It's not as if these days weren't predicted; expected, even. After the mid-term elections in November gave the Republicans a majority in the House and an even better bargaining position in the Senate this January, it was obvious that President Obama would have to compromise on his positions to insure that Republicans didn't hold up Congress and shut down government until they got their way. What wasn't so obvious was that Republicans were willing to hold the middle-class hostage until their demands for tax cuts for the wealthy were met.
Three weeks ago House Republicans blocked a bill that would have extended unemployment insurance benefits expiring at the end of November and since then they have blocked the bill each time it's been brought up for a vote. Their reason? The Republican party made it clear that they would block all legislation in the lame-duck session until the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, set to expire at the end of the year, were extended.
Last week, Republicans in the Senate were successful in also blocking a Democratic plan to extend the Bush tax cuts to the middle-class. The middle-class tax cuts had been passed by the Democrats in the House just a few days before, prompting Republican Rep. John Boehner to call the vote to extend tax cuts to the middle-class and not to the wealthiest of Americans, 'chicken crap.'
Republicans have not only made good on their promise in blocking the extension of tax cuts for the middle-class: essentially raising taxes on 98 percent of Americans next month and blocking the extension of unemployment benefits: leaving up to two million out-of-work people without help by the end of the year, Republicans have also succeeded in holding up other legislation including the new START treaty, the Dream Act, and the Defense Authorization bill which in addition to outlining military funding includes the effective repeal of the discriminatory policy known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'
Obviously, the Dream Act and the repeal of DADT are not causes championed by most Republicans. Even though these measures would strengthen our military and finally plant the flag declaring this country's claim to the moral high ground, most Republicans are sure to stand in the way of these bills passing because, frankly, most Republicans don't really seem to like gays or brown people. But that Republicans would decide to hold up the new START treaty, an agreement with Russia to reduce and control nuclear arms, in order to scare Democrats into voting for upper-class tax cuts should tell you right away that if the G.O.P. is willing to undermine national security for the sake of fattening rich people's wallets, they'll do just about anything.
Republican obstructionist and bullying tactics have forced President Obama to choose his battles. With time running out on the middle-class and the unemployed, the President has decided to negotiate with Rep. John Boehner and Senator Mitch McConnell and propose a plan of extending unemployment benefits for thirteen months in exchange for twenty-four more months of Bush tax cuts, plus a two percent payroll tax reduction, plus an estate tax reduction, plus a tax exemption for inherited income up to $5 million dollars.
In all, as most Democrats and the liberal and progressive base have pointed out in various ways including an eight and a half hour filibuster-esque speech by Vermont's Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, this deal between President Obama and the G.O.P. is not exactly a fair or reasonable trade.
The left objects to the plan's over-generous concessions for the wealthy and are angry with the President for breaking his pledge to eliminate tax cuts for the rich, while the right objects to the expense of unemployment benefits, but both the Democrats and the Republicans agree that the plan means a huge, unaffordable increase in the national debt.
The tax deal, estimated to cost $858 billion dollars, is $71 billion more than the heavily criticized 2009 stimulus and at a time when many in Washington had expected to roll up their sleeves and get to work at reducing the deficit, President Obama and Republican leaders are now urging Congress to pass this package under the threat that not passing it will further damage the fragile economy.
President Obama has put himself in the position of negotiator-in-chief between the two political parties: a place he believed he could work to bring red state and blue state America together. But after two years of extending his hand to the Republican party, it seems President Obama has yet to notice that Republicans, at the very least, want nothing to do with him; at most, are eager to smack his hand away and spit in his eye. Republicans consider him an obstacle: avoid if possible, go over if necessary, remove eventually. If President Obama has a strategy in play; that he believes it's best to keep his enemies closer, he's not letting on. If he is willing to fight the Republicans or big business or Wall Street, he isn't showing it. And because of this, President Obama stands to lose the faith and support of his base.
But when facing a hostage crisis, what would his base expect the president to do?
Yes, Republicans are better than Democrats at standing their ground even if Republican's ground will be proven in time to be on the wrong side of history and yes, their base loves them for it. Some may see President Obama's unfavorable compromise with Republicans as capitulation to the enemy and a sign of weakness, but it is important to remember that showing empathy is not cowardice. Choosing to save those in distress rather than fighting the bad guy does not make the good guy weak. And yes, it is possible that, rather than always fighting, compromise with the opposition can lead to cooperation. It may not be sweet and it may not be easy, but being the good guy rarely is. All you can do is stay tough and live to fight another day.
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Damned if you do, damned if you don't
After successfully rescuing the economy from tumbling off a cliff into another Great Depression and overseeing ten straight months of private sector job growth equaling more jobs gained than in the entire eight years under George W. Bush, President Obama and Congressional Democrats still can't get any respect. The Right, Republicans and Tea Partiers, are all too happy to blame the President and his allies for their part in the Stimulus plans and 'bailouts' of the auto industry, banks, and Wall Street even if in the end they saved jobs, made profits, and boosted spending.
