It's the hot issue of the moment, and is being touted as the "make or break" point for Obama, but what isn't being said? Primarily, the truth.
As usual, there are rumblings in the blogosphere about the lack of substantive coverage on health care, and claims that big media is keeping the public from becoming honestly educated on the issues. Reporters may refer to the real story as the "shiny object" when the public or editors and publishers are blatantly ignoring it, and there is definitely one out there on this issue that would make the Hope Diamond look smaller than a grain of sand in comparison.
Beyond all the hype about disruptions at town hall meetings, and the posturing of the GOP over a public option, there's a much more important issue. When I first got involved in politics a little over a quarter of a century ago, a very wise man told me something that I've carried with me ever since. He told me that it was more important to know who was pulling the strings, instead of knowing what any politician or candidate was saying in public. It was a genteel way of saying "always follow the money trail if you want to know the truth."
Finding information on the money trail(2) on this issue isn't very difficult, but unfortunately, comparatively few out there seem to be doing that. True, if anyone started polling the public on whether or not they thought that H.R. 676, Medicare for All, suffered a quick death as a result of the private health insurance lobbyists pressuring legislators literally to save their own skins, the majority would respond with a resounding "yes." However, if you asked whether or not the health insurance lobbyists had a hand in the writing of H.R. 3200, Affordable Health Choices for All, the one currently being debated in town halls, the answer probably wouldn't be the same, even though it should.
Regardless what the canned journalism or the boxed statements by insurance industry "plants" at town halls have to say, the solution to our health care woes does not lie in either bill, but in middle ground between. In order to reach that middle ground, the people need to find legislative representation that doesn't vote according to who is filling their campaign war chests. Health care is one of many issues that should be too important for anyone to buy votes on the floor. Since it is unlikely we can turn the system on its ear, the best we can do is search for information and not rely on the media alone, and speak out to lawmakers.
x-posted from Everything in Its Own Time