YES, WE DID!!!! House Passes Health Care Reform

Wow, I couldn't stay up to night, but I just read that health care reform has finally passed through the House or Representatives. No, it's not perfect, but it will save lives and it will save money. Why and how did it happen? It finally happened because of leadership by President Obama and because of the grass roots in America. It was about real democracy, people that cared about other people and taking to the streets.

It means good triumphed over evil. Truth triumphed over lies. Commonsense won out over hysteria. Hurray for America. We can still get hard things done.


Former Bush speechwriter, David Frumm put it in perspective for Conservatives

Waterloo

Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.

It’s hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster. Conservatives may cheer themselves that they’ll compensate for today’s expected vote with a big win in the November 2010 elections. But:

(1) It’s a good bet that conservatives are over-optimistic about November – by then the economy will have improved and the immediate goodies in the healthcare bill will be reaching key voting blocs.

(2) So what? Legislative majorities come and go. This healthcare bill is forever. A win in November is very poor compensation for this debacle now.

So far, I think a lot of conservatives will agree with me. Now comes the hard lesson:

A huge part of the blame for today’s disaster attaches to conservatives and Republicans ourselves.

At the beginning of this process we made a strategic decision: unlike, say, Democrats in 2001 when President Bush proposed his first tax cut, we would make no deal with the administration. No negotiations, no compromise, nothing. We were going for all the marbles. This would be Obama’s Waterloo – just as healthcare was Clinton’s in 1994.

Only, the hardliners overlooked a few key facts: Obama was elected with 53% of the vote, not Clinton’s 42%. The liberal block within the Democratic congressional caucus is bigger and stronger than it was in 1993-94. And of course the Democrats also remember their history,and also remember the consequences of their 1994 failure.

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Do You Have to Be Stupid to Be a Teabagger? That's a Rhetorical Question

This a hysterical conglomeration of people talking about health care reform. They really have NO idea what they're talking about. They don't seem to be able to name even one thing that is actually in the bill to be against. They seem to be against big government, against rationing of health care, the 2700 pages that make up the bill and on and on and on. You can't help fix stupid.

Chris Matthews takes on Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity

I've used this video of the man with Parkinson's disease in a prior post, but on Hardball with Chris Matthews, interviewing Tim Phillips of American for Prosperity, Chris takes on one of the groups behind the tea party demonstrations. This is quite possibly the most callous display I've ever seen, a tea bagger throwing money at the man on the ground telling him there's nothing free "in this party of town."

Phillips doesn't condone what a couple of men did in the video, but tries to make the case that the man with Parkinson's disease should join the tea party movement because with the "government takeover" of health care he may not be deemed worth treating.

HOGWASH!!!! Phillips is an out and out liar and he knows it, but he has a client to represent. Where does AFP get their money? No on knows. They don't have to reveal where their money comes from. The clip speaks for itself.

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Disgusting Callous Display by Teabaggers

At a health care rally in Columbus, Ohio, this disgusting display of callousness took place between a man with Parkinson's Disease and a couple of teabaggers. Is this what our country has become? Really?

Have tea baggers lost their moral compass? It sure seems like it to me.

Listen to Tiffany's Story - Abortion is Not a Black and White Issue

The abortion issue is again at the center of the health care debate as we move toward passage. It's not the black and white issue those on the right would have us believe. Tiffany, the woman in the video, had to make a choice, let both of her children die in utero or have a selective abortion. Some in Congress want to take away Tiffany's choice to save one of her children. Don't let them do it. Tell Congress to fix abandon the Stupak language.

Teabaggers Outnumbered 4-1 at Congressman Schauer's office in Jackson

After our visit to Flint and Congressman Kildee's office we headed off to Congressman's Schauer's office. There were about 200 pro-health care activists and maybe 40-50 teabaggers.

Even Tim Walberg showed up to support health care reform. I was surprised to see him there.

Democrats, Listen Up!

Michael Moore, appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show last night urging Democrats in Congress to do something. Take a stand! Moore brought up when Republicans come to town, they drive down the street in the Hummer and knock over anyone that gets in their way. The Democrats could learn a lesson from the Republicans in this respect. It's time to stand up for the American people, Democrats. Republicans are not going to vote with us, no matter what. All they want to do is destroy President Obama, hoping they can improve their chances to regain power in November.

How can we best avoid that result? Pass health care reform and do the things that the American people sent you to Washington to do.

Here's reason enough to pass health care

Rush Limbaugh says he'll leave the U.S. if health care reform. That ought to be enough of a reason for even Dennis Kucinich to vote for it. LMAO.

There's now a Facebook page 1,000,000 Facebookers To Promote Rush Limbaugh's Exodus From The USA

Glenn Clark is a BIG FAT LIAR!!!