Even though government efforts like the Stimulus saved and created 1.4 to 3.6 million jobs last quarter, the Gross Domestic Product increased 1.7 percent, and the economy grew by an annual 2.5 percent according to the Congressional Budget Office; even though consumer spending grew 2.8 percent last quarter, the most in nearly four years, the Right will be quick to point out that 'spending money to make money' with the Stimulus and TARP raised our deficit. And even though the pace of job loss has slowed considerably over the last two years and unemployment rates have fallen in 23 states this last month, the Right will be just as quick to point out the national unemployment rate remains arguably high above 9 percent.
The state of the economy is improving under President Obama, but it's just not improving quickly enough for some and the efforts to improve it are constantly criticized by the Right. Despite positive growth in private sector jobs and the GDP, the Right continues to denounce the Bush and Obama TARP and the Stimulus Acts meant to revive the economy as spending bills that 'tax our children and grandchildren' apparently believing it would have been better for their children and grandchildren to be in a Great Depression. The Right contrarily rails against government loans to banks, auto makers, and Wall Street calling them 'bailouts' at the same time rails against government intervention in business in the form of regulation at the same time demands government accountability for job creation.
A rough economy and high unemployment always spells doom for the party in power. Two years of a Democratic President during tough times, even if things are steadily improving, means the Republicans will benefit from a beleaguered nation. Therein lies the rub. It's actually in the Republicans best interest to see the economy, and the nation, suffer.
The outsourcing of American jobs to other countries is damaging our economy yet Senate Republicans, along with a few Democrats including Connecticut's Lieberman and Virginia's Warner, voted to block a bill that would end tax incentives for companies to ship jobs overseas. Tax breaks, regarded by Republicans to be the best way to stimulate economic growth, was voted down by Republicans in the Senate when Democrats proposed a bill that would grant tax breaks and free up lending to small businesses. Consumer spending on household goods accounts for roughly two-thirds of our economy and unemployment benefits puts money in the hands of people who will spend it, yet House Republicans blocked the extension of unemployment benefits.
Instead of backing any Democratic effort to boost the economy, even if they have done so in the past, Republicans are focused on one plan: the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. While President Obama and Democrats support extending middle class tax cuts to individuals making less than $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers), Republicans want all the Bush tax cuts extended including those to the wealthiest 3 percent of Americans who without the tax cut would only see their taxes go up at most, 4.6 percent. Although the Right raises objections to increasing the deficit with Stimulus plans, government loans, and unemployment benefit extensions, they are fired up to add $700 billion more in debt to finance tax cuts for the rich that have proved disastrous to our economy in the decade since President Bush enacted them.
Favoring the Bush tax cuts over the extension of unemployment benefits makes no economic sense even to John McCain's former economic adviser, Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Analytics. According to Zandi's testimony before the Senate Finance Committee for every dollar spent on making the Bush tax cuts permanent there is an $.32 increase in the GDP whereas for every dollar spent to extend unemployment benefits there is an $1.61 increase in the GDP. In other words, according to Zandi, a dollar spent on unemployment compensation gets five times more "Bang for the Buck" to the GDP than a tax cut for the rich.
Republicans and Tea Party Republicans who ran in this year's elections on the slogan: 'it's the economy, stupid,' now find themselves having to state their positions on the economy in ways that often sound confusing, contradictory, and plain stupid.
In spite of positive growth in the economy, the strange backlash against the policies responsible for that growth, put in place by the President and the Congressional Democrats, favored the Right in the elections. If the dominant thought in the minds of voters was, 'where are the jobs?' then the thought in the minds of President Obama and Democrats must have been, 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' and Republicans are happy to have it both ways.
Even though government efforts like the Stimulus saved and created 1.4 to 3.6 million jobs last quarter, the Gross Domestic Product increased 1.7 percent, and the economy grew by an annual 2.5 percent according to the Congressional Budget Office; even though consumer spending grew 2.8 percent last quarter, the most in nearly four years, the Right will be quick to point out that 'spending money to make money' with the Stimulus and TARP raised our deficit. And even though the pace of job loss has slowed considerably over the last two years and unemployment rates have fallen in 23 states this last month, the Right will be just as quick to point out the national unemployment rate remains arguably high above 9 percent.
The state of the economy is improving under President Obama, but it's just not improving quickly enough for some and the efforts to improve it are constantly criticized by the Right. Despite positive growth in private sector jobs and the GDP, the Right continues to denounce the Bush and Obama TARP and the Stimulus Acts meant to revive the economy as spending bills that 'tax our children and grandchildren' apparently believing it would have been better for their children and grandchildren to be in a Great Depression. The Right contrarily rails against government loans to banks, auto makers, and Wall Street calling them 'bailouts' at the same time rails against government intervention in business in the form of regulation at the same time demands government accountability for job creation.
A rough economy and high unemployment always spells doom for the party in power. Two years of a Democratic President during tough times, even if things are steadily improving, means the Republicans will benefit from a beleaguered nation. Therein lies the rub. It's actually in the Republicans best interest to see the economy, and the nation, suffer.
The outsourcing of American jobs to other countries is damaging our economy yet Senate Republicans, along with a few Democrats including Connecticut's Lieberman and Virginia's Warner, voted to block a bill that would end tax incentives for companies to ship jobs overseas. Tax breaks, regarded by Republicans to be the best way to stimulate economic growth, was voted down by Republicans in the Senate when Democrats proposed a bill that would grant tax breaks and free up lending to small businesses. Consumer spending on household goods accounts for roughly two-thirds of our economy and unemployment benefits puts money in the hands of people who will spend it, yet House Republicans blocked the extension of unemployment benefits.
