Once again, I think you have the moral high-ground but I don't think Obama could get anything done if he played it the way you suggest.  Also, he doesn't strike me as the bull on the hill that's going to run down and fuck shake hands with one of the cows.  I think he's the one that's going to walk down and shake hands with all the cows.

I think he's more patient than you do.  You could be right though but let me ask...

Say, hypothetically that striking the public option was the deal that saved this health care bill.  Would you have stood your ground and let the bill die?  And what do you think Obama would gain from such a deal? 

I'd agree that trying to be bipartisan was a waste of time and it seems clear now but we didn't know that in the beginning.  I'd hear the argument that we should have known, although I don't think anyone can argue that at least he tried in earnest to be bipartisan.  Actually, he leveraged that in televised debate with the Republicans.  Basically, he played their own dickishness against them in this last push.  I think he was good for at least 10 of those votes in the last couple weeks.  That was the hammer I was referring to.

Because I'm a freak, I actually downloaded the bill and I'm trying to read it.  About to give up because of the legalese and I don't understand what I'm looking at.  It's complicated but it does seem like there is a strategy behind it all.   At least I hope so.

More from the machine.