Last night outside our private event in Rochester Hills, the Teabaggers held a rally along Rochester Road. Of course, the media didn't bother to come inside to hear Congressman Gary Peters address his constituents about health care. I guess the protesters were a better story.

However, what the corporate media didn't bother to report are the lies that Glenn Clark, Republican 9th Congressional District Chair, fed to the eager lapdogs at Fox News. Glenn said the Democratic health care plan was a "government takeover" of health care. That's a lie. In fact, as currently written, America's health insurance companies stand to get 30 million new customers.

Glenn also said the "health care scheme" is going to take away our health care rights and options. LIE! Come on, Glenn. Can't you tell the truth just once?

Glenn also seemed to imply that under the Democratic plan we might not be able to see specialists. LIE! Why doesn't the corporate media challenge these lies from Republicans?

Bart Stupak is WRONG!!

Bart Stupak, a Democrat, has been allying with the Republicans to try to stop the Democratic health care bill over the issue of abortion. This back bench Democrat with his own ethics problems, has been using his 15 minutes of fame to try to block the health care legislation. But Bart has also taken on another trait of the Republicans, he's been lying when he goes on television talking about the health care plan about the abortion provisions. Wonder of wonders, ABC News did some fact checking last night and confirmed that Congressman Stupak is indeed lying.

This is how the Republicans go after health care reform

I have to hand it to the teabaggers and the Republican party. They sure know how to stick to their talking points and use the fear card to stir up American whose best interests, financial and otherwise, would be served by health care reform. Last summer Frank Luntz rolled out his meme to use the fear of creeping socialism, government takeover of health care to stir up some gullible citizens to oppose health care reform. It was all a bunch of crap, but it scared a lot of people. The result was a lot of angry people at town hall meetings all across the country needlessly. There are still a lot of puppets mouthing the Frank Luntz, Fox News talking points.

It's Time to Lead on Health Care, Mr. President

Well, the time has come, health care reform is hanging by a thread. After months of yelling and screaming, millions upon millions of dollars spent by the insurance industry and Big Pharma, barely any of the real reforms many of us hoped for is left in the current Senate version of health care reform. Joe Lieberman and a few other conservative "Democrats", Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson have bowed to the pressure. Most Democrats, especially the liberals, worked extremely hard to make real health care reform happen, but corporate interests are on the verge of defeating real reform and handing over to the insurance companies 30 million new customers who will be forced to buy health insurance from private companies.

Where has the President been? Yes, he's had the Democrats over for coffee at the White House, but the real arm twisting, the no-more-Mr. Nice Guy attitude that was needed has been lacking, in other words, leadership. Insurance companies won't give up their cash cows without a fight.

The only way to get health care reform is to fight hard and have a take no prisoners approach to your opponents. Getting legislation like real health care reform is like war. You have to figuratively "kill the enemy." And the insurance industry and Big Pharma are the enemy of the people of the United States. Their goal is to make money, no matter what and as much as possible. In their minds, greed is good.

Keith Olbermann hit the nail head last night with his special comment. Forcing people to pay for health care and not offering a public option or a buy-in to Medicare is not the answer.

Wendell Potter, former CIGNA Communications Director Explains Why Corks are Popping at America's Health Insurance Comapnies

FINALLY - HEALTH CARE REFORM PASSES HOUSE

After months of arguing, discussing and tea bagging of themselves by Republicans and conservatives (I guess they're two separate groups now, after the race in NY-23 race), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was able to announce passage of health care reform

How Many American Have to Die Because They Have No Health Care?

Next year, if we do nothing, almost 45,000 people will die because they have no health care. Representative Alan Grayson took to the floor of the House of Representatives and read every Republican Congress person's district and how many people will die in their district next year because they have no health care. Sounds like premeditated murder to me.

If this many people died as a result of a terrorist attack, it would be all our war. Why are Republicans sitting on their hands as their fellow Americans die?

Dennis Kucinich: Is This the Best We Can Do? No!

As I learn more about the specifics in the House and Senate bills, all I can do is ask the same question Representative Dennis Kucinich asked on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday, "Is this the best we can do?" Clearly it's not. There are so many flaws in the two bills that have emerged from the House and the Senate, I'm not sure it's worth all the fighting that has gone on all year. The only ways it will be what Americans really need is if there are some significant amendments offered and approved on the floors of both houses before the bills are voted on and ultimately go to the House/Senate Conference committee.

The way the bills are now, only a small percentage of people that need help will get it and it will be a big bonus for the health insurance companies that fought so hard against reform in the first place. I say, let's not accept what is in the bills as they stand. Let's keep fighting to make the first health care reform bill in decades the best it can be for the Americans that are relying on us.

Howard Dean Speaks to Health Care Reform

This is what I'm talking about

This new MoveOn.org ad caught my attention this morning. It makes the point in a very memorable way, fat, happy health insurance companies, motivated to give up their old ways because there's a new kid in town and she's ready to run.