GOP Admits to Sabotaging Obamacare - Call Your Reps

Since the GOP is admitting that they are DELIBERATELY not helping their constituents who want to know about Obamacare, Balloon Juice had a good idea:

IF your Congressman/Woman is a GOPer, call them up with a generic set of questions. Keep track of those that they don't answer.

From Balloon Juice

As mentioned two days ago, GOP reps face a tough dilemma between serving their constituents and hating the Affordable Care Act like it shot their dog. At the same time the pary as a whole needs the ACA to fail in every possible way, a lot of single Reps will have a hard time with re-election if people see them playing political games with the health and livelihood of individual constituents. I can think of several terrible Republicans at the Senate level, Jesse Helms and Rick Santorum being two, who stayed afloat not in small part due to a reputation for great constituent service.

There are three ways that a GOP Rep can go with this. Some of them will talk tough to the press but do their job like a grownup when real constituents call with real problems to address. Some other faction, most I would guess, will punt either by not answering or passing the caller off to HHS. Most of all we need to keep an eye out for the fabricators, liars and true believers whose staff genuinely believe the pap in the morning blast fax from Glenn Beck.

October is still some time off, so let’s start with questions that everyone should know. Say that I have a pre-existing condition and cannot get an individual market plan for any price. Can I buy one in October? How would I do that? The correct answers are yes and it depends on the state; in most cases we do not know the full details yet. If you feel like testing their bad faith, tell them you heard there will be death panels. I will not offer a script because you should really use your own words for this. Staffers’ interest often ratchets way down when they start hearing the same wording twice. Try being polite but a little slow and ask for clarification when possible.

Many thanks to readers for offering links to the excellent summary of the ACA from the Kaiser Family Foundation. You can find a lot of useful questions, no doubt including some that are relevant to your own situation, at their FAQ.

The Kaiser Family Foundation has an excellent collection of true answers that you can use to score your Rep.

Does that sound good? Yes? Now make it happen. One call won’t change the world but a lot of calls to the right people at the right time can move mountains. Trust me on this.

Here is the Phone Directory for Congress.

Once you make the call, please make note of if the Congressman's Office was helpful/truthful in the replies of this post. Be sure to leave the name and district of the Congressman.

President Obama’s Remarks on Healthcare

hat tip:W.E.E. See You

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Time to do what you can do for healthcare

Which is CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN and Senators.
Call your Congressman and tell him/her to vote for the Senate Bill.

HERE'S THE NUMBER.

from Balloon Juice:

Phone your Representative. It feels better than yelling at pseudonyms on an internetblog.

Here is how you do it.

(1) Use a phone. Email has nigh on zero impact. Trust me on this. Letter mail gets read, but you don’t have time. Reach the House switchboard at (202) 224-3121 .

(2) Remember, this person works for you. You pay his or her salary and you voted for them. You’re the boss here, or at least one of them, and it’s they who should worry about what you think of them.

(3) Identify your name and the town or neighborhood where you live zip code. If you are not a constituent don’t bother. Since you guys never listen to me, at least google a zip code in the appropriate district before you call.

(4) State the issue. This is easy: pass the Senate bill or the party gets it. We can (and certainly will) fix the shortcomings later.

(5) How strongly do you feel? Don’t apologize about feeling passionate or pissed off. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

(6) What are you going to do about it? (Updated from earlier) This part is not that relevant when they’re getting a ton of calls. Every teabagger threatens the end of the world, so they get pretty jaded about it.

Loophole in Senate Bill Would Allow Insurers to Deny Care

A loophole in the Senate Healthcare bill would allow Insurance companies to place dollar limits on needed services, essentially allowing them to play the same games that they play now. It would allow insurance companies to deny coverage. Meanwhile, the insurance companies would be enjoying the benefit of all the new customers pushed onto their roles.

This is what I warned about in some of my earlier Healthcare reform posts - mainly that (if not done right) this Healthcare Reform debacle could end up being worse than the status quo.

In my comments about the public option I stated that the new Senate plan could work...and I took the position that I was willing to wait and see what the new plan would do before slamming the idea completely.... but I have to say... i've probably seen enough.