Instead of backing any Democratic effort to boost the economy, even if they have done so in the past, Republicans are focused on one plan: the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. While President Obama and Democrats support extending middle class tax cuts to individuals making less than $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers), Republicans want all the Bush tax cuts extended including those to the wealthiest 3 percent of Americans who without the tax cut would only see their taxes go up at most, 4.6 percent. Although the Right raises objections to increasing the deficit with Stimulus plans, government loans, and unemployment benefit extensions, they are fired up to add $700 billion more in debt to finance tax cuts for the rich that have proved disastrous to our economy in the decade since President Bush enacted them.
Favoring the Bush tax cuts over the extension of unemployment benefits makes no economic sense even to John McCain's former economic adviser, Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Analytics. According to Zandi's testimony before the Senate Finance Committee for every dollar spent on making the Bush tax cuts permanent there is an $.32 increase in the GDP whereas for every dollar spent to extend unemployment benefits there is an $1.61 increase in the GDP. In other words, according to Zandi, a dollar spent on unemployment compensation gets five times more "Bang for the Buck" to the GDP than a tax cut for the rich.
Republicans and Tea Party Republicans who ran in this year's elections on the slogan: 'it's the economy, stupid,' now find themselves having to state their positions on the economy in ways that often sound confusing, contradictory, and plain stupid.
In spite of positive growth in the economy, the strange backlash against the policies responsible for that growth, put in place by the President and the Congressional Democrats, favored the Right in the elections. If the dominant thought in the minds of voters was, 'where are the jobs?' then the thought in the minds of President Obama and Democrats must have been, 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' and Republicans are happy to have it both ways.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
If Only Obama Was Just A Little More Like Bush
Yes, it would seem that Obama squandered these two years, but a lot as gotten done and things have gotten somewhat better. While most people can express disappointment in the President: the Right that never would have accepted him - those that think the economy could be easily turned around, those that believe the lies in the media, and those that scoff at his accomplishments; while the Left who haven't gotten what they voted for - wanted Bush and Co. prosecuted for war crimes, wanted the wars to end immediately, wanted more from Health Care Reform, wanted tougher Wall Street Reform, wanted an end to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," wanted an end to Bush's tax cuts for the ridiculously wealthy, etc.
Unfortunately, the economy and the wars aren't easily solved problems and the Republicans never had any intention of working with Obama on legislation that could have made him popular. The President was so full of 'Hope' that he fooled himself into thinking he could work with Republicans in a bi-partisan way. Republicans spent two years playing politics, holding up bills in congress, 'compromising' by weakening the bills that did pass, and spent billions of dollars from corporate interests on attacks from Fox News/ conservative radio, and phony grassroots movements like the Tea Party to rile up the ignorant.
Most people pay little attention to politics (or news, in general) and most elections are about voting the bums in power out (mostly what 2008 was about as well). Republicans didn't win the House because they have better ideas - they just want to go back to Bush policies. Democrats lost because the disenchanted left stayed home and the voters who did turn out thought Democrats didn't do enough to fix the mess Bush left because Obama and the Democrats failed to properly communicate that the lack of progress over these last two years is due to the Republicans who think it is a bigger priority to play party politics for the sake of elections rather than focusing on solutions that this country in crisis urgently needs.
The election won't change much in Washington though. Republicans will only have slightly more power in January, so the next two years will likely be more of the same - gridlock stalling progress, while more vocal nonsense about repealing bills and impeachment. The difference now is, with Republicans controlling the House, if they disappointment their base (aka Tea Party) or if they don't make good on lowering debt or creating jobs, they'll be the bums thrown out in 2012.
If the country was actually excited to vote for the Republicans, they would have won more than just the House of Representatives in this year's election. So how can Republicans somehow think they have a mandate and have the gall to demand Obama lean further to the right than the disappointingly right-of-center he has been this whole time? While Republicans openly claim their major goal is for Obama to be a one-term president and call for 'no compromise' in extending Bush's tax cuts or undoing Social Security and reform after reform, Obama continues to play the nice guy at risk of losing his base by saying he is willing to work with the people who want to run him out of office, and in some cases, out of the country or up a tree branch.
The one good thing I can say about Dubya is that he at least maintained his base by standing firm for what he believed in (even though he was usually wrong). Obama's fault is that he is trying to make all the people happy all of the time.
Unfortunately, the economy and the wars aren't easily solved problems and the Republicans never had any intention of working with Obama on legislation that could have made him popular. The President was so full of 'Hope' that he fooled himself into thinking he could work with Republicans in a bi-partisan way. Republicans spent two years playing politics, holding up bills in congress, 'compromising' by weakening the bills that did pass, and spent billions of dollars from corporate interests on attacks from Fox News/ conservative radio, and phony grassroots movements like the Tea Party to rile up the ignorant.
