I know, I know. If you read one more health care diary you are probably going to explode. It's all people are talking about. Please bear with me, though, because I my eyes just welled up with tears and I just gotta vent.
There was a time, actually only a few weeks ago, when I was thinking about covering up or trying to peel off my "Yes we did" bumper sticker. I was going to stop wearing my Obama tee-shirts and I was going to stop defending his administration in any way. Of course, don't get me wrong. There is still plenty of reason to be frustrated and occasionally somewhat pessimistic (it's what I do best.) I am particularly disturbed about the fact that we are still torturing people. I am also unhappy about the corporate give aways and the 'no=strings attached" bail-outs.
That didn't stop me from getting teary-eyed and clapping while watching the online town hall on health care. You know. It's the one that Meme from Somerville linked in the diary "Obama: wikked smaht."
Here we are, watching the president of the United States talking about and discussing health care reform like a, are you sitting down?, rational human being. I'm still stunned by this reality based administration and a president who is, apparently "wicked smart" (sorry, I'm not great at that misspelling thing.)I mean, not only can you agree with everything that he says on health care. You can read between the lines and agree with most of the unsaid frustrations and emotions that he expresses. I was particularly happy to see him address the signs carried by the deathers and their ilk. He mentioned the signs and sighed. He smiled and shook his head. Here we have a multiracial guy who has to deal with pictures of his face wearing a Hitler mustache. I cannot imagine how that feels. I was also impressed by his direct and honest answers (I didn't say that they weren't wordy, though.) One audience member, some what bitterly, expressed his anger over a prescription change that was mandated by his medicare plan. After years on a brand name drug, Lipitor, he was forced by his plan to try two generics, in the same family of medication, before being allowed to go back on his Lipitor. Obama didn't beat around the bush. He defended the idea that we should use generics and that there is no reason that tax payers should have to pay for brand name drugs when "the science" bears out the fact that, for most, there is absolutely no difference between the brand and the generic. As a physician, I can tell you that for many drugs this is absolutely true. This frank discussion of the issue was so refreshing.
I am now more motivated to continue the fight for public option and to support the efforts to pass health care reform, flaws and all. I actually believe that any compromises in the plan are there because without them, the plan would not pass. I actually believe Barack is doing his best and that he is on our side. Call me a schmuck, but I really do.
Last year we turned "Yes we can" into "Yes we did." Let's do it again.