I wrote this blog a few weeks ago and did not feel finished as I wanted to continue my rant. As it happens I just moved and am starting a new job so I no longer have time to continue this rant so I will leave it as is. Recent developments of course have me even more crazy over this issue, to be super brief:
The Republicans will go to any length to make Obama fail and health care is the current battle ground. They could care less for this country. They are using lies and scare tactics (like Obama's death councils that are going to kill granny) and doing it boldly and proudly. Without a real main stream media they get away with it. They care only about politics, their own power, and profits for the uber rich corporate class.
Obama needs to stand up to these tyrants and bully's. Call him and tell him what you think! (202) 456-1111. Tell him you want a public option. Medicare for anyone who wants it. Call your members of congress as well at: (202) 224-3121.
check these websites: patriotmajority.com and sickforprofit.com
The CEO for United Health care gets a $3.2 million salary and has 3/4 of a billion dollars in stock options! This is the problem with our system.
This fight goes far beyond health care, it addresses the underlying ideological fight of progressives vs conservatives: Should the government work for individuals or corporations? We could get into this on many levels but the fact is our system breeds poverty and what the conservatives call socialism is what actually allows a vibrant middle class to flourish.
ok I will just let you read my original blog as I must now go..
So the Health Care debate continues and it drives me crazy. We are not likely to get a true reform of our health care industry but it is a very interesting study of the power of the Republicans and corporate lobbyists and will show us just how weak Obama is as a President. The world health organization rates the US health care system 37th in the world, at least 75% of Americans want a public option to compete with the private insurance companies, one of the main topics during the campaign for President was health care reform, the Democratic party (the ones in charge supposedly) has adopted universal health care as a party platform, over 60% of personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills (and many of those people had health insurance), and health care costs are crippling businesses and individuals alike. Yet it seems there is not the political will to make the changes needed.
I am already on the record as saying the only real solution is a single payer solution such as Canada and Europe has. Payed for by everyone through taxes. Private insurance companies can still exist to sell additional insurance as they do in Canada. Unfortunately this option is off the table so the next best thing is a public option of some sort.
The Republicans are united against a public option. They have stated on the record that they want to stop health care reform for political reasons. They want Obama to fail and will do anything they can to make that happen. They are also firm believers that the government cannot do anything right and we should let private industry do it all. This of course should disqualify them from working int he government! If someone wanted to work for a company and they said they believe that that company could not do anything right, would they get hired? They not only want a public option to fail, they want Obama to fail in everything he does. And to get their way they are offering lies, lies, and more lies. They say they "do not do policy" when asked for their alternative plan, only that they want to set a tone the will defeat health care reform. The whole argument of having a bureaucrat between you and your doctor is crazy. All the senators and congress people have a health care system payed for by tax payers and none of them are complaining about their health care. They like it but warn us that we not want it. Of course having an insurance company between you and your doctor is worse, they make money by denying people coverage. And this fact is incredibly well documented with numerous whistle blowers coming out recently. Check out Robert Greenwald's latest five minute film: sick for profit
The medical industry has spent 3.4 billion dollars in the past decade lobbying congress, second only to the financial industry. A list of the biggest recipients of money from these companies is the same as the list of people who are against a public option (democrats included). So here we see where the loyalty lies. Corporate America or the American people. %100 of Republicans so far are against the people and for the corporations. it seems so far about 10 or 20 percent of the Democrats are in the same boat. Which means the corporations may win this round.
Now who gets the blame? This is interesting. The media seems to say that the Dems have 60 seats in the senate so if this doesn't pass it is their fault. But that means 100% of Dems need to agree! None can vote against it because they want single payer and none because they are batting for the insurance companies. That is not democracy. Say 80% of dems are for it and 0% of republicans are, who should get the blame? In my opinion the Republicans should be banned from government since they do not believe it works. If we had moslty Dems in office then they could work it out among themselves and the most liberal and most conservative could bow out on any one issue and things would still get done.
Now how bad are the Democrats at the game of politics? The Republicans are the minority, the Dems have the White House, and at least 75% of Americans back the Democratic plan and yet the Republicans still seem to be able to call the shots. Worse yet, the dems have adopted over 100 Republicans amendments to the Health Reform Bill in the House in order to be bipartisan and gain Republican support yet the Republicans still are against it. And if their party openly says they want it to fail then why should they get to help craft the law? I understand some conservative Democrats are against this as well. Well it is a platform of their party and if Obama cannot get them to give a little on this issue then he is a weak president. Hell, he needs to endorse someone else in their primaries who will work with the Democrats on important issues. And they need to tell the Republicans to go to hell with their amendments! They should craft a bill that the American people want, vote on it, and then if it fails go to the people and tell them get rid of all those who voted against it so the next time they can get it done.
