Elections 2010 LIVE Updates

We never had 60 votes in the senate. Lieberman is not a dem, and made a large deal about being the one senator who could tank health care. His bluster dimmed, however, when it became apparent that Baucus and Lincoln were way ahead of him on that score.

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Obama never pressured JoeLieberman, BenNelson or BlancheLincoln, or any Blue Dog. That's by their own admission. ( http://www.huf fingtonpos­t.com/2009­/12/21/lie­berman-oba­ma-never-p­re_n_39935­5.html



http://fdl action.fir­edoglake.c­om/2010/02­/22/public­-option-dr­amatically­-more-popu­lar-than-s­enate-bill­-so-obama-­pushes-sen­ate-bill-w­ithout-pub­lic-option­/ )



If Obama really wanted BlueDogs' votes or JoeLieberman's vote on legislation like real healthcare reform, he would have done to Lieberman & the BlueDogs what he did to DennisKucinich (the last hold-out on the ProgressiveCaucus, all of whom had pledged to vote for a healthcare bill only if it had a public option, and who all caved). Obama flew to Cleveland and rallied Kucinich's constituents against him and he got Kucinich's vote.



Where was that mentality with JoeLieberman, BlancheLincoln, the other BlueDogs and even OlympiaSnowe? If the president of the UnitedStates had used the bully pulpit against them, a lot of progressives would have respected that and said, "You tried your best". But Obama didn't try. He cut a deal, months earlier, cutting the will of the People off at the knees. The public is powerless in backroom deals.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost