Representative Michelle Bachmann says President Barack Obama's "bipartisan" health summit on Feb 25th is an assault on our intelligence. I can't disagree with her assessment--she's nuttier than a Skippy manufacturing plant, but a blind squirrel, etc.
This constant, desperate clinging to that bullshit notion of bipartisanship has been the death knell to HCR and really is an assault on our intelligence. It's a discordant refrain we hear when the Democrats--who apparently forgot that they own the White House, a majority in the House of Representatives, and until recently a supermajority in the Senate--excuse their failures.
The GOP is considering a boycott of the summit, showing just how committed they are to bipartisan solutions. I hope they do skip it. I also hope all Members who consider themselves Progressives threaten to join them, since that seems to be the only way to get any political love from Obama and the Dem "leadership".
In my ideal universe the GOP would follow through on its threat, demonstrating once again that Republicans are obstructionist, and the Democrats would actually take advantage of that instead of allowing the Minority to spin their "they don't want to listen to us" frame. And with the Progs' showing their willingness to scuttle the Senate's Frankenstein monster, Obama will actually listen to them. Then they kill the bill, just as the GOP demands.
But after that, the Dems use their Majority to muscle HR676 through the House with a new Weiner/Welch Amendment. And the Senate doesn't allow a unanimous consent agreement to require 60 votes and even with real Republican filibustering and other parliamentary delaying tactics, passes it. Obama signs it with only Dems standing behind him, noting that this is the biggest victory for civil rights in 40 years.
Then I wake up in a pool of my own vomit, hope and change.
Still, we who support single-payer have an opportunity, no matter what games the pols play leading up to the summit. There's still time for us to push the President and our elected employees in Congress.
While it's low-intensity, a persistent campaign of electronic lobbying can provide a little backing for the 88 sponsors of HR676. If we support them enough, maybe they'll get to sit with the grownups instead of at that rickety card table with the paper tablecloth--we'll worry about escalation tactics later.
It's worth noting that until a couple days ago when HHS Secretary Sibelius sent her sternly worded letter to Anthem Blue Cross, the last news item at Health Reform.gov was from November 21, 2009. Rather telling, eh?
So let's do what we can to create the space for Obama, to motivate him and his party to do what's right. The President cannot control Congress, but he can use his bully pulpit and clearly wants to apply some political pressure to get something passed that he can claim is HCR.
At least do this: write to the White House, Health Reform.gov and your Representative (no matter what party). If you're on Facebook, leave a comment for Barack Obama, too, since he's asking for our support. Tell them all you want single-payer now. Then do it again tomorrow, and get more involved.
Just a start, and crazy enough it might work. If we try, that is...
ntodd
(Post at Pax Americana, Dohiyi Mir, Green Mountain Code Pink, Corrente and Daily Kos.)