Sonic Youth wrote:Mister Tee wrote:I wouldn't take the interpretation of anyone in the mainstream media -- especially the AP, which has been carrying GOP water since Ron Fournier took it over -- for gospel. If I hear the plan has actually been dropped, I'll be disappointed. Hearing "some people tonight SEEM to be signalling it's dropped" is worse than worthless, and exactly the sort of bad reporting that's marked all coverage of this debate.
Oh, I disagree. I think the term for what's going on is "trial balloon".
The New York Times reported this much the same way in yesterday's paper. And I'd stay away from news blogs and other outlets to the left of them, because they'll probably be less than charitable in their read of what's going on.
The New York Times, and the rest of the press, also reported that: Hillary had exposed Obama's fatal weakness with white working class voters; Sarah Palin was going to single-handedly swing the election to McCain; Cash for Clunkers would be stopped by the Senate; and Sonia Sotomayor could never be confirmed before Fall. The Times in particular has a "Democrats in disarray" article-template they trot out periodically, of which this is the latest variant.
I do agree that portions of the lefty blogosphere are equally guilty -- Arianna leading the way -- because in their Nader-ite souls they want to be disappointed, as it will confirm their dim view of American society. They'd have screamed at the compromises FDR made to get Social Security through.
As I say, I wait for the final legislation before I pronounce on it. And I'm open to the possibiity ths is gambit to overcome the biggest current obstacle to a bill: getting something, anything through the Senate Finance Committee. Prima donnas like Baucus and Conrad may well need to believe something like ths before they'll let a bill get out of their committee. But, once something's out, whatever it says, it goes into the negotiation process, with other Senate committee bills plus the House bill, all of which contain the public option. We can't know until that wrangling's finished what the final bill will be.
Edited By Mister Tee on 1250519119