Happy Sunday ...and I hope you are enjoying this sultry take of full blown summer here in Buenos Aires. Groove to it; there will be many more warm ...some VERY warm days ...to come.
But come tomorrow, Monday ...it's time to make up your minds on what kind of "health care reform" we yanquis will receive. I don't think that I am opposing the president when I oppose this bill; I think that the president has always made it clear that whatever the House and the Senate and We decide is fine with him.
Time to decide. I hope that you'll decide that killing this bill is for the best.
If you can't keep your own counsel (and most of us can't), maybe you'll get a charge out of the counsel of Howard Dean. Personally, I do the best I can as regards thinking for myself but when I hear someone whom I admire as much as I do Howard chiming-in on the subject ...well, I feel invigorated that they feel the same way.
Full disclosure: if it had not been for Dr. Dean, I would never have been chosen as the blogger to represent, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, all Democrats living outside the US. I was a fan of his before, during, and I still am a fan of his after he completed his term of office as the party's chairman. I supported him too in his fight(s) with Raum Emmanuel of my native Chicago ...although Dean is from Vermont. Dean's vision has always proven true. Raum's combativeness has always attracted me as something that this administration has needed from the very first ...but I've started to think that his loyalty to the administration makes him take to the leash a little too much.
(Sorry if this is a little too much "inside baseball" for your Sunday.)
Kill the bill. It's the best thing to do.
Is half a loaf better than none? No. Not always. We Democrats have already proven that we can raise consciousness and bring legislation to the point of passage. I like that. It's really good.
Now... let's scrap this quilombo. Let's scrap this camel (a horse designed by a committee.) Let's laud ourselves for a fight-well-fought ...and scrap it and go back to the drawing board.
If this bill passes ...along strict party lines, no doubt ...we'll get something that the Republicans will "dine-out on" for ages to come. We'll get nothing that Democrats can be proud of. When every US Citizen has become sick of the cost ...to little benefit ...
...the Republicans will say that they had nothing to do with it. Even though they shaped it into its present form. This is a time-honored political trap. I hope that we won't fall into it. I hope that you will help.
Kill the bill. If we pass this pale imitation of health care reform, it will sap the strength, the momentum of the movement that would bring the US at least up to the standards of Argentina.
Don't take my word for it. Look into it yourself. If you want a start into why we should declare victory and get the hell out ...then start all over again ...just read the good doctor's words to the WAPO here:
http://www.washingtonpost.
President Obama is looking for our leadership on this matter.
Mike
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