Most people pay little attention to politics (or news, in general) and most elections are about voting the bums in power out (mostly what 2008 was about as well). Republicans didn't win the House because they have better ideas - they just want to go back to Bush policies. Democrats lost because the disenchanted left stayed home and the voters who did turn out thought Democrats didn't do enough to fix the mess Bush left because Obama and the Democrats failed to properly communicate that the lack of progress over these last two years is due to the Republicans who think it is a bigger priority to play party politics for the sake of elections rather than focusing on solutions that this country in crisis urgently needs.
The election won't change much in Washington though. Republicans will only have slightly more power in January, so the next two years will likely be more of the same - gridlock stalling progress, while more vocal nonsense about repealing bills and impeachment. The difference now is, with Republicans controlling the House, if they disappointment their base (aka Tea Party) or if they don't make good on lowering debt or creating jobs, they'll be the bums thrown out in 2012.
If the country was actually excited to vote for the Republicans, they would have won more than just the House of Representatives in this year's election. So how can Republicans somehow think they have a mandate and have the gall to demand Obama lean further to the right than the disappointingly right-of-center he has been this whole time? While Republicans openly claim their major goal is for Obama to be a one-term president and call for 'no compromise' in extending Bush's tax cuts or undoing Social Security and reform after reform, Obama continues to play the nice guy at risk of losing his base by saying he is willing to work with the people who want to run him out of office, and in some cases, out of the country or up a tree branch.
The one good thing I can say about Dubya is that he at least maintained his base by standing firm for what he believed in (even though he was usually wrong). Obama's fault is that he is trying to make all the people happy all of the time.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Why the Resistance to Health Care Reform? (Repost from Aug. 2009)
It's the hot issue... Health Care Reform. President Obama, by mandate from the voters, told Congress to get a Health Care Reform bill by August. It wasn't a exactly a deadline, he only meant to light a fire under them and get the process moving, but unfortunately, two many hands were in the cookie jar and disagreements over the particulars stalled the process until Congress was set to take a summer vacation.
While little is actually being done on getting a bill written, Senators and Congressmen and women are holding town hall meetings in their respective districts to discuss the issue and some are being confronted by angry, hostile crowds. The media has been capturing these wild town hall meetings where a very vocal minority of people are shouting at their Congressmen and Senators, calling them liars, cronies, and Nazis; hanging them in effigy, some carrying signs that read: "Death to Obama," and others who come with knives and guns. Protests are as American as Apple Pie. The right to Protest is guaranteed in the Constitution. But shouting down debate and cursing death threats isn't exactly helpful.
Poll Numbers suggest that President Obama's 'Approval Rating' is dropping over the issue of Health Care Reform and critics are quick to say that the majority of the country share the views of these protestors. There are, of course, a number of reasons why President Obama's 'Approval Rating' has taken a dive. For instance, there is the percentage of the country that did not vote for him and simply refuse to support anything he puts his name on, even if they put his name on it. For example, although the current working Health Care Bills in the House and Senate were composed of ideas from Democrats and Republicans in Congress, it is still referred to by some as, "ObamaCare."
Maybe it was the blatant racism or plain ignorance and stupidity of a good deal of people (Bush did after all still have around a 30% approval rating at the end), or maybe, the voters had legitimate reasons not to vote for Obama, but either way the ones who lost the election walked way sore losers and won't like Obama no matter what and will oppose everything he does. Reason for part of that is that those people still actually believe the lies told by Republicans aided and abetted by the Fox Propaganda Network and shock jocks like Rush, Bill O, and Beck. You know, the people who said those classic myths: 'Iraq and 9/11 are connected,' 'Saddam has W.M.D.'s,' and 'The U.S. Does Not Torture.' It was same group that claimed Barack Obama was a Muslim who hated white people, paled around with terrorists, and wasn't an American citizen.
That crazy conspiracy/ racist fringe of the Right Wing still can't accept that Obama is our elected President so they clutch to the insane idea that Obama wasn't even born in Hawaii or use Freudian Defense Mechanisms and claim that it is Obama, not they, who are racist. There are nut jobs out there that think Obama has a 'deep-seated hatred of white people' even though he was raised by his white mom and grandparents; and crazier, say that Obama is a Nazi even though Nazis don't exactly let black people join their club.
The opinions of those people affect poll numbers. Then you can't forget about the people in this country who just don't like government at all! There are a lot of folks that say they'd be just fine with anarchy as long as they have the right to carry assault weapons. Yeah, you know the type... the ones that claim they want the country to be 'as the Founding Fathers intended,' which if you thought about it, sticking only to the Bill of Rights would mean that there would still be slaves, women would have no right to vote, and all Supreme Court cases since on civil rights and segregation, etc, would mean nothing. Actually, it's that 16th Amendment that bugs them the most - makes them think the Government is one big, scary country club that just steals people's Income Tax money. So they shout about 'Big Government,' which is music to the ears of the corporations with their Laissez-faire argument against regulations and anti-trust laws. So the two crowds join forces to rage against 'socialism' in all it's forms such as the government 'take over' of health care or Social Security or the Post Office or Medicare or the FDA or public schools or public transportation or Firefighters or Police... Well, actually, I'm not sure if they even know how far they want 'Big Government' out of their lives. For instance, they seem to want FEMA to show up ASAP after a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, or flood wipes out their neighborhoods.
