The Inherent Selfishness of our National Health Care Debate...

Doing the water cooler ting, and talking to other people (friends, co-workers) about Health Care Reform, has been a horrifying experience. In short, it's been a pain in the ass. All anyone can think about is themselves. Doesn't matter if they're liberal or conservative: "What am I going to lose", "I don't want to lose this", "I don't want to lose that", "I shouldn't have to give up my gold-plated Health Care for someone else", "I don't want anything to change for me."

Jesus.

Me, I'm different. I got Health Care. My workplace is loaded. I can even choose a "gold plated" option should I choose.

But for once, it's not all about me.

There's this girl. She works at a Restaurant in beautiful downtown Burbank, a local family joint. She's one of the 50 million. She doesn't have Health Insurance. She can't afford to pay the going (insane) rates with what she makes.

These is my bona-fides as a supporter of the Public Option, a real Public Option.

In truth, I'm a Single-Payer guy. The Public Option was merely the compromise I was willing to put up with.

Now, that's looking like it's gone.

A Public Option was the only way I could see my girl affording Health Insurance in the near future. No Public Option, and I don't see how she afford Health Insurance once even if President Obama's plan passes.

I don't like this. I don't like where I am. I don't like where we're at. Like most progressives, I resent over the fact that I voted for Obama and the Democratic Slate. I voted for a Platform, yet my voice isn't the one they're listening to.

At the same time, who should really be at blame here? Because I'm about to hear a lot of blame coming the President's way, and the last I checked, the President doesn't pass legislation. Congress does.

Let's be honest, if the Congress puts a Bill containing Public Option in front of the President, he will sign it. Hell, if they put a bill with Single Payer in front of the President, he'll sign that, too.

But neither is going to hit his desk. Why?

Even I know there aren't the votes for Single Payer. The President is right. We're not ready for Single Payer, for whatever reason. Fear has won the day, even though we have Single Payer already in the form of Medicare, and we have Socialized Medicine in the form of the VA.

It's not the House. The House going to pass real reform. Its not even all the Senate, where the HELP Committee at least voted out the real deal.

It's the Senate Finance Committee, more specifically the gang of six, maybe five Senators from piss-ant small States that are going to dictate what my girl in California can get as far as Health Insurance.

This is Kent Conrad. This is Max Baucus. This is Charles Grassley, and let's be honest, this is my worthless, good for nothing but her own ambitions, Senator Dianne Feinstein (whose office you can't call now to save your life, or even express your opinion.)

I don't think we (and I mean we as progressives) have been honest or fair in this process. On the one hand, we praise President Obama (as a Candidate) for being level and cool headed during the campaign, and then we damn him for not picking more fights when we want him too.

On another hand, we praise President Obama for coming up with a better strategy to get Health Care Reform passed, only to change our minds when it doesn't go our way and we start to lose out on Public Option. (And yeah, I think Co-ops, especially ones that involve the Insurance Industry, are frauds.)

Listen, I'm pissed that we may have lost out on the public option just as I was pissed that we had to let Susan Collins water down the Stimulus, just as I was pissed that Byron Dorgan (and others) voted against Mortgage Cram Downs, or the Blue Dogs stalled the bill coming out of Waxman's Committee.

But do you seriously believe that the more logical alternative to what we have now is to have Republicans in control of the House, or the Senate?

Are my fellow Progressives seriously going to tell me that, no matter how many promises he breaks, that a President Santorum, or a President Romney, or God forbid a President Palin is better alternative to a weak-tea President Obama???

Yet, that's kinda what I'm hearing.

You can't tell me that, because even you don't believe it.

And before anyone says anything about an Independent Uprising, be honest...you and I both know it ain't coming. It's nice to think about. It's nice to threaten. But it's about as likely as Sarah Palin reading a newspaper, or anything else for that matter. Independents need organization to pull that kind of victory off, and organization kinda belies the name Independent.

Face it, we're trapped.

No one likes to think of themselves as trapped, and sure as hell no one likes to accept being trapped, but I don't much of an alternative here.

There's another problem with Health Care Reform. When the President and everyone else on the Democratic Side says (in effect) there's too much good stuff, aside from the Public Option, that demands its passage...face it, they're right.

Can you really tell me that we should lose out on the Insurance Exchange or the elimination of the Pre-Existing Conditions, or the Medicare Subsidies because we couldn't get the Public Option??

Norman Thomas, the head of the Socialist Party in the 1930s, was also the Dennis Kucinich of his times, running four times for President. He also hated Roosevelt's guts. He called the New Deal, cough syrup for a case of pneumonia. He, and other like minded Liberals/Progressives were constantly attacking, berating (at lot of times with just cause) the New Deal for not going far enough.

