Health care fail

The health care bill in the Senate is a recipe for disaster not only in the sense that it makes us slaves to the insurance industry, but it will ensure skyrocketing premiums and Democratic electoral losses. Voters will never again trust Dems to "reform" health care.

In the whole equation Joe Lieberman has assured himself a win and the Democrats a loss. If the bill passes it will turn out to be political poison; if it fails the Dems look inept. Democrats may then suffer heavy losses in the 2010 elections, in which event Lieberman will become a Republican. That is Lieberman's repayment to Obama for helping him beat Ned Lamont in his Senate run. And Obama just takes it.

Firedoglake: Progressives return fire; demand to kill the bill

Dave Johnson: This health reform bill is political suicide

Bernard Weiner: The self-destruction of Barack Obama:

President Obama has lost his 2012 bid for re-election.

He has made key decisions in three areas that, unless he alters his approach (not likely), could well guarantee a Republican victory: an embarrassingly rolled-out, badly-compromised health-care reform bill; his continuing slavish subservience to those on Wall Street that took the country into the economic toilet; and his sad imitation of CheneyBush's imperial campaign in Afghanistan.