Then you have the people that were under the impression that Obama was the Chosen One who was going to magically solve all the problems that the Bush Administration left us - the collapse of the banks, the fall of Wall Street and the Auto Industry, two wars, etc, all without spending money and all immediately. Seven months in with 'Stimulus' money going out and us not falling into a Depression, GM and Chrysler reorganized, Cash for Clunkers' rebates getting people buying cars, Wall Street rebounding, refocusing on Iraq and Afghanistan, work on Energy Reform and now Health Care. There are people who want it all now and there are those who criticize Obama for taking on too much! Guess he can't win either way.
Well, there could be a hundred more reasons why Poll Numbers are dropping, but my point is, a lot of people are angry and they have a lot to be angry about. There is still that whole war thing happening, people are seeing jobs go overseas, many are out of work, many are underpaid, many don't have health insurance, many are under-insured, many are mad that Banks got loans and they didn't, many are mad that the government didn't just let Wall Street and the Auto Industry collapse, many are scared that the country is in so much debt that they will have to foot the bill. These people have a lot of real concerns and not a lot of hope that things will get better anytime soon and they turn to the so called 'news' and then they hear that the government, led by a black Kenyan Muslim, is putting together a secret plot to kill them. Match to the powder keg.
Not that anyone should expect people like Rush and Beck to be responsible in their news reporting - they freely admit that they aren't journalists, rather entertainers who have neither the time nor inclination to read and research anything regarding history or politics or law. They are simply like the old relatives, misinformed and stubborn, that we are embarrassed to introduce our friends to in fear that they'll tell that story about how the old neighborhood was better before the blacks moved in. The only difference is Rush, Beck, et al. have microphones that reach our embarrassing relatives who then feel vindicated and empowered to think that backward, irrational talk or violence is legitimate political discourse. Everyone is entitled to free speech, even the dumb.
Which brings us back to the Health Care Reform Debates and those town hall meetings that have been getting a lot of attention lately.
First of all, Barack Obama, the candidate, ran with the plan of reforming Health Care in this country. Specifically, he talked about how the Health Insurance Corporations had risen rates 300% in the last 10 years while 47 million Americans go uninsured plus another 10 million underinsured and how 60% of Bankruptcies filed by individuals are medical related. At this rate, the Health Care System was only going to be a larger and larger drag on the economy and a burden that too many Americans could not and should not bear. The Health Insurance Business, like many other corporations throughout history, had become too large too much profit-driven. As an alternative, Obama talked about offering all Americans the same Health Care Plans that the members of Congress enjoy, about streamlining the system to increase efficiency and reduce costs, and give people the opportunity to choose who provides their Health Care.
Long story short, and you all know it, Barack Obama was elected President and the Democrats on his coattails won the majority of both House of Congress. The majority of the country voted on this. This is what the majority of the country wants. Yet Barack Obama feels the need to appease the losers of the last election by vowing to work together in the spirit of bi-partisanship even if those losers are sore losers who wish for and work for his defeat. Can't say he's not full of hope and optimism. But while the Republicans say they are all for Health Care Reform, they just say 'No' on every detail along the way and then claim that they never had a chance to voice their ideas. Not true. They don't want it, never wanted it, never will want it; just like they didn't want the recent expansion of Health Care for children (called it 'socialism'), and will do anything including throwing the country under the bus in order to score political points. In their eyes: Kill Health Care Reform and Obama fails, but they win.
The Right has Public Relations down to an art with plenty of money to spend and their modus operandi has been, for at least the past decade, to lie and instill fear in order to sway public opinion. The trick worked to get us to invade Iraq; a country we were told was part of the attacks on 9/11. Now with passing of the 2008 elections and being thrown from power, the Right-wing talkers feel even more compelled to spew outrageous lies because they are desperate and willing to say anything to, never mind regain power, but to at least stay relevant. And they will stop at nothing... No boundaries, no morals. Scaring the American people, ginning them up on fear and turning them into what resembles an angry mob. This is nothing new; this fear tactic. The Republicans spent all this time since 9/11 keeping us afraid of another Terrorist attack. Even making us afraid of each other. Even declaring that if we voted for Democrats we would be attacked! Now it's Health Care Reform equals Death panels and offing Grandma?
Who wouldn't be angry if someone tried to off our grandmas? The problem is it's a lie! A sick, sad, desperate attempt at making people afraid of the government that is trying to bring down the costs of Health Insurance, make things easier on the middle class, and provide health care to the millions who currently go without it. Why? Because if Health Care Reform happens, the Health Care Corporations will stand to lose the profits that they make by gauging the American public. Reform means that they couldn't do things like charge $50 for a Tylenol at the Emergency room or deny a claim from someone for a procedure or surgery that the doctor says is necessary but the insurance company says isn't. See, the Republican argument is that a 'Government-run Health Care System' will put a government bureaucrat between a patient and their doctor when actually, right now, it is a Health Insurance bureaucrat between a patient and their doctor.