This report illustrates exactly why not having a public option is a problem... because then, insurance companies could simply game the system. Private insurers are not going to compete against themselves. The private sector can't be trusted to handle a fair Healthcare program under a co-op. These corporations are inherently incapable of providing a remedy to the current private system, because of the deep conflicts of interests involved. A for-profit insurance system is not really capable of achieving what Progressives had in mind for real Healthcare reform. It's not compatible for that role. This is something that even Michael Moore was able to point out a few years ago. This is the whole point behind the public option.

Healthcare Reform Bill Flirting With Defeat Yet Again

Doubts grow about the possibility of any Healthcare Reform bill at all. Give an inch and they'll try to take a mile. The Conservatives in the Democratic Party will keep playing this game until there is no bill left to pass. They want to water it down to nothing.

Funny how Republicans and their Conservative allies on the Democratic side are concerned about costs all of a sudden. I don't recall any of these do-nothing elite jackasses being concerned about the costs on bills where they were green lighting and co-signing wars, which have now cost taxpayers over $1 Trillion. When it comes to war.... or wasteful spending in their States and districts back home (for nonsensical pork projects), there always seems to be money... no problem.

But when it comes to the U.S. investing in its own people...there always seems to be a problem.

That's why I have been saying that the USA is finito long term as far as being a great power. In a few decades, the U.S. will be just another Country....and it may only barely manage to even hold that status.

That's why I have mentioned that I might consider Canada (was only half joking).

It's no coincidence that although Canada is our neighbor to the north, it is much more closely aligned with Europe and has a different view about what its fundamental priorities are. Most modern, advanced, industrialized Countries understand that a nation won't be able to go far if it doesn't invest in its people.

Kennedy Replacement is Announced

After a week of maneuvering by the Massachusetts legislature, Gov. Deval Patrick has named a temporary replacement for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Attorney and powerbroker Paul Kirk will get the appointment.

Meanwhile the GOP is doing what they do best - obstructing. They are doing all they can to stop the appointment.

But unfortunately the Democrats in the Senate are not truly at 60 votes and have never been, at least not when it comes to the issue of Healthcare Reform. As I have mentioned before, the magic number of 60 has always been sort of an illusion for Dems in the Senate. So I don't think it will have all that much of an impact on the Healthcare question, particularly in terms of the public option. The issue remains.... will enough Blue Dog Conservative Democrats (approx. a dozen that will have to change their minds) be persuaded to support legislation that includes some sort of public option between now and a final vote?

Did Barack Obama Have a Joe Montana Moment?

Watching Obama's healthcare speech was like watching Joe Montana on the Football field. Montana, the greatest QB of all-time and probably my favorite sports figure, was known as "Mr. Cool" & "Mr. Comeback". He was not just one of the greatest QB's ever....but he was one of those transformational figures....who changed his profession - in his case pro football. Some believe that Obama represents that kind of profound transformational power in politics. The jury is still out on that....and will be for quite some time. But Obama was certainly Joe Montana-esque Wednesday night. Sorry for the sports analogy, but that's how I describe the speech. Few people have that kind of gift....meaning other examples just aren't adequate.

The Obama who decided to show up Wednesday night....is the man who motivated me (one of the most cynical, skeptical and doubtful men on earth) to register to vote for the first time last Fall. This was the Barack Obama that I voted for. I hope this wasn't just a Cameo appearance by this more assertive version of Obama.

And his speech was Montana-esque as I mentioned....but had some Adam Clayton Powell and MLK sprinkled in there too. The man has a gift. After an aggressive start....he entered a sort of zone towards the middle... that's when it started to feel like Church to me... (and to some of the members of Congress.... you could hear the Black Church call and response thing happening for a moment...and that happens spontaneously...that's when you know it's good, lol). Then when he got to Kennedy....you could hear a pin drop through the Television if one fell. An impressive performance indeed.

Montana is a good example for me because when I was a die-hard 49er fan back in the 80's.... on more than one occasion I turned off the TV or Radio in the second half or at half-time...when the Niners were down by 14, 17, 21 points, just to be surprised the next morning when I heard the final score. Let's just say that Montana made me look bad quite a few times....and left me in awe....wondering how he did it. I should have learned my lesson by now.... but skepticism is in my DNA. It's a healthy skepticism though (I hope).

And BTW....yes... This is an excuse to post some cool Montana videos. lol. Guilty.

