Gosh, this summer has been so busy. I've had so much to say, but not a lot of time to write it.
I'm saddened by the passing of Ted Kennedy. I was actually shocked when I woke up last Wednesday and saw that he had died. I know the tumor was malignant and by all accounts he wasn't doing well the past couple of months, but for some reason I just thought he would conquer it, like he had done with so many things in the past. It takes a special man to have been born wealthy, yet champion time and again for the poor and underprivileged. To fight for civil rights and to hold his family together after so much tragedy.
I would hope this would put the fire under the Democratic Senators asses about how important healthcare was to him. The Republicans are trying to spin it into a case where he would have compromised with them... but I don't see it that way. He would have fought until the end to get a bill with some meaning. I woke up this morning and saw that Pres Obama is finally gonna come out and talk about what he sees the healthcare reform needing. That has been sorely lacking, leadership from the White House. With so-called bipartisan talks going on, and then the Republican Senators being sleazy behind closed doors about how they are trying to kill it? The writing should be on the wall for Pres Obama. I'm not saying the Dems are off the hook here. They need stop wimping out on things.
The fact remains that the Republicans are probably gonna think they won either way. If they defeat the Public Option part of reform, they will think they have dealt a big blow to the president and that they can stand against him on everything (well, they've already done that to a degree)... they will have gotten what they want, AND then they can BLAME it on the Dems by saying... "You had the House, the Senate and the White House... you could have gotten it done." If the Dems get the Public Option, they can cry and whine about the lack of bipartisanship and ... let's face it... It would take awhile to get it going, so they could say that it wasn't working.. blahblah like they are with the Stimulus package (which, is actually working.)
If we're (the dems) going to get blamed for anything, everything anyway... shouldn't we get what we want, and what's best for the people? No one would dare touch Medicare now, and that had to be jammed through with only Democratic support.
What this is really about to the Republicans, is that if Obama achieves anything worthwhile, esp the elephant in the room (healthcare), then voters may likely keep Dems in office. Isn't that sad, that this is what our country has come to?
I'm no fan of President Bush... however, if he had done anything that would have benefitted the country and risk keeping him in office, I'd have been okay with that.
If the President lets this get away from him... as much as I admire him and love his policies/ideas, I would definitely have to think about voting green party in 2012. He needs to keep his word. His whole campaign, he talked about the public option.. and many people voted because they liked his ideas. He needs to stand by them and deliver.
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2 comments:
Welcome back, Jen! So good to hear your thoughts on things.
So sad about Sen Kennedy. I, too, was surprised by his passing. I was also surprised at my reaction to his passing. I was in tears, seeing such an amazing legacy come to an end.
As for President Obama, I have been so disgusted with the Administration's handling of the healthcare debate. Why on earth do they need to waffle, and give in on things they promised in the campaign? They got elected partially because we actually thought they might be able to rise above the crap in Washington and actually get something real accomplished. It saddens me to see POTUS as just another politician. I guess I'm a Pollyana, because I truly believed he could change things. If he doesn't do something soon to change his ways, the Dems may not get to keep Congress, and may just lose the White House for a while again.
It's amazingly sad to me to see how the Dems handle their position. What a bunch of wimps!! If they'd just do what's right by the American people, they'd be in power for a very long time. Instead, they wimper and cave on every important piece of legislation and regulation put in front of them, and it's the American people who suffer. In my mind, neither the Dems or Repubs are representing the wishes of most of America. We need another party to take on the causes Americans need to be represented. What a mess!
Finally, a forum where Obama can look presidential! At the time, I told The Hubby that the President should have made the press room speech as an address before the joint sessions and make it a call to arms, but you know those yung staffers, they just don't contact me about these things and wind up backtracking ;)
Kennedy was a heartbreak. Now we may be losing another conservative judge next year? PLEASE, don't appoint another moderate! Oy.
I sure hope The Prez will cowboy up and grow a pair this time. We are the overwhelming majority, and we need to put this through. It's a moral imperative. Period. And whether we have to go through budget reconciliation or not, we need to push this through. With a single payer option included, no ifs, ands or buts.
We'll see soon enough. Good to see you back, Jen. Your voice was missed out here! Life does get busy, though, doesn't it??? Great post, Girlfriend!
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