Blue Jersey - Recent Comments

Public Option

rachael'sdad — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:24:26 GMT

I also support a public option that would give consumers more choice when selecting a health care plan; the current bill omits this cost containment measure.

Is he saying that the ONLY reason that he is voting NO is because the bill is lacking the public option? If that is the case, why did he vote NO on the original House bill? Other than the absent public option and Stupak anti-abortion language, is there anything significantly different about the bill the House will hopefully pass on Sunday and the bill that they have already passed.

And if there isn't any significant difference between these bills other than the public option and the Stupak anti-abortion language, is the difference between the Hyde language that has prevailed to date and the Stupak language different enough to justify the abandonment of the public option?

Are these the choices that the House is deliberating or has it simply been decided, despite all of the work that has been done by people like Howard Dean and DFA and New Jersey's own, Adam Green, and the PCCC on the Senate side to get 51 Senators on board with the public option and anything else that the House wanted to include in this bill.

Are there really not enough votes in the House for the public option without the Stupakites or is Nancy Pelosi under orders from the Obama Administration to not pursue the public option any further?

John Adler is going to lose in November and when he does, his political career may very well be over unless he is offered a job in the Obama administration or he decides to redeem himself by challenging James Beach for his old Senate seat where he can go back to being the liberal John Adler that we all knew and loved or takes a shot at returning to the House in 2012 either against Justin Murphy or Jon Runyan or even against Rob Andrews if Cherry Hill winds up in the Democrat's district, although I wouldn't imagine that his votes against HCR would really position him well in a contested Democratic Congressional primary election regardless of how checkered Andrews' past is.

Knowing that his political career is most likely coming to an end, one would think that John Adler would want to be on the right side of history. Obviously, that is not the case. Maybe there is a K Street or State Street job waiting for him. Whatever the reason, the fact of the matter is that we might as well begin mourning John Adler's political demise now and use his example as a reason to seriously consider the amount of resources that the progressive community focuses on Congressional and Senatorial elections when the impact that we can have on them is far less than the impact that we can have on state, county, and municipal elections, especially if the only result of redistricting is the creation of 12 incumbent-friendly Congressional districts to replace 13 incumbent-friendly Congressional districts.

2011 could be a watershed year for the progressive community in NJ if it begins to engage the redistricting process and planning for the June 2011 Democratic primary elections RIGHT NOW, not in December 2010 or March 2011 or whenever we generally decide to get over our Holiday hangovers and get back to working on the task at hand.

Or we could do what we do every year and spend all of our time and other resources on the Democratic incumbents (aside from John Adler) who would have won with or without our help and the Democratic challengers who don't have a chance in hell of winning no matter how much we help them. My guess is that this will be the case, although I hope that I am wrong.

like

tabbycat31 — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:51:19 GMT

I wish this was Facebook and came with a like button

Adler is going to lose anyway

rachael'sdad — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:14:50 GMT

Turnout was never going to be what it was in 2008. I still cannot understand what John Adler was thinking when he decided to run for a tough House seat instead of being content in a safe State Senate seat. He went from being a liberal State Senator to a conservative Congressman almost overnight.

Any money or other resources dedicated to his re-election will be wasted. I would sooner see progressives in South Jersey try to defeat Frank LoBiondo and Chris Smith than save John Adler.

I agree, Babs.

JRB — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:53:12 GMT

It seems like (and probably is) and dumb stunt for a guy who wet his pants at the sight of the '09 Ocean County vote.

Because Adler isn't a bad guy. And compared with Runyan? Yikes.

Though this is a way to turn off donors, volunteers, foot soldiers, etc.

Things are going to be a lot different when people see the sky isn't falling.

I'm disappointed with his vote on Health Care

Babs NJSD — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:39:16 GMT

But to turn your back on him and the great votes on other matters is silly. If you want to empower some neo-con jock who will screw you on everything ... go run away and and give him the Congressional seat!

I want Adler back!

John Adler has done one hell of a job at constituent outreach! He's the real deal on that!

This is what makes politics difficult and complex, a complex issue. He should not be demonized. We have to look at the big picture and keep him in DC. Let's not cut off our noses~ You want Boehner as Speaker? THAT should be a great incentive to support Adler!!

Babs Casbar Siperstein

His no vote just doomed him

srlaser — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:54:03 GMT

because no Rightie is going to vote for him and many Lefties like me will never vote for him again. Smart politics pissing on your base.

Dumb Ass

If you were thinking B

Jason Springer — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:15:25 GMT

you would be correct and it was very predictable:

Jon Runyan disputes the notion that Rep. John Adler's opposition to the Democrats' health care reform package means there's little daylight between them.
In his first substantive interview with the media, the former Philadelphia Eagles star outlined what he said were stark contrasts between himself and the Cherry Hill Democratic incumbent.
"He's saying he's worried that there are no cost controls. I'm more worried that it's a government takeover of another program," Runyan said.

Oh and he'll also be attacked for supporting Nancy Pelosi, who clearly has koodies because she is from San Francisco:

The word "Pelosi" was circulating derisively in the crowd before Runyan arrived and he was 15 minutes into his remarks before taking a crack at the poll worn Speaker of the House from San Francisco.
"His first vote as a congressman was to elect Nancy Pelosi speaker of the house," declared Runyan.

One of two things is going to happen

JRB — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:10:12 GMT

A) Jon Runyan praises his decision.

B) Jon Runyan attacks him for being a Democrat anyway.

........ uh huh.