But Obama hasn't won anything yet. My earlier views haven't changed. Giving a good speech is not enough in the sick political climate we are currently living in.... where 15 second soundbites and ignorance rule the day. It still remains to be seen whether the speech translates into enough votes in the U.S. Senate. Or if some sort of Public option will survive the legislative process. Game changer? I don't know. It's too early to determine that. But I wouldn't want to be a Conservative Democratic Senator right now. Obama put tremendous pressure on the so-called "Blue Dogs". He gave the Republicans an eloquent smackdown and snatched the microphone from their hands. Then he presented a challenge to the Blue Dogs. They must now make a tough choice...but Obama may have made it easier by giving them a little political cover. With more positive poll numbers on this issue, Obama can craft this as something that the people want....giving Conservative Democratic Senators something to work with. These Senators will have to decide if they want to go down in history as the group of Senators who blocked Healthcare reform that most Americans wanted...and helped to stifle...and even bring down their own Party.... and if they will try to gamble and use the issue to run for their Senate seats....seats that may not matter in the long run anyway if they cripple their Party. OR...will they be part of the solution and come out on the right side of history.... even if a few risk losing an election. It really shouldn't be that complicated... but I guess power really does corrupt and in terrible & interesting ways. If these Senators really care more about their Senate seats than the best interests of Millions of fellow citizens...then we have more serious problems deep down to worry about than just Healthcare Reform.

Meanwhile they are facing this charismatic politician from Chicago....in fact a whole crew from Chicago...who are crafty (not crafty enough yet for the Republican machine...but crafty nonetheless) and who could theoretically do things that could make life more difficult for them in the Senate (diverting campaign funds elsewhere, pushing for other Primary challengers, not funding local projects, etc).

I believe Obama may have convinced a few of these Blue Dogs to come along.... but probably not all of them; probably not enough to get the 60 votes needed to do the procedural things necessary to get final passage of a robust Healthcare Reform Bill in the Senate. And BTW folks... the 60 vote claim by Dems has always been shaky. They have never really had 60. For one thing, Lieberman and Specter aren't reliable Democratic votes...although I believe both support Obama's basic proposals on Healthcare Reform (the direction Specter will go in the end remains to be seen). There is at least one Independent (who tends to support Democrats). Sen. Byrd is ill and has been for quite some time. Byrd may have difficulty being around for all the procedural wrangling that will need to take place. He's good for the main vote...when he may have to be wheeled into the Senate Chamber....and wheeled right out. Hopefully he will be well enough to participate in the process. But then there is the loss of Kennedy. That alone leaves you with fewer than 60. To get anywhere close to 60, you would have to assume that every "Blue Dog" Democrat decides to support the legislation.... and I don't believe that's realistic. But let's assume that's the case....that all Blue Dogs suddenly change their tune. That would only give Obama 59 votes.

Sen. Olympia Snowe.... (the legendary politician who John McCain passed up in favor of Caribou Barbie when he wanted a female running mate)...she may be a King Maker in this situation.

I always thought that something would be passed....some sort of Healthcare legislation would likely pass the House and Senate. Obama is not about to end up with nothing to sign after dedicating so much time to this issue. The question for me was always....what will be in the final Bill?

Another problem Obama has is the same one he had in June, July and August. The Republican media machine isn't going anywhere. There will be several weeks before there is any final agreement on a Healthcare Bill... plenty of time for the Republican Right Wing media to brainwash more gullible Americans, tell more lies, distort and misinform, and spin the facts. As good as Obama's speech was.... Americans have a very short memory, which works in favor of Right Wing spinsters. They will chip away some of the support for any sort of public option....and they will continue to try to manipulate & scare Democratic Senators from Conservative States.

_________________________________________

P.S.

See other great Montana videos

Montana Magic Part 1

Montana Magic Part 2

Montana Magic Part 3


Montana Highlights

Twilight Zone on Healthcare

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Michael Steele is a Slave Catching Coon

Plain and simple.

They should have beat his ass on GP at Howard for having the nerve to utter such bullshyt.



