Bill Moyers disses Dems as "spineless"
Posted by Justin Jeffre
This Politico article describes Bill Moyers appearance on HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher". "The problem is the Democratic Party," said Moyers. "This is a party that has told its progressives-who are the most outspoken champions of health care reform-to sit down and shut up. He said, "Here's the party that lost and the conservative movement that was discredited over the last eight years. They're setting the agenda for a Democratic Party that controls the White House, the Senate and the House. Something's wrong in that."
Moyers has a way of hitting the nail on the head. Here's a short excerpt from Politico.
Moyers said that, over the years, the Democratic Party "has become like the Republican party — deeply influenced by corporate money."
"I think Rahm Emanuel, who is a clever politician, understands that the money for Obama's reelection would come primarily from the health industry, the drug industry and Wall Street, and so he is a corporate Democrat who is destined, determined that there would be something in this legislation — if we get it — that will turn off those powerful interests."
Moyers had some advice for President Barack Obama, as well.
"There's a fear that Barack Obama will become the Grover Cleveland of this era," said Moyers. Grover Cleveland was a good man, but he became a conservative Democratic president because he didn't fight the interests. ... I would much rather see Barack Obama be Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt loved to fight. He came into office and railed against the malefactors of great wealth, and he was glad to take them on. ...
"I think if Obama fought, instead of finessed so much, he stood up and declared for what is really the right thing to do and what is really needed instead of negotiating the corners away, instead of talking about bending the curve, and talking about actuarial rates, if he were to stand up and say, 'We need this because we're a decent country', I think it would change the atmosphere."
Moyers said that conservatives have dominated the debate over health care lately. "In the last few weeks, the right wing has been winning the debate. How [Obama] lost control of the narrative, I don't understand. Well, yes, I do. He didn't find the right metaphors, as you were just saying, and he didn't speak in simple powerful moral language. He was speaking like a policy wonk to the world of Washington, not a country of people who are hurting.
I think Moyers gives the corporate Democrats too much credit. It's too bad Moyers and other progressive media outlets failed to cover the progressive Presidential candidates that were talking about single payer health care. The American people would be more educated in this health care debate.
Here is the COMPLETE Politico article in question:
Bill Moyers disses Dems as 'spineless'
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26594.html