But the verdict is in on Norman Thomas. The most he ever got was two percent of the vote. Odds are the only way you've heard of him is the fact I just mentioned him now.

The verdict is certainly in on the New Deal (no matter what conservative wingnuts want to believe). Despite it not being perfect, despite it not going far enough, it certainly put us back on the path to recovery.

Now, Obama isn't Roosevelt. The times we face (as bad as they are) don't measure up to the times Roosevelt faced. Maybe the corrective measures can fall a little short, and still do us a world of good. Even though they piss us off in the process.

This is not the Health Care Reform I want. I want the Health Insurance Companies screwed. This is not the Health Care Reform that's going to do what I need it to, and protect who I need it to protect.

But I don't know if I can be selfish enough to say no. And saying no to this is an act of selfishness.

I'd love to punish the Democrats who screwed me, you and the lot of us over, but I don't know if I can be so selfish as to subject this country to a fate worse than the one we've suffered the last eight years.

Because as bad as Bush was, the next generation of Republicans are going to make him look downright...sane by comparsion.

Like I said, trapped.

Bob Dylan arrested. Officer never heard of him...

We, as a Nation, are doomed...

Flash! HuffPo Headline Writers remain full of !@#%...

HuffPo's Political Page writes the following:

Nate Silver: There's Ample Reason For Dems To Be 'Deeply' Worried About 2010

Note: There is no attending article, just a direct link to Nate's analysis.

Oh, how I wished the Headline Writers actually...you know...read the damn article. In it, Nate says there is a reason to be worried, but...

Is it possible that the electorate which is voting in November 2010 will be so down on the Democrats that they trust Republicans more on issues like these? Sure, it is possible -- if the enthusiasm gap is wide enough, if Obama's approval is low enough, if the health care debate has been bungled enough, and if the economy is still hemorrhaging jobs. But I'd consider it something of a worst-case scenario. That's probably the best way to regard these Rasmussen polls for the time being.

The Fireside chat for August 15, 2009

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

This week, I’ve been traveling across our country to discuss health insurance reform and to hear directly from folks like you – your questions, your concerns, and your stories.

Now, I know there’s been a lot of attention paid to some of the town hall meetings that are going on around the country, especially those where tempers have flared. You know how TV loves a ruckus.

But what you haven’t seen – because it’s not as exciting – are the many constructive meetings going on all over the country where Americans are airing their hopes and concerns about this very important issue.

I’ve been holding some of my own, and the stories I’ve heard have really underscored why I believe so strongly that health insurance reform is a challenge we can't ignore.

They’re stories like Lori Hitchcock’s, who I met in New Hampshire this week. Lori’s got a pre-existing condition, so no insurance company will cover her. She’s self-employed, and in this economy, she can’t find a job that offers health care, so she’s been uninsured for two years.

Or they’re stories like Katie Gibson’s, who I met in Montana. When Katie tried to change insurance companies, she was sure to list her pre-existing conditions on the application and even called her new company to confirm she’d be covered. Two months later, she was dropped – after she’d already gone off her other insurance.

These are the stories that aren’t being told – stories of a health care system that works better for the insurance industry than it does for the American people. And that’s why we’re going to pass health insurance reform that finally holds the insurance companies accountable.

But now’s the hard part. Because the history is clear – every time we come close to passing health insurance reform, the special interests with a stake in the status quo use their influence and political allies to scare and mislead the American people.

As an example, let’s look at one of the scarier-sounding and more ridiculous rumors out there – that so-called "death panels" would decide whether senior citizens get to live or die. That rumor began with the distortion of one idea in a Congressional bill that would allow Medicare to cover voluntary visits with your doctor to discuss your end-of-life care – if and only if you decide to have those visits. It had nothing to do with putting government in control of your decisions; in fact, it would give you all the information you need – if you want it – to put you in control of your decisions. When a conservative Republican Senator who has long-fought for even more far-reaching proposals found out how folks were twisting the idea, he called their misrepresentation, and I quote, "nuts."

So when folks with a stake in the status quo keep inventing these boogeymen in an effort to scare people, it’s disappointing, but it’s not surprising. We’ve seen it before. When President Roosevelt was working to create Social Security, opponents warned it would open the door to "federal snooping" and force Americans to wear dog tags. When President Kennedy and President Johnson were working to create Medicare, opponents warned of "socialized medicine." Sound familiar? Not only were those fears never realized, but more importantly, those programs have saved the lives of tens of millions of seniors, the disabled, and the disadvantaged.