From The HuffingtonPost:

Dave Zirin
Posted: September 2, 2009 12:01 AM
Michael Steele: Meet Amanda Duzak

Tuesday night at Howard University, RNC chair Michael Steele did an impression of the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz: he was absolutely heartless. Not everyday do we see the head of a major political party insult a 23 year old whose mother just died of cancer.

Read more »

The ' Great White Hope' ignorant Congresswoman strikes again....she really IS a piece of work

From PAM'S HOUSE BLEND:

KS: Rep. Lynn Jenkins laughs at uninsured mom and child at forum
by: Pam Spaulding
Tue Sep 01, 2009 at 13:00:00 PM EDT

Wow. The woman who made headlines for claiming her use of "great white hope" wasn't racial has decided to open her piehole and do something equally offensive in the debate on health care reform. Topeka's U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) apparently has no empathy for someone without health insurance, even when they are standing before her in a public forum. She can't even FAKE it, even when the cameras are trained on her. What does this say about the GOP's opposition tactics? Buh bye, compassionate conservatism. It's kick-your-lazy-ass-blame-the-victim wingnuttery.

So many people are working and either can't afford insurance or qualify for programs designed to fill in some of the blanks. Such is the case for Elizabeth Smith, a 27-year-old Ottawa, KS waitress who has a 2 1/2-year-old son who has not been able to see a doctor in nearly 2 years. The only access has been through the ER, which as we know, is the most expensive way to deliver care. Look at this exchange:

Read more »

Still On Sabbatical - Thoughts on Obama, and Healthcare Reform

I managed to purchase a PC (with money I didn't really have)....but to continue school and my job search, I needed to get one.

I had to take a break for a few weeks..... and i'll be taking a few weeks more. My classes are kicking my ***. One of my Professors is out of his mind crazy....has to be. Most academics really don't understand the real world...and what life is like for working people. And a job search is like a full-time job in itself. So with job searching, being a grad student with a workload that is more than I can handle, and the BS job that I keep for my survival.... I really don't have time to blog. I don't even have time to eat and sleep for that matter. But i'll probably post once per week when I finally start posting again. I have become a lurker on my own blog.... Lib Arts, Rikyrah, and the other contributors have posted good information.

I don't really care for these new PC's. I guess I got too attached to my old one....even though it was a broken mess for the last two years (I blogged with a computer that was only about 50% functional). It will take a while for me to get used to the new screen...new operating system, etc. The sound on my old HP was definitely better.

Before Sabbatical... there were a couple of links I wanted to post.... one was about Congressman David Scott and how one of his Town Hall events (which had nothing to do with Healthcare) got caught in the Healthcare non-debate and was hijacked. In an interview on NPR he gave his side of the story, courtesy of Michel Martin of "Tell Me More". The other link I wanted to post had to do with how Claire McCaskill didn't stand up for the woman who was kicked out of her Town Hall here is Missouri a few weeks ago....after she was attacked by a bigot. (unable to find the link or recall the Woman's name off the top of my head). But she was harassed for having a poster at the event showing a non-offensive, non-threatening historical figure (Rosa Parks). Perhaps her argument was that folks should fight for Healthcare....or that Healthcare should be seen more as a civil/human right...who knows. But others at the meeting had posters that read "Ni**er Obama" and had all kinds of other nasty comments that I won't mention.... but they were left alone. I was disappointed with McCaskill after that incident and a due to a list of other things lately. Unfortunately much of Missouri is like the rural South. And not much has changed in the last 40 years. The sickness of racism is generational. It will still have a grip on the State (and the Country) 40 years from today.

And on Healthcare and the other goings on in the political world.... what I have seen over the last 5 or 6 weeks has been pathetic. Predictable....but pathetic. The moves by Obama and the Dems have been sad to watch. They have really created what has become a fiasco. It's been a fiasco for weeks. Now President Obama wants to talk to the nation....about Healthcare? Are you kidding me? Will someone please be merciful and tell this man that checkmate took place back in June. Please.... someone help him. I have been saying since last year that he had no business trying to tackle Healthcare right now.... not with Bush's Depression (which Repubs have successfully branded as Obama's Recession....while team Obama was distracted). I heard one survey that mentioned that more Americans were concerned about the economy than Healthcare (although one could argue that the two issues go hand in hand...but it's a stretch of an argument IMO). But the point is.... Obama, as I have stated repeatedly, should have concentrated on fixing the economy...and should have tackled Healthcare much later on. Just in terms of preparation....he would have needed a year just to campaign for Reform and preempt Right Wing propaganda against it. Obama and his advisers misread the public and failed to get a good read on the opposition. This should have been a slow, methodical, well thought out strategy....instead...they rushed in. They didn't do their basic homework. For one...they failed to even get a sense of what kind of support they had in the House and Senate....especially in the Senate. They never really had the votes. Discussions with so-called "Blue Dog Democrats" should have taken place over a year ago....while the campaign was still ongoing. Planning should have started then...if this is what Obama wanted.....even though it was the wrong time to tackle the issue.

