Thursday, March 25, 2010

Health Reform! Woot!

Fine-freaking-ally! At last!

No public option, no single-payer—but at least some good things. The rest will follow.

As Rachel Maddow said "Government is for fixing problems." And this problem is finally getting a start on its fixes.

Unfortunately only half the government is governing—the Democratic half. Certainly the Republicans aren't helping. On the other hand, they are doing everything they can to abort it. Kind of ironic, considering the basic Republican position on abortion. And worse, they are not only not trying to calm down the weird and violent idiots they have inflamed all year long, they are continuing to fan the flames.

Now there are threats against the Congressmen who voted for the health bill. And no , NO, Repubican has unequivocally come out and said that the behavior is unacceptable no matter what. They keep fudging their statements with comments about how the Democrats have done things to call this behavior upon themselves, or how understandable it is that people are angry to the point of violence.

And they are delaying and screwing around and preventing any thing getting done in committee or on the floor. This is the most shameful behavior I have seen in elected, supposedly grown-up, individuals in the 50 years I have been paying attention to politics.
Move-on.org is sponsoring a letter to the Republican leaders calling on them to disavow the mob behavior.
You can sign it here, if you're so disposed:

http://pol.moveon.org/condemnhate/?r_by=19573-592655-FpjRCax&rc=paste

It is still mind-boggling how the Repubes have gotten so many people confused and angry so that they are against something which will help them. It's disheartening to see how many believe lies, and how many are willing to denounce democracy when things don't go their way.

Eh, I shouldn't be surprised.
that's it for now.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

I'm ba-a-a-ack

Geez, I let myself go.
Too much Dreamweaver and web stuff, too much salsa—the dance kind, not the nacho chip kind.
Also I'm lazy.

But not that much has changed since January.
Republicans are still dissembling and being hypocrites, Democrats are still being cautious and uncertain.
They coulda had a health care bill months ago but no, they have to try to accommodate Repubes who don't want to play anyway; and then the Dems also have to deal with members of their own party who only have a summer home in reality.
Like Stupak from Michigan who was going to hold up the health care bill til the abortion funding with federal dollar parts were taken out. Minor problem: there ain't no such parts. The bill specifically says "shall not" when the mention of federal dollars going to abortion comes up. He finally was brought down by Pelosi and others who sort of pointed this out and made him look stupid. I guess he thought if Lieberman could get attention by grandstanding, then it would work for him.
He forgot that Lieberman is a weasel extraordinaire and knows how work the system.

And don't you just love Rep. Eric Massa from New York—I think New york pols are trying to supplant the South Carolina pols in the curmudgeon's affections (I'm not even going to try to get to Gov. Patterson tonight)—resigning under allegations that he groped a male staffer. Then he goes on Glen Beck's show and totally humiliates ol' Glen because he won't say what he was supposed to. He said he not only groped the guy, he tickled him til he couldn't breathe. Then he urged Americans to stop calling each other names. Like "socialist." Also he urged Americans to agitate for campaign finance reform.
Whoa, three strikes and you're out buddy. Don't ever cross a tea-bagger's doorstep again.

In short, The details change, but the picture remains the same.

Finally Obama is starting to get antsy and prod his Democratic minions into actually doing something. he must not have spent enough time in the senate to realize what a hide-bound and basically cowardly institution it can be. I just hope it's not too late for health care.
At least Anthem Blue cross gave the plan a good boost by obscenely boosting its own insurance rates again. It's a textbook example of what is wrong with our current system. Great timing folks. A grateful nation thanks you.
I wonder if they have a lot of ex-congressmen running that company.

I dunno, I try to be amusing here, because laughter's the only way to stave off despair in the face of the stupidity, avarice and inanity in government and society, but sometimes it gets hard.
One needs some good news once in a while.
All I got is Massa on Glen Beck's show. What's this world coming to?