Lieberman delighted Obama did not mention public option

As President Obama finished his speech to the Democratic caucus in the Capitol's Mansfield Room on Sunday afternoon, Joe Lieberman made his way over to Harry Reid.

The independent who still caucuses with Democrats wanted to point something out to the Majority Leader: Obama didn't mention the public option.

Lieberman was beaming as he left the room and happy to re-point it out when HuffPost asked him what Obama had said about the public health insurance option, perhaps the most contentious issue still facing Democrats as they negotiate their way toward a final health care reform bill.

Must... Resist ... Homicidal... Instinct ...

Obama's reluctance to stand up for the public option has been a source of contention between Reid, who is pushing for it, and Obama. Reid has asked five progressive senators and five conservatives to work out a compromise on the public option. The group will meet again Sunday afternoon, though without guidance from the president.

White House spokesman Bill Burton also mentioned insurance reform and affordability in his statement about the meeting, but neglected to mention the public option. "The president thanked members of the Senate for their hard work so far and encouraged them to continue forward on this historic opportunity to provide stability and security for those who have insurance, affordable coverage for those who don't and bring down the cost of health care for families, small businesses and the government," he said.

Reid, as well as Tom Harkin -- a strong supporter of the public option -- are saying 'don't read too much into this'.

OK, I'll try not to do that. But I'm convinced that if the Senate passes healthcare reform legislation without it and Obama signs it, he won't be re-elected in 2012. Nobody else in the Congress who abandons their electoral base in such in-your-face fashion should reasonably expect to, either.

Especially if this were to follow his Afghanistan decision, liberals and progressives and independents of like mind simply will not vote for him again. Count on it.

Monday Toons (left over from Sunday)

Copenhagen opens today

First: ignore the simpering of conservatives about their misunderstanding of the e-mails they hacked. It's just the latest display of their deep, powerful and appalling dishonesty and ignorance.


Now then ...

The largest and most important U.N. climate change conference in history opened Monday, with organizers warning diplomats from 192 nations that this could be the best last chance for a deal to protect the world from calamitous global warming.

The two-week conference, the climax of two years of contentious negotiations, convened in an upbeat mood after a series of promises by rich and emerging economies to curb their greenhouse gases, but with major issues yet to be resolved.

Conference president Connie Hedegaard said the key to an agreement is finding a way to raise and channel public and private financing to poor countries for years to come to help them fight the effects of climate change.

Hedegaard — Denmark's former climate minister — said if governments miss their chance at the Copenhagen summit, a better opportunity may never come.

"This is our chance. If we miss it, it could take years before we got a new and better one. If we ever do," she said.

Denmark's prime minister said 110 heads of state and government will attend the final days of the conference. President Barack Obama's decision to attend the end of the conference, not the middle, was taken as a signal that an agreement was getting closer.

Need some basic understanding of "cap-and-trade" legislation? Here.

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

A few things I have collected to share with you ...

-- 350.org is organizing a weekend's worth of action beginning this Friday.

-- The Associated Press is aggregating their stories on this Facebook page. Everything there is worth a click, including the climate-deniers' efforts.

-- Fifty newspapers worldwide are running this editorial, but in the United States only the Miami Herald chose to participate.

Dickens pics

The chalkboard reads "Baby Pirate College Fund"


Not Cinderella.


Galveston's next mayor Joe Jaworski on horseshit patrol.


The Elissa's mainmast and sails.


Some of Jean Lafitte's crew.

More here, courtesy our friend Lisa D.