Progressives Need to Get the Argument Right

Listening to Ed Shultz yesterday when a caller asked Big Eddie "who's going to police the government when it gets in the health care business?".......and Ed goes off on a long rant about the misdeeds of Haliburton over in Iraq, and how our government uncovered all this waste and fraud by Haliburton, and all this abuse of their contracts blah blah blah....

And I'm thinking...why Ed....why are you going down this road with this caller.....the question was a simple one and it required a simple answer.....who will police the government when it gets into the health care business"??? Simple answer...the government ALREADY IS IN THE HEALTH CARE BUSINESS and it is doing quite well thank you ferreting out abuse and fraud....Medicare and the VA health care systems...two of the best manged, cost effective, and most loved by their clients, health care systems in America...

When someone says they don't want the government in the health care business remind them that it is and it is doing just fine...

Say What?

Ok...let me see if I have this right. The Republicans have stated that it is their official party policy to slow down, and then kill, any health care reform this year.

And now we have Democrat Harry Reid...with a 60-40 vote majority... saying yeah, ok, lets slow down this process...it's the right thing to do for the Republicans.

Say what????

Harry...please grow some BALLS!!!!

People...call harry reid and tell him to grow some balls and stay in DC until we get a comprehensive, quality, cost effective, health care plan passed!

202-224-3542

Health Care Protesters Arrested Part II

Over at www.counterpunch.org one of the arrested physicians responded to being arrested while trying to participate in a "public hearing on health care policy"....

Thank you Senator Baucus for being a such an ass....perhaps, in spite of the $500,000 you have received from the insurance companies, the HMO's and the pharmaceutical industry, you will be challenged when you are up for reelection by one of the thousands of Montanans with NO health insurance.

Health Care Protesters Arrested

Tuesday, at a Senate hearing on health care policy, several members of the audience were arrested for shouting out when Chairman Max Baucus tried to gavel the Committee to order. The protesters were doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. They were there representing a single payer option. They were in the audience because they were NOT invited to sit at the table by the Chairman Baucus. That spot was reserved for pharmaceutical and medical product lobbyist, representatives from the insurance industry, and representatives from HMO's.....

So, this is how it's going to be....you give Chairman Baucus Hundred's of THOUSANDS of dollars....and you get a seat at the table....you come representing the "not for profit", single payer coalition health care wing, and you get no seat at the table....and arrested for speaking up.

This is our government....we pay taxes....single payer health care is our government, using our taxes to get us the health care we want...when we want it, where we want it, and from whom we want it from....Senator Baucus and his fellow members of Congress work for us...they are paid by us...yet they seem only interested in representing those corporate interest that contribute to their campaigns...it is time for Baucus to be challenged....it is time for any Democrat not on board single payer, to be challenged....they will be coming home soon on recess....let them know you want single payer health care now!!!

Watch on You Tube.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tszj0ssgsmo

Arlen Specter...Nut Case

I was willing to give Specter the benefit of the doubt when he abruptly switched from being a Republican to an Obama Democrat.   I mean, the guy has been a loyal, moderate, Republican since 1980, and it must have hurt to have his party turn on him like they did.  

That said, this new Arlen Specter is not "new" and he's no Democrat.  First, he made it clear that he would continue to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act....the single most important piece of labor legislation to come along in decades.  Then he made it clear that he was not too excited about a health care plan that would do anything to cut into the huge profits being made by the insurance companies.  And today, he said he supports seating the loser of the Minnesota Senate race, Republican Norm Coleman, over the winner, Al Franken.  His stated reason for supporting the loser Coleman? Coleman is Jewish, and the Senate needs a Jewish Republican now that Specter has changed parties. 

I'm sorry, but Specter is no Democrat.  He is a selfish little man with a sudden realization that he is mortal.

Swine Flu...Run for Your Lives!!!!!!!

Oh my...now we have swine flu to worry about. Never mind that nearly 3 million Americans have lost their jobs sine January 1st....Never mind that the American auto industry...one of the few things we still make in this country...is teetering on total collapse....Never mind the millions of households that are in foreclosure on their homes, or close to foreclosure....Never mind that a radical religious army is inching closer to toppling a government that has nuclear bombs.....

No...never mind any of that, because 91 Americans are sick with the flu!!!!! And boy, watch out, this swine flu is going to get much, much worse!!!!!!!

Hysteria, a distraction from the real problems in the world, an opportunity for more right wing finger pointing at Obama....swine flu. Give me a freckin' break!

Tea Bagging

I guess the right wingnuts didn't bother Googling the term "tea bagging" before making it their own....crusade.

So, even though the wingnuts, and the super wing nuts at Fox News, want you to believe that these "tea bagging" session tomorrow are a spontaneous response, they are actually well financed, and well organized by right wing consultants and think tanks....

The web site, "Save the Rich" lays it all out...this phony "grassroots" effort has a name...it's called "astro turfing" and it's as phony as plastic grass.

Loose Ends

Oh boy, have the right wing nut jobs been in a tizzy lately! Limbaugh has been going off on Veterans that call his show and take him to task for supporting torture. Just about every right wing talk show host is going off on Obama for (a) being a socialist, (b) being a fascist, (c) hating America, and (d) for being far more popular than they are! The poor boys (and girls) are having a very difficult time adjusting to a smart, articulate, and popular, President....not to mention the trouble they are having adjusting to life in a democratic...that's small "d" democratic....society. Eight years of ignoring the Constitution, and making up the laws to suit your needs, will make you a bit unsure when faced with...oh my god....real justice!

On top of that, the Vermont legislature just ok'd same sex marriage. Boy, the Apocalypse must be right around the corner.....and you have to love the nut job's arguments against same sex marriage...."it undermines the very bedrock of our democracy!" It's funny, but I thought "equal protection" was one of the bedrocks of a democracy.....I guess they think its ok to have one set of laws for some people, and another set of laws for someone else....and what set of laws you get to live your life under depends on whether THEY like you....hmmm.

Yeah, it has been a fun 100 days watching the right wing, and their Republican friends in Congress, scramble to figure out why nearly 75% of America has turned them out and off. I hear if you walk the halls of Congress you can find Republicans huddled in corners talking about tax cuts, and deregulation, and screwing working Americans....but really, who's listening, and who cares?

Drug Testing Welfare Recipients

Legislators in eight states are proposing that people receiving public assistance.....welfare...be drug tested. I assume that includes Wall Street executives and bankers too?

Suckers: Part 2

Do you want your blood to boil? Check this out.