A minority of American people, perhaps those I mentioned before, are standing in the way of Health Care Reform. Odd, since Health Care Reform is meant to help them, yet they are so misinformed by the Right Wing PR Machine in paid for by the Health Insurance Corporations websites, advertisements, Talk Radio, and Fox 'News,' that they shout down any facts that defer from the lies they were told by these commercials, corrupt empty suits in Congress, and fake news reporters with their own TV or Radio shows. Pretty easy job to come up with and say ridiculous things without having to produce any shred of evidence. Or make wild, baseless accusations without fear of recrimination. Speaking off which, did you hear that Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs enjoy hot, gay sex together while Sean Hannity and Bill O give each other sponge baths with a loofa. Actually Bill refers to it as a 'falafel,' but Sean doesn't bother correcting him. Now, I'm not saying you should believe that, but does anyone have evidence that it isn't true? This is easy actually, you can even play at home, but these people make good money doing it day in and day out. All it takes is a little moral ambiguity over the truth and that little side effect of possibly having a guilty conscience, but luckily, Big Business is there to heal all wounds. All that money that the corporations make robbing the average American (like that $50 Tylenol) goes to lobbying against what will keep them from making those plundered riches - like paying for those commercials and lining the pockets of anyone to do their bidding.
So, actually, I guess you could blame the political parties for playing politics instead of working to help Americans or Joe and Jane Shmoe for believing what they hear and acting out or these entertainers on TV, Internet, and Radio for playing to audiences for ratings, but the real blame should go to the Corporations that control the country. In the same way they can manipulate prices, stocks, Government policy, and the economy; they can manipulate the people. So if Health Care Reform does fail, it will be a loss to the American public and a victory for the corporations and you can bet that those CEOs, lobbyists, corrupt Politicians, and talkers in the media will be well compensated for their efforts.
Oh, wait. I forgot another part of America that may contribute to Obama's 'Approval Rating' going down recently.... People like me. You see, I voted for Barack Obama because he said he would fix the economy, fix Health Care, repair all the damage done during the Bush/ Cheney years, and take on the corporations among other things. I didn't and don't expect the President to fix everything all at once. Things take time. But I am frustrated now, like a lot of people who voted for him and the other Democrats to run the Republicans out of power, that the President wants to cooperate with the 'GOP' in the spirit of unity when it's clear that the Republican Party has become the 'Party of No' - unwilling to work with or compromise on anything favored by the President on behalf of us.
So the Single-Payer plan gets taken off the table because the Right won't do it, then Public Option doesn't look promising because the Right won't do it, next Co-ops gets tossed because the Right won't do that either. Still, some Republicans say they want Health Care Reform, but they're really only talking about (surprise) tax credits and Tort Reform. Tort Reform, though needed to some extent to stop frivolous lawsuits, simply means to Republicans that lawyers not be involved and that patients can't sue their Doctors and Health Insurance Companies for malpractice if the Doctor is negligent, nor sue Pharmaceutical companies should a drug they manufacture cause irrevocable harm. Again, it's all about protecting the corporations.
The American people voted for a Democrat President and a Democrat majority in Congress for a reason: because the Republicans were not working for the American People and a change was necessary. There are no excuses now for not flexing that muscle and getting these important jobs done. The country needs Health Care Reform and shouldn't be held hostage just because the Democrats want to try and work with Republicans who just want to play political games. Think about it - If the Republicans had the majority in Congress and a President in the White House, do you think they would work with the Democrats or just push their own agenda and get bills passed? Actually, you don't even have to think about it, it happened - recently. Now it's our turn. We mustn't let the naysayers and fear mongers hold us back any longer. We mustn't be fooled by the Health Care Insurance Corporations propaganda. We can get strong Health Care Reform and we don't need the Republicans' help to do it. It won't be easy; change rarely is. And you can't make all the people happy all the time... But we've got to do this because we just can't afford to do nothing.
Health Care for All Americans!
While little is actually being done on getting a bill written, Senators and Congressmen and women are holding town hall meetings in their respective districts to discuss the issue and some are being confronted by angry, hostile crowds. The media has been capturing these wild town hall meetings where a very vocal minority of people are shouting at their Congressmen and Senators, calling them liars, cronies, and Nazis; hanging them in effigy, some carrying signs that read: "Death to Obama," and others who come with knives and guns. Protests are as American as Apple Pie. The right to Protest is guaranteed in the Constitution. But shouting down debate and cursing death threats isn't exactly helpful.
Poll Numbers suggest that President Obama's 'Approval Rating' is dropping over the issue of Health Care Reform and critics are quick to say that the majority of the country share the views of these protestors. There are, of course, a number of reasons why President Obama's 'Approval Rating' has taken a dive. For instance, there is the percentage of the country that did not vote for him and simply refuse to support anything he puts his name on, even if they put his name on it. For example, although the current working Health Care Bills in the House and Senate were composed of ideas from Democrats and Republicans in Congress, it is still referred to by some as, "ObamaCare."
Maybe it was the blatant racism or plain ignorance and stupidity of a good deal of people (Bush did after all still have around a 30% approval rating at the end), or maybe, the voters had legitimate reasons not to vote for Obama, but either way the ones who lost the election walked way sore losers and won't like Obama no matter what and will oppose everything he does. Reason for part of that is that those people still actually believe the lies told by Republicans aided and abetted by the Fox Propaganda Network and shock jocks like Rush, Bill O, and Beck. You know, the people who said those classic myths: 'Iraq and 9/11 are connected,' 'Saddam has W.M.D.'s,' and 'The U.S. Does Not Torture.' It was same group that claimed Barack Obama was a Muslim who hated white people, paled around with terrorists, and wasn't an American citizen.
