that will really address spiraling health-care/insurance costs.
http://healthcare.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MGM2NWQyMWJmNGI2YjRiYmYyMjRkY2ZkZTI1Y2QxM2I=
onlineanalyst on December 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
In terms of foreign policy, that’s true. But when it comes to grand Socialist fiats – in opposition to the will of the people – scuttling the liberal ideal of an “Imperial Presidency” is absolutely nothing but a good thing.
logis on December 17, 2009 at 4:27 PM
It will pass
tomas on December 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Obama may have set back the cause of African-American politics by a decade. His performance has been abysmal. Many people will incorrectly attribute that to his skin color, instead of to his Leftist ideas.
hawksruleva on December 17, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Is this an example of Axelrod Astroturfing himself?
Wind Rider on December 17, 2009 at 5:05 PM
So? Liberals were misguided stereotype-worshipping morons before Obama, and they will be misguided stereotype-worshipping morons after Obama.
They’ll simply swap what Spike Lee calls the “Magic Negro” stereotype for another infantile trope. What would you expect the new one to be one whit better or worse than the old one was?
If Hillary had been elected, they’d just go through the same process about all women. Maybe next time they’ll think The Savior Who Can Magically Make Communism Work This Time will be an albino; or a midget; or a left-handed Vegan homosexual. Then they’ll decide to love or hate whole new groups of people.
And through it all, they will be absolutely certain they know everything. So, of course, they will never learn anything.
The more things change, the more liberals stay the same. Obama isn’t the cause of that screwed-up mess; he’s just a product of it.
logis on December 17, 2009 at 5:09 PM
so basically Rod is saying it’s 4 down we’re at the 1 yard line and we are down by six. Hey I got an Idea lets kick a field goal and just say we won.
roflmao
donabernathy on December 17, 2009 at 5:16 PM
This is just smoke and mirrors. They’re going to pass this nightmare bill before Christmas.
MCGIRV on December 17, 2009 at 7:03 PM
If Obama and his Axel read your note they will start looking for that someone, somewhere, who is insane and promptly admit that someone to a mental facility.
antisocial on December 17, 2009 at 11:41 PM
It must have been very early in the morning for Mr. Axelrod because his conversation was very disjointed and almost incoherent.
MSGTAS on December 18, 2009 at 9:42 AM
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