Democrats' Healthcare Talks Break-Down in Anger

As reported in The Hill this afternoon, yet more high-drama as the White House tries to shove unwanted semi-nationalized health care down our throats with ludicrous haste... before Obama's public support completely evaporates. But it's difficult to obtain victory at your Waterloo in the midst of a (justified) mutiny.

Moderate-conservative Blue Dog Democrats angrily stormed out of a meeting today with Henry Waxman (D-Cal), as the House healthcare negotiations dissolved in acrimony. And from the looks of it, Team Obama and their congressional allies aren't treating these Democrats any better than they do the GOP... pretending to consider their concerns with farcical "negotiations" ... and even lying to them in an attempt to ram-through Obamacare before it's too late.

The Democrats claimed that Rep. Waxman had been negotiating in bad faith over a number of provisions that the Blue Dogs demanded be changed in the stalled healthcare bill- while the 'Dogs were trying to save the Democratic Party from itself.

“I’ve been lied to,” Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chairman Charlie Melancon (D-La.) said on Friday. “We have not had legitimate negotiations."

“Mr. Waxman has decided to sever discussions with the Blue Dogs who are trying to make this bill work for America,” Melancon said.

Although those Blue Dogs were supposed to be headed back into another meeting of the Energy and Commerce Democrats, their anger was visible.

If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, the only hope for passage of the bill in the House will be to go straight to the floor, an option leaders shied away from endorsing but said was an option.

But the Blue Dogs issued dire warnings to leaders contemplating that approach.

"Waxman simply does not have votes in committee and process should not be bypassed to bring the bill straight to floor,” Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), the lead Blue Dog negotiator, said on Friday. “We are trying to save this bill and trying to save this party.”

Melancon said there would be 40-45 “solid no” votes from the 52-strong Blue Dogs, among other problems throughout the caucus. And Melancon said there are more Democrats who will vote against the bill.

“If they try to bring it to the floor, I think they’ll find out they have more problems than the Blue Dogs.”