That crazy conspiracy/ racist fringe of the Right Wing still can't accept that Obama is our elected President so they clutch to the insane idea that Obama wasn't even born in Hawaii or use Freudian Defense Mechanisms and claim that it is Obama, not they, who are racist. There are nut jobs out there that think Obama has a 'deep-seated hatred of white people' even though he was raised by his white mom and grandparents; and crazier, say that Obama is a Nazi even though Nazis don't exactly let black people join their club.
The opinions of those people affect poll numbers. Then you can't forget about the people in this country who just don't like government at all! There are a lot of folks that say they'd be just fine with anarchy as long as they have the right to carry assault weapons. Yeah, you know the type... the ones that claim they want the country to be 'as the Founding Fathers intended,' which if you thought about it, sticking only to the Bill of Rights would mean that there would still be slaves, women would have no right to vote, and all Supreme Court cases since on civil rights and segregation, etc, would mean nothing. Actually, it's that 16th Amendment that bugs them the most - makes them think the Government is one big, scary country club that just steals people's Income Tax money. So they shout about 'Big Government,' which is music to the ears of the corporations with their Laissez-faire argument against regulations and anti-trust laws. So the two crowds join forces to rage against 'socialism' in all it's forms such as the government 'take over' of health care or Social Security or the Post Office or Medicare or the FDA or public schools or public transportation or Firefighters or Police... Well, actually, I'm not sure if they even know how far they want 'Big Government' out of their lives. For instance, they seem to want FEMA to show up ASAP after a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, or flood wipes out their neighborhoods.
Then you have the people that were under the impression that Obama was the Chosen One who was going to magically solve all the problems that the Bush Administration left us - the collapse of the banks, the fall of Wall Street and the Auto Industry, two wars, etc, all without spending money and all immediately. Seven months in with 'Stimulus' money going out and us not falling into a Depression, GM and Chrysler reorganized, Cash for Clunkers' rebates getting people buying cars, Wall Street rebounding, refocusing on Iraq and Afghanistan, work on Energy Reform and now Health Care. There are people who want it all now and there are those who criticize Obama for taking on too much! Guess he can't win either way.
Well, there could be a hundred more reasons why Poll Numbers are dropping, but my point is, a lot of people are angry and they have a lot to be angry about. There is still that whole war thing happening, people are seeing jobs go overseas, many are out of work, many are underpaid, many don't have health insurance, many are under-insured, many are mad that Banks got loans and they didn't, many are mad that the government didn't just let Wall Street and the Auto Industry collapse, many are scared that the country is in so much debt that they will have to foot the bill. These people have a lot of real concerns and not a lot of hope that things will get better anytime soon and they turn to the so called 'news' and then they hear that the government, led by a black Kenyan Muslim, is putting together a secret plot to kill them. Match to the powder keg.
Not that anyone should expect people like Rush and Beck to be responsible in their news reporting - they freely admit that they aren't journalists, rather entertainers who have neither the time nor inclination to read and research anything regarding history or politics or law. They are simply like the old relatives, misinformed and stubborn, that we are embarrassed to introduce our friends to in fear that they'll tell that story about how the old neighborhood was better before the blacks moved in. The only difference is Rush, Beck, et al. have microphones that reach our embarrassing relatives who then feel vindicated and empowered to think that backward, irrational talk or violence is legitimate political discourse. Everyone is entitled to free speech, even the dumb.
Which brings us back to the Health Care Reform Debates and those town hall meetings that have been getting a lot of attention lately.
First of all, Barack Obama, the candidate, ran with the plan of reforming Health Care in this country. Specifically, he talked about how the Health Insurance Corporations had risen rates 300% in the last 10 years while 47 million Americans go uninsured plus another 10 million underinsured and how 60% of Bankruptcies filed by individuals are medical related. At this rate, the Health Care System was only going to be a larger and larger drag on the economy and a burden that too many Americans could not and should not bear. The Health Insurance Business, like many other corporations throughout history, had become too large too much profit-driven. As an alternative, Obama talked about offering all Americans the same Health Care Plans that the members of Congress enjoy, about streamlining the system to increase efficiency and reduce costs, and give people the opportunity to choose who provides their Health Care.
Long story short, and you all know it, Barack Obama was elected President and the Democrats on his coattails won the majority of both House of Congress. The majority of the country voted on this. This is what the majority of the country wants. Yet Barack Obama feels the need to appease the losers of the last election by vowing to work together in the spirit of bi-partisanship even if those losers are sore losers who wish for and work for his defeat. Can't say he's not full of hope and optimism. But while the Republicans say they are all for Health Care Reform, they just say 'No' on every detail along the way and then claim that they never had a chance to voice their ideas. Not true. They don't want it, never wanted it, never will want it; just like they didn't want the recent expansion of Health Care for children (called it 'socialism'), and will do anything including throwing the country under the bus in order to score political points. In their eyes: Kill Health Care Reform and Obama fails, but they win.