Those who would stand in the way of reform will say almost anything to scare you about the cost of action. But they won’t say much about the cost of inaction. If you’re worried about rationed care, higher costs, denied coverage, or bureaucrats getting between you and your doctor, then you should know that’s what’s happening right now. In the past three years, over 12 million Americans were discriminated against by insurance companies due to a preexisting condition, or saw their coverage denied or dropped just when they got sick and needed it most. Americans whose jobs and health care are secure today just don’t know if they’ll be next to join the 14,000 who lose their health insurance every single day. And if we don’t act, average family premiums will keep rising to more than $22,000 within a decade.

On the other hand, here’s what reform will mean for you.

First, no matter what you’ve heard, if you like your doctor or health care plan, you can keep it. If you don’t have insurance, you’ll finally be able to afford insurance. And everyone will have the security and stability that’s missing today.

Insurance companies will be prohibited from denying you coverage because of your medical history, dropping your coverage if you get sick, or watering down your coverage when it counts – because there’s no point in having health insurance if it’s not there when you need it.

Insurance companies will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or lifetime, and we will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses – because no one in America should go broke just because they get sick.

Finally, we’ll require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies – because there’s no reason we shouldn’t be saving lives and dollars by catching diseases like breast cancer and prostate cancer on the front end.

That’s what reform means. For all the chatter and the noise out there, what every American needs to know is this: If you don’t have health insurance, you will finally have quality, affordable options once we pass reform. If you do have health insurance, we will make sure that no insurance company or government bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need. And we will deliver this in a fiscally responsible way.

I know there’s plenty of real concern and skepticism out there. I know that in a time of economic upheaval, the idea of change can be unsettling, and I know that there are folks who believe that government should have no role at all in solving our problems. These are legitimate differences worthy of the real discussion that America deserves – one where we lower our voices, listen to one another, and talk about differences that really exist. Because while there may be disagreements over how to go about it, there is widespread agreement on the urgent need to reform a broken system and finally hold insurance companies accountable.

Nearly fifty years ago, in the midst of the noisy early battles to create what would become Medicare, President Kennedy said, "I refuse to see us live on the accomplishments of another generation. I refuse to see this country, and all of us, shrink from these struggles which are our responsibility in our time." Now it falls to us to meet the challenges of our time. And if we can come together, and listen to one another; I believe, as I always have, that we will rise to this moment, we will build something better for our children, and we will secure America’s future in this new century.

Salon: Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) says no to a Public Option??

...or...not.

Between GOP Reps saying possibly saying yes, and Democratic Senator's possibly saying no, it's been a confusing day.

There was some excitement on the Internet Friday evening because of a report that Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., told a roomful of his constituents Thursday that he won't vote for a bill with a public option.

If true, that story -- originally published by the Jamestown Sun, a local paper -- would be a big deal. First of all, that's one less Democratic vote for healthcare reform, and with a filibuster almost certainly on the horizon, supporters need all the votes they can get, and would have to pick up a Republican to make up for Conrad's defection. Second, the senator has been the driving force behind a co-op plan as an alternative to the public option, but has thus far explained his position as arising from a sense that the public option simply can't get 60 votes -- this would be a pretty dramatic shift.

Turns out, though, that it's not true. The Sun's story never quoted Conrad directly about the public option, and the senator's communications director, Sean Neary, told Salon that the story was inaccurate. Conrad has been telling his constituents that he won't let the government run their health care, which may be the cause of the confusion, but that language doesn't preclude the public option.

In case you doubted it... (PHOTO)

U.S. Rep. Ahn 'Joseph' Cao leaning toward the House Democrats Health Care Plan.

Why is this a story?

He's a Republican.

Tough Crowd (VIDEO)

MSNBC: Katy Abram is a moron...

First off, let me be clear. MSNBC didn't call her a moron.

I did.

MSNBC is just the source of the story.

Doesn't know how much her family makes. Her husband "takes care of the finances".

Prefers a Health Savings Account with a $5000.00 deductible.

Says she wants to keep that choice.

Why is she hell-bent on keeping me from mine??

Why is she hell-bent on keeping 50 Million Americans from getting Health Insurance?

Ed Schultz says these people are dumber than Joe the Plumber.

He's right.

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For someone willing to get int he face of her Senator, she seems unwilling to stand by any of her principles. Guess we can add coward to the many adjectives I'd use in describing her.

Let's get rid of Social Security and Medicare since they're things the Founders never intended.

Founders also intended for there to be Slavery. I wonder how Ms. Abrhams feels about that.

Is there anything to this Gallup Poll??

Nate says don't believe the hype.

TPM: Maryland Man detained by the Secret Service...

From TPM (and AP):

The Secret Service is investigating a man who authorities said held a sign reading "Death to Obama" outside a town hall meeting on health-care reform in western Maryland.