Of course the bigger issue is campaign finance. If we took away the right of any corporation to finance politicians then they would truly have only the voters to answer to. Hell, in three days they OK's 800 billion dollars for the financial bailout but cannot find money to pay for health care. And these banks that got bailed out are now making record profits and paying their CEOs 100s of millions of dollars in salaries again. Just crazy.
Call your congressmen/women and your senators. Tell them you want a public option and you will vote against them if they vote against it. Call the White House and tell Obama he better use his muscle and not cower down to these slimy Republicans who fight only with lies and untruths and who have came out and said they want this to fail so it will be Obama's Waterloo.
This is truly an ideological battle. One that goes beyond how much we are paying for health care. Do we want a government that works for the people or for the corporations and top 1%? Since Reagan took power this country has been literally falling apart while the very rich concentrate the wealth in their off shore accounts.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
sotomayor, republicans, and the press
Well I have enjoyed listening to the Sotomayor hearings when I can. It is an interesting window into our judicial system as well as our elected officials.
Of course Sotomayor is an incredible nominee and is a good middle of the road candidate.
What has been most striking to me is how the republicans keep making twisted accusations and how the press gives credibility to them. I noticed in an online article that they quoted Jeff Sessions' complaint that she is biased and racist but never said anything about who Sessions is. Media Maters has a great article discussing this exact thing. Sessions was denied a spot as a federal judge (even by republicans) because he himself is a racist. Pot calling the kettle black but do any of the major media sources mention this when giving his twisted attacks credibility? No. You can read the original at the link below or just read the excerpt I included below which sums it up.
Another ridiculous point they are trying to make is that Obama's "empathy" standard is bad. One of the Republicans actually said that by having empathy for someone you must in turn be prejudiced against another group. He said therefor if you are empathetic you are by definition prejudiced. Obviously he has no idea what it means to be empathetic.
Another insight into Republican ideology came when one of the Republicans used his time to make points on two issues: guns and abortion. He went on and on about how important the 2nd amendment is and how he is worried that cities, etc may make laws pertaining to gun use and he also grandstanded against abortion. Funny, seems like he arguing we should make laws to protects unborn lives but is in the same breath arguing against laws to protect the lives of others. And are these even the two most important issues facing us today? Or is he just pandering to his loyal base?
the interesting article and many others:
SUMMARY: On July 14, five major newspapers reported on Jeff Sessions' opening statement at the confirmation hearing of Judge Sonia Sotomayor without noting that, in 1986, Sessions' nomination as a U.S. district court judge was rejected following allegations that Sessions had a history of making racially charged comments.
On July 14, the nation's five major newspapers reported Sen. Jeff Sessions' (R-AL) opening statement at the confirmation hearing of Judge Sonia Sotoamyor without reporting in that day's print editions that, in 1986, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Sessions' nomination as a U.S. district court judge following testimony that reportedly included allegations that Sessions had a history of making racially charged comments. In addition, as noted by the Associated Press, Sessions' "nomination originally drew fire from civil rights groups because of his [1985] prosecution ... of three west Alabama civil rights activists on vote fraud charges. The three were acquitted by a federal court jury, prompting civil rights leaders to charge that the prosecution was an attempt to intimidate black voters."
Media Matters reviewed the coverage in the July 14 print editions of The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal.
In a June 6, 1986, report about the Judiciary Committee's rejection of Sessions' nomination, the AP described the allegations:
All eight Democrats on the committee voted against Sessions on both motions, as did Sen. Charles Mathias, R-Md. Another Republican on the panel, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, voted against recommending the nomination favorably but voted for sending the nomination to the full Senate with no recommendation.
[...]
The nomination originally drew fire from civil rights groups because of his prosecution last year of three west Alabama civil rights activists on vote fraud charges.
The three were acquitted by a federal court jury, prompting civil rights leaders to charge that the prosecution was an attempt to intimidate black voters to help ensure Denton's re-election.
Sessions denied those charges and defended the prosecution during his first appearance before the Judiciary Committee in March. But he soon faced new allegations that he had made a series of racially insensitive statements.
Witnesses accused Sessions of calling a black lawyer a "boy," of describing church and civil rights groups as "un-American," of agreeing with a statement that a white civil rights lawyer was a "disgrace to his race," and of saying he thought the Ku Klux Klan was all right until he learned members smoked marijuana.
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