It finally happened. I snapped.
Throughout the past (almost) year since Obama took office, I've been a patient man. I was excited to have a grown up in the Oval Office again, and was pleased with some of his initial actions. He was dealt a crappy hand by Bush and the Republicans, and he was playing the cards as best he could.
And while I feel he's handled quite a few things well, some of the things he hasn't have been wearing on my nerves. Don't Ask Don't Tell for one... seriously, Mr. President, you know what the right thing to do is, just do it. Afghanistan.... sticky situation that I don't envy him having to decide the course of action to take. I don't like his decision, but I don't hate it either. I just kinda feel uneasy with it.
But the health care issue has been the one that I've followed the closest. I've been patient (hah!) with the issue, more patient that most. But today, I snapped.
I found myself yelling at the radio in the car today, on my way to work. "Grow a f**king spine!"
I understand that money rules DC. And as much as I hate the fact, and would give various parts of my body to see public financing enacted, I know that isn't going to happen as long as the people who are required to change the laws are the same ones that are benefiting from status quo.
But, damn.... I'm pretty pissed that health insurance lobby dollars are slowly whittling down what started off to be a pretty weak Senate bill to start. The bill in its current form is as much health care reform as light pink is the color red.
Against EVERY poll out there that shows a majority of the public wants a public option, they punt on it. I expect that from Republicans who live in their own world with unique, made-up-facts, but from the Democrats?
Apparently in willful ignorance of the most recent poll showing that huge number of Democrats are watching the fate of the public option and basing if they will vote in the mid-terms on passage, Democrats are letting it slip away. You can almost count me as one of them. At this point I've almost given up on the hope that Democrats can fix anything while in charge, but I'll keep voting for them because the alternative is the GOP letting the country slip further down the path of "The rich matter, everyone else - not so much."
To top it off, while listening to Bill Press this morning, I heard the whole Lieberman 'Gotcha!' debacle. Why are they putting up with him? Kick him to the curb - take his committee chair now, please.
And what does Obama do? "Please make a deal." AHHHHH!!! I respect the pragmatism of the man, but it's only worth making a deal if the other side will concede something. Anything. And the Republicans have conceded nothing.
Perhaps Obama is taking the approach of "Let's get something in place and build on it." I can understand that - it's practical. But if the ultimate goal is to reach for the stars, you don't start with a step ladder and say, "We'll grow from here."
So, I screamed at my radio. I snapped.
I only have one remaining hope at this point and that is that Senator Reid would like to be viewed as a man with guts who wants to be on the right side of history. Reconciliation, Harry. Do it.