Healthcare Reform: Fighting Fire with Water

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Monday July 20, 2009 · 12:17 PM PDT

2009/07/20 · 12:17

Much has been made of the opposition to healthcare reform by Blue Dogs and other conservatives in the Senate. But while the progressive community does not need further convincing as to the righteousness of pubic healthcare, these conservatives' resistance is based largely on a very real fear of reform on the part of their constituents. (I am not ignoring or discounting the effect of campaign contributions by the health insurance industry, but the fact is that if the senators in question were convinced of the overwhelming support of voters in their states, it would be much easier for them to break with their contributors.)

So the key is still to win the health care debate on its merits in the arena of public opinion, thus lifting the vail of fear from millions of middle-Americans. The majority of those voters have an employer-sponsored insurance plan and a justifiable terror of replacing it with something unknown.

For that very reason, the President has stated over and over, in a read-my-lips tone, that if you like your current health insurance, you can keep it.

That's a big mistake...

Poll

7 votes Show Results

How should Dems handle the argument "It's not fair to private insurers?"

7 votes Vote Now!

How should Dems handle the argument "It's not fair to private insurers?"

Concede the point. This is not about fairness.

6 votes

Read my lips! If you like your insurance you can keep it.

0 votes

Other suggestion (include in comments)

1 vote

I can't get sick. I eat pie.

0 votes

Abolish the Electoral College! and other Fairy Tales

partylike1899

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday February 24, 2009 · 8:54 AM PST

2009/02/24 · 08:54

Measured by the age of its constitution, the oldest nation on the face of the Earth is The Most Serene Repubic of San Marino.

San Marino, a tiny, landlocked enclave, completely surrounded by Italy, has an area of 23.5 sq. mi. and a population of about 30,000. Its constitution has been continually in effect since 1600.

The capital city of San Marino is surrounded by medieval mountaintop castles. It's the stuff of legends and princesses and fairy tales.

What is the second oldest nation on Earth? Which is the oldest major country? And what does any of this have to do with abolishing the U.S. Electoral College and replacing it with direct election of the President and Vice President?

The answer below the fold.....

Poll

74 votes Show Results

When it comes to abolishing the Electoral College, I think that ...

74 votes Vote Now!

When it comes to abolishing the Electoral College, I think that ...

we need to focus efforts on a constitution amendment for direct, national elections.

20 votes

an amendment would be nice, but it will never happen. The Interstate Compact is interesting.

22 votes

the founders were wise and the Electoral College is still relevant.

24 votes

this is not an important issue.

5 votes

Pie!

3 votes

The 7 Dirty Things You Can't Say on DKos

partylike1899

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday January 13, 2009 · 12:19 PM PST

2009/01/13 · 12:19

In the spirit of the classic George Carlin routine, The 7 Dirty Words You Can't Say on Television, I present here a collection of my own experiences saying well-intentioned things on Daily Kos and getting my <bleep> flamed off for it.

partylike1899

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday November 06, 2008 · 12:32 PM PST

2008/11/06 · 12:32

As PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA said in his eloquent and humble victory speech, it took a wide range of people to keep the dream alive and deliver America from her darkest days. The President Elect mentioned key players like Joe Biden, Michelle and the kids, his grandmother: the late Madelyn Dunham, the Davids: Plouffe and Axelrod, and you: the volunteers who walked, phoned, stuffed, baked, talked, wrote, blogged, and otherwise supported this historic campaign. I am proud of the small part I played as, I'm sure, are you.

But wait!

Why no mention of... why no thanks to... why the snub of three men who made a huge contribution to the Obama victory. Dare I say he may not have been able to win without them? These true American heros who, nearly single-handedly (tri-handedly?) delivered a huge block of moderate American voters to Barack. I speak, naturally, of Messrs. O'Reilly, Hannity, and Limbaugh. I apologize to them that they didn't get the thanks they so rightly deserve, and I commemorate their indispensible role, below the fold.

partylike1899

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday October 29, 2008 · 8:33 PM PDT

2008/10/29 · 20:33

Barack Obama leads the contest for newspaper endorsements, as of October 28, by a score of 222 - 93 over John McCain. Among the major papers, which I shall randomly define as those having circulation over 100,000, the tally is 60 - 19. Editor and Publisher keeps a list, updated daily.

Like many of you, I have read with interest many of the big endorsements of Obama, including the persuasive and heartfelt piece in the New York Times.

A key theme is the clear contrast between the campaigns. And this makes sense, since the purpose of the presidential campaign is to place the candidates under intense scrutiny, beneath the brightest spotlights, in order to separate the person from the legend (Tippecanoe, Old Hickory) and let the public become intimately familiar. This is a reason likeability has played a major role in recent elections.

So if Obama endorsers have been impressed with his campaign, have McCain's been similarly impressed? If not, how do they square their endorsements with the news of the last few months? An examination, below the fold:

partylike1899

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday October 08, 2008 · 12:22 PM PDT

2008/10/08 · 12:22

He couldn't have been any clearer in last night's debate. Responding to a question about prioritizing a list of issues, including entitlements, Sen. McCain answered:

My friends, we are not going to be able to provide the same benefit for present-day workers that we are going -- that present-day retirees have today. We're going to have to sit down across the table, Republican and Democrat, as we did in 1983 between Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill.

To clarify: If you are contributing to Social Security today, you can ignore the estimated retirement benefit stated in your annual Social Security statement. That benefit is based on the current law, at the rate currently being paid to retirees, plus cost of living increases. In McCain's view, providing that benefit to present day workers when they retire is an impossibility.

Is this a new position announced for the first time during the debate? Let's examine the web record...

partylike1899

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday October 03, 2008 · 8:35 AM PDT

2008/10/03 · 08:35

Polls clearly show Obama is running away with the race. If anything, the MSM, in its ongoing attempt to present controversy where little exists in order to bolster ratings, routinely reports a tighter race than actually exists. We could be heading for a landslide in November!

But wait. Does anyone else hear a little voice in their head telling them that the Cheney/Rove machine is not disposed to yielding their station with grace and humility? Haven't these master manipulators proven time and again that no trick is too dirty - no stoop too low - to deter them from their power quest? Given their history, the most surprising October Surprise would be if they didn't try something big.

So what surprise might October hold? It appears that a hum-drum surprise -- raising the terror threat level, a standoff with Iran or North Korea that puts us on war footing, or even the capture of Bin Laden, would likely not be enough to sway a skeptical electorate. No. In my opinion we are beyond the point that a classic October Surprise results in a President McCain. What the GOP needs is something huge, unprecedented; something to break through the public's loathing and scare them like they've never been scared before. For lack of a better term, call it the October H-Bomb.

Poll

257 votes Show Results

How likely is the October H-Bomb?

257 votes Vote Now!

How likely is the October H-Bomb?

I'm very concerned.

75 votes

It wasn't that likely... until Cheney reads your diary. Thanks Dude.

48 votes

An interesting read, but unlikely scenario. Back to canvassing, please.

95 votes

The author is off his meds again.

39 votes

RSS

Healthcare Reform: Fighting Fire with Water

Abolish the Electoral College! and other Fairy Tales

The 7 Dirty Things You Can't Say on DKos

Dems' new BFFs - BillO, Sean and Rush

Why Campaign?

McCain promises to cut Social Security retirement benefits

The October H-Bomb