The sign also read, "Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids," referring to the first name of President Barack Obama's wife, said Washington County Sheriff's Capt. Peter Lazich.

Lazich said deputies detained the unidentified, 51-year-old man near the entrance to Hagerstown Community College about 1 p.m. Wednesday after getting calls from a number of people attending the meeting held by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. Obama was not at the meeting.

TPM: PhRMA and AMA...to the rescue?!!??!

In truth, part of me is glad, part of me is terrified.

It's kinda like in Mummy 3 (which I missed) when the heroes are getting attacked by a horde of Mummies, only to be rescued by another horde of Mummies.

The Daily Show: Larry Wilmore let's you know its okay...

Obama is post-racial. We're not.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Reform Madness - White Minority
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

The Daily Show: Interview with Austan Goolsbee (Complete and Unedited) (VIDEO)

Part 1:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Austan Goolsbee Extended Interview Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

Part 2:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Austan Goolsbee Unedited Extended Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

CNN: "N---a David Scott" (VIDEO)

Again, where are the Conservatives (all of whom may have real, and honest problems with the Health Care Reform Bill) pushing back against this crap??? I hear drips and drabs, but nothing with any force. Too many seem content with letting this play out for political effect, where you can now this, this is becoming deadly serious.

MSNBC: Carlos Watson has a point.... (VIDEO)

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I'd like to congratulate the mainstream media for helping to purvey racism... (VIDEO)

Okay, compare and contrast time. You have to watch both videos to get the full, happy effect.

Yesterday at Senator Claire McCaskill's Town Hall, we were shown a Black woman shown being taken away by Police (and the audience cheering happily as it happens) on CNN for all the Nation to see.



Senator McCaskill (D-MO) went so far as to blame the women for "carrying signs that shouldn't have had them."

Problem.

It's not exactly what happened.

Someone was to blame.

It just wasn't those black women.




What you're seeing (and the tiny-tiny caption embedded in the video describes the action) is that one of the Black women in question had her poster out (apparently of Rosa Parks), then put it away

A local Reporter come by to ask about-slash-take a photo of saidposter, and that's when a random White Man from the audience feels its his right to take this woman's property from her, walk back his seat, and crumple it up.

After he sat down, is when CNN started paying attention.

But I didn't see this on CNN, did I?

I didn't see the white man who started it, being taken away by the Cops on CNN. (Now, granted, perhaps there was some cheering for him getting taken away as well, but that's not how CNN presented it.)

I haven't heard a retraction from Senator McCaskill, have I?

UPDATE (10:48am Pacific): I almost forgot. Laura Dean at Huffington Post was the first to spot this, and deserves maximum credit for this story.

The Threat Matrix for August 12, 2009 (VIDEO)

Because if I did nothing but blog about threats related to Health Care Town Halls, I wouldn't have time to do anything else.

Think Progress (August 11, 2009): New Hampshire right-wing protestor suggests sending ‘illegals’ home with a ‘bullet in their head.’



Think Progress (August 12, 2009): Second Congressman gets the Joker Death-threat Fax.



TPM (August 12, 2009): Despite the kook who was packing heat on "Church" grounds, a man was arrested by Portsmouth Police for carrying weapons onto the grounds of the school where Obama held his Town Hall.

Police said a man arrested at the scene of President Barack Obama's visit to the city Tuesday was found to be in possession of an unlicensed loaded gun.

Richard Terry Young, 62, of 821 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton, was arrested around 9:40 a.m., hours before Obama's arrival, and charged with the misdemeanor crimes of criminal trespass and carrying a loaded pistol without a license.

TPM (August 12, 2009): Congressman Dennis Moore (D-KS) has gotten two death threats over the Health Care Bill.

Moore told the Fox affiliate in Kansas City that he has received two separate threats in the last ten days. Moore also said that because of the threats, and because of the examples he's seen from other members' town halls, he won't be hold any town halls himself.

The Hill (August 12, 2009): Congressman Gene Greene (D-TX) is going to require I.D. at all his Health Care Town Halls.

A Texas congressman, worried about disruptions at his town halls, wants to weed out people who want to attend but don't live in his district.

Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) has announced on his website that he will require attendees to show photo identification to get into his town halls to prove that they're his constituents. He said that he's doing so in response to a "coordinated effort to disrupt our town hall meetings."

MSNBC: "...there is downright evil, and Ms. Palin, you just served its cause." (VIDEO)

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MSNBC: "A goddamn gun..." (VIDEO)

Chris Matthews' interview with the whack job who brought a gun to Obama's Town Hall in New Hampshire.

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