I decided not to watch the vote on MSNBC. Or CNN. I decided I want as little "spin" on today's vote as possible. So I went to Cspan.
This is not going to be measured, excessively intellectual, or well written...cause I don't have time.
Go below the squiggly thing for more.
My thoughts:
The folk on the right jump up and say, we want to give this to the middle class for one full year. They deserve it, and why are the eeeeviilll Democratic Party politicians only doing this for two months?
The administration said the same.
Only problem is, that a year long bill,will never pass within this two week time frame, and they damn well know it.
I'm sick of them. Hating big government, except in women's health.
Rejecting stuff they used to accept, just because Obama proposes it.
Loving tax cuts-except for real people. (Yo, Grover? A substantial portion of your crowd is about to break their pledge. Where the hell are you? Oh, right I forgot. Crickets. )
Knowing very well this could throw seniors and the disabled a tough curve in their medical management if their existing doctors decide they won't accept Medicare anymore at the lower reimbursement rates. (How nuts is this? Aren't seniors one of the core constituencies of the Republican base? )
And the biggest, lousiest lie of the whole thing: That within two months, they couldn't come up with a long term bill. Of course they could. If they really wanted to do it. But they'd rather worry about oil. Or corporations. And...
They're five years old. Really. Because it's all about winning the vote.
And voting for conference today is essentially a no vote on the contents of the bill. We've got over 200 legislators as saying, send this in, kill this, let it die.
Democratic downticket races, and the Presidential campaign aren't going to forget this and it will be used as a weapon against Republicans. But they're stomping their feet until they're blue in the face.
These petulant childish ideologues, with their "capitulation" metaphors. Dammit, this country is not a game of RISK or a football game! It has so many people in it that are just waiting on some action with their interests in mind.
Why am frothing at the mouth today? Because in addition to all the crap above that I just can't stomach any more...If the Medicare rates change on 1/1 of 2012 it could immediately derail action my existing doctors want to take. I hope the Republicans that sent this to conference are never faced with potentially life threatening complications that I've been diagnosed with.
There are things I can do myself, and I'm going to do them. But they aren't enough.
I'm not done yet. I have too many people yet to offend.
I've finally found doctors that are willing to listen to all the different things going on with me. Not just a five word answer and have a nice day. Better medicines. Respect when I bring things up. With doctors like that -- My Medicare/Medicaid will actually cost the taxpayers less money in the long run. It feels like they actually want to take the time and the effort for me, to make things better. Except for my primary physician back in Colorado, I hadn't felt listened to in a specialist office for at least a decade.
On a simple, personal note: It won't be pretty Congress, if I get screwed.
I pledge right now to bury offices in snailmail and phone calls. Just by myself.
All right, I'm done.
PS. Boehner? Just amazingly whipped. Or played. Or both.