The Right has Public Relations down to an art with plenty of money to spend and their modus operandi has been, for at least the past decade, to lie and instill fear in order to sway public opinion. The trick worked to get us to invade Iraq; a country we were told was part of the attacks on 9/11. Now with passing of the 2008 elections and being thrown from power, the Right-wing talkers feel even more compelled to spew outrageous lies because they are desperate and willing to say anything to, never mind regain power, but to at least stay relevant. And they will stop at nothing... No boundaries, no morals. Scaring the American people, ginning them up on fear and turning them into what resembles an angry mob. This is nothing new; this fear tactic. The Republicans spent all this time since 9/11 keeping us afraid of another Terrorist attack. Even making us afraid of each other. Even declaring that if we voted for Democrats we would be attacked! Now it's Health Care Reform equals Death panels and offing Grandma?
Who wouldn't be angry if someone tried to off our grandmas? The problem is it's a lie! A sick, sad, desperate attempt at making people afraid of the government that is trying to bring down the costs of Health Insurance, make things easier on the middle class, and provide health care to the millions who currently go without it. Why? Because if Health Care Reform happens, the Health Care Corporations will stand to lose the profits that they make by gauging the American public. Reform means that they couldn't do things like charge $50 for a Tylenol at the Emergency room or deny a claim from someone for a procedure or surgery that the doctor says is necessary but the insurance company says isn't. See, the Republican argument is that a 'Government-run Health Care System' will put a government bureaucrat between a patient and their doctor when actually, right now, it is a Health Insurance bureaucrat between a patient and their doctor.
A minority of American people, perhaps those I mentioned before, are standing in the way of Health Care Reform. Odd, since Health Care Reform is meant to help them, yet they are so misinformed by the Right Wing PR Machine in paid for by the Health Insurance Corporations websites, advertisements, Talk Radio, and Fox 'News,' that they shout down any facts that defer from the lies they were told by these commercials, corrupt empty suits in Congress, and fake news reporters with their own TV or Radio shows. Pretty easy job to come up with and say ridiculous things without having to produce any shred of evidence. Or make wild, baseless accusations without fear of recrimination. Speaking off which, did you hear that Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs enjoy hot, gay sex together while Sean Hannity and Bill O give each other sponge baths with a loofa. Actually Bill refers to it as a 'falafel,' but Sean doesn't bother correcting him. Now, I'm not saying you should believe that, but does anyone have evidence that it isn't true? This is easy actually, you can even play at home, but these people make good money doing it day in and day out. All it takes is a little moral ambiguity over the truth and that little side effect of possibly having a guilty conscience, but luckily, Big Business is there to heal all wounds. All that money that the corporations make robbing the average American (like that $50 Tylenol) goes to lobbying against what will keep them from making those plundered riches - like paying for those commercials and lining the pockets of anyone to do their bidding.
So, actually, I guess you could blame the political parties for playing politics instead of working to help Americans or Joe and Jane Shmoe for believing what they hear and acting out or these entertainers on TV, Internet, and Radio for playing to audiences for ratings, but the real blame should go to the Corporations that control the country. In the same way they can manipulate prices, stocks, Government policy, and the economy; they can manipulate the people. So if Health Care Reform does fail, it will be a loss to the American public and a victory for the corporations and you can bet that those CEOs, lobbyists, corrupt Politicians, and talkers in the media will be well compensated for their efforts.
Oh, wait. I forgot another part of America that may contribute to Obama's 'Approval Rating' going down recently.... People like me. You see, I voted for Barack Obama because he said he would fix the economy, fix Health Care, repair all the damage done during the Bush/ Cheney years, and take on the corporations among other things. I didn't and don't expect the President to fix everything all at once. Things take time. But I am frustrated now, like a lot of people who voted for him and the other Democrats to run the Republicans out of power, that the President wants to cooperate with the 'GOP' in the spirit of unity when it's clear that the Republican Party has become the 'Party of No' - unwilling to work with or compromise on anything favored by the President on behalf of us.
So the Single-Payer plan gets taken off the table because the Right won't do it, then Public Option doesn't look promising because the Right won't do it, next Co-ops gets tossed because the Right won't do that either. Still, some Republicans say they want Health Care Reform, but they're really only talking about (surprise) tax credits and Tort Reform. Tort Reform, though needed to some extent to stop frivolous lawsuits, simply means to Republicans that lawyers not be involved and that patients can't sue their Doctors and Health Insurance Companies for malpractice if the Doctor is negligent, nor sue Pharmaceutical companies should a drug they manufacture cause irrevocable harm. Again, it's all about protecting the corporations.
The American people voted for a Democrat President and a Democrat majority in Congress for a reason: because the Republicans were not working for the American People and a change was necessary. There are no excuses now for not flexing that muscle and getting these important jobs done. The country needs Health Care Reform and shouldn't be held hostage just because the Democrats want to try and work with Republicans who just want to play political games. Think about it - If the Republicans had the majority in Congress and a President in the White House, do you think they would work with the Democrats or just push their own agenda and get bills passed? Actually, you don't even have to think about it, it happened - recently. Now it's our turn. We mustn't let the naysayers and fear mongers hold us back any longer. We mustn't be fooled by the Health Care Insurance Corporations propaganda. We can get strong Health Care Reform and we don't need the Republicans' help to do it. It won't be easy; change rarely is. And you can't make all the people happy all the time... But we've got to do this because we just can't afford to do nothing.
Health Care for All Americans!
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