Tonight, in cities large and small, all over the country, citizens are going to gather to hold vigils for health care. I'm co-hosting the one in Manhattan. While I am excited that so many people are involved, I am still a little confused.
At this point I have been involved in politics in some way, shape or form since I was in 4th grade. That's the second term of Reagan/Bush just to give you an idea.
In all of those years I have often been left wanting by the amount of concern or effort people put into sustaining their country or pushing forth their beliefs on the political system, at least from the left. But last year, I swore that something changed, that people really did care.
We all know what happened then, we won and we won big...as far as the eye could see, we won.
But now we have gotten almost a year away from the election and it is like the people that all of us helped elect have forgotten how much power they were handed.
I'm confused about the debate on health care and the whole process. I know that the media loves a story, but how can they not make it a story that 83% of people support a public option? That's simple, they ignore it.
But that's politics and news as usual.
My question is, why aren't the people that we elected sitting there looking at the numbers, seeing that 83% of the nation wants a public option and just coming out and saying it. Something to the effect of "more than 4 in 5 Americans support a public option for health care. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't listen to these people."
That isn't happening.
Instead, we get all of these ridiculous "death panel" arguments, or "keep your hands off my Medicare," or "pulling the plug on Granny" arguments as justifications for taking a slower approach to health care. Or, as we know the GOP likes to do, and definitely wants to do with health care, kills the reform entirely.
That's why I am confused. Because we elected Obama to change things, to do things a little differently, in a more intelligent manner. We elected a huge majority in the Senate and a huge majority in the House, to have our side negotiate away everything to try and act "bi-partisan" and to work with the other side?
I'm proud of all the work that activists, organizers, volunteers all over the country are doing. Sure, there has been a little tail off in enthusiasm because that is going to happen. It is tough to go at full burn all the time, but I am more confused and concerned that despite all of the hard work we continue to do, have done, and will do, our elected officials are still more swayed by the ridiculous rants of lunatics, the cash and wink, wink, nudge, nudge of a lobbyist or contributor and less by the sheer swell of opinion and popular support for all of these progressive actions that we want them to take.
Like I said at the start, I am co-hosting a health care vigil tonight with Move On, Democracy for America and other groups. I really do hope you find one and go to it. Have your voice heard, register your opinion and keep fighting. The link for the NYC event is here: http://pol.moveon.org/...
I can only speak for myself when I say that I am pretty disheartened by this debate because of all the hard work we have done in the past few years. I can say that I am irritated by the seemingly ridiculous want to be "bi-partisan" after years of having sand kicked in their eyes. And, I can say one thing for sure, that if these losers keep spitting on us by just paying lip service to the goals, values and beliefs that we voted them in on.....well, I know what support they are getting from me, jack nada.
I'll just work to get another group of politicians elected. Ones with spines, conviction and courage. Or, at the least, a new bunch that I can mock and ridicule while totally ignoring their opinions. (Humor works.)
Hope to see you tonight!
Dave