John Kerry Latest Democrat to Capitulate on Public Option

Just like his vote to authorize the Iraq War, Sen. John Kerry was "for" the public health insurance option before he was "against" it. In an interview with the Associated Press, the former Democratic presidential nominee becomes the latest capitulating Democrat to invoke WWTD: What Would Ted Kennedy Do?

Kerry said Kennedy would fight for the public option and "do everything in his power to get it," but "if he didn't see the ability ... to get it done, he would not throw the baby out with the bathwater."

There's also this interview with TIME where Kerry discusses dropping the public option in the name of "bipartisanship" to—wait for it—"preserve" Kennedy's legacy: "Kerry has been watching the coverage following Kennedy's death, and he worries about progressives using Kennedy's passing as an excuse to dig in their heels on the inclusion of a public option, a key point of contention. Senate Republicans have said they will not vote for a bill with one in it."

Not exactly. House and Senate Republicans say they won't vote for ANY bill.

But that is news that Kerry believes Senate Democrats and the White House are "fighting" for something. There are quite a few Democrats fighting for several things right now. Unfortunately none of them are in the White House.

Comments

[FREELEO]

The Democrats are a bunch of LOSERS! I'm so sick of them. This is not what Obama promised; a whole lot of compromise over issues where there should be no compromise. The Republicans never compromise. When they say no, they mean it.

[soulbrotha]

I can't take this anymore. If they pass this bill without a public option, everyone loses my vote, including Obama.

And the more I hear Kerry speak, the more I am SO glad we did not make him our president. What a spineless, waffling, opportunistic ass.

[reggieh]

Sad, very VERY sad. Whatever happened to backbone?

[mjolnir202]

This is so predictable and cowardly that I can barely summon outrage. What a complete disaster the next 3 and 1/4 years is going to be. Bill Maher had Bill Moyers on last Friday and it's worth viewing. It can be found on Youtube. He summed up so well the myriad problems afflicting American political life right now.

The Democrats first and foremost did a terrible job of selling healthcare reform to the American people as a moral imperative and the Rebulicans used that vacuum to their copious toss lies into. Now, with the Republicans' motives laid bare, the Democrats still keep chasing a phantom bi-partisan bill. All energy at this point should be focused on intimidating every Blue Dog Democrat into supporting comprohensive healthcare reform. I say, "intimidate" because it's pretty obvious at this point that negotiations will have as much success with this bunch as it has had with the Republicans.

If these "Democrats" can't be counted on to support the President on this because of fear from their conservative constituency, what makes anyone think that they are going to be with him on any important or controversial piece of legislation in the future? We know the Republicans will oppose pretty much anything Obama puts forth. Who really cares if these Democrats lose their seats if it's a foregone conclusion that they're going to jump ship evertime to side with the Republicans.

[Kevjack]

Is this the "change" we were supposed to believe in? If so, please count me out! I wish Democrats (and the one in the White House in particular) would sack up, grow a pair, and fight like they said they would. Where is the guy who promised to fight? Where is the guy who promised to change things?

What we have now is Democratic leadership that is afraid to take ownership of their policies. They want bipartisanship because they are afraid that if things don't work out they will take the blame. But if things continue as they are we will be digging ourselves deeper and deeper into a pit. We have to fight for what is right.

Please fight. This issue is too important to be left up to politics.

[Jim]

All of those who talk about “spineless Democrats” or how someone needs “to grow a pair” seem to assume that achieving universal health care is something that these Democrats actually want.

So much that seems frustrating and perplexing to us becomes simple, if we just assume that these people are acting for the benefit of what they truly believe in.

Themselves.

[Luther]

Freelo you said what I feel and I'm at the point I might not ever vote for any of these spineless cowards as that's what I think they are and still running boo from the GOP.