Such sweeping reform is necessary...but to try it in the middle of an economic crisis was a suicide mission from the start. What is the one universal thing that people always do in a crisis....especially in an economic crisis? They pull back on spending....hoard their money, and become paranoid about spending money or even talking about spending....and they are even more reluctant to do any national spending and they freak out even more about any sort of taxes, even if there is a greater good involved. They tend to become much more cost conscious or overly cost sensitive on just about everything. So trying to sell Healthcare Reform in that climate was just nonsensical.
If Obama would have waited...and showed the public that he turned the economy around.... he would have gained trust and credibility. It may have taken 2-3 years....but the wait would have put him in a much better position to sell Healthcare Reform. Waiting could have also bought time for Progressives to establish a campaign and grow a media infrastructure for the message war (which they don't really have right now).

But now he wants to talk to the American people in a joint session of Congress? Now he wants to get control of the message? I have two words for that.... "Too Late". Far too late to be exact. As I mentioned... checkmate was about two months ago. He has already lost the message/information war as I suspected he would. Obama and Co. made so many mistakes on the Healthcare issue that I really can't go through all of them... i'm just mentioning those that stand out to me. Keith Olbermann had one of his usual guests on tonight (his name escapes me) and he really made some good points as well regarding some of the mistakes. The Obama Administration's failures on this issue have been epic. And the fallout has been even worse than I expected.

Watching the Dems flail pointlessly in defeat is hard to watch. Not because I care about the Democratic Party.... (I don't)....but because the issue of Healthcare was/is important...and I knew it was a fragile issue....and that if mishandled it could lead to indescribable failure. At no point in this process did Obama ever control the message and control information (Dems just lack the infrastructure to deal with Right wing propaganda). He never got out in front of the propaganda machine. He should have set up a campaign (as if he were running for President) with an infrastructure that could have challenged lies immediately. He should have held a series of nationally televised Town Halls months ago...with crowds of genuine participants (not political plants or special interests) in a controlled environment....so he could have dispelled myths and lies before they were allowed to take root. In that situation...there could have been a real debate. Instead...he decided to allow the Republican media to take control of the microphone early....and never responded adequately to what was essentially a disinformation campaign. I can't believe that Obama didn't learn anything from 2000 and 2004 with what happened to John Kerry. Unfortunately.... the lies and misinformation have set in with a large segment of the population.....Reversing that situation will be almost impossible.

Obama is now a boxer swinging wildly and desperately right after he has been knocked out. Everything from here on out is simply for entertainment value ladies and gentlemen. Ed Schultz reports that Obama will be highly active campaigning for Healthcare in September. I LOL when I heard that. This is like a Football team showing up to a Sunday game on the following Tuesday, wondering why all the people have gone home.... not understanding that they are 2 days late and they have already lost (forfeited) the game.

If Obama somehow morphs into Joe Montana or Michael Jordan and somehow gets Healthcare reform passed with a public option included, he will immediately go down as one of the most talented politicians....and one of the most talented Presidents of all-time. But right now I wouldn't feel comfortable beting a dime on that outcome.

Meaningful Healthcare reform is essentially dead.... it was dead weeks ago. I have been amused by the news coverage of the past couple of weeks. and it's partially a consequence of a President taking his eye off the ball (fixing the economy) and allowing his agenda to be hijacked and taken off course with all sorts of other distractions and issues.


Related
Hear an in-depth discussion on Healthcare Reform (discussion includes Howard Dean).

Robert Byrd Wants Health Care Bill Named After Kennedy

From DailyKos:

Robert Byrd Wants Health Care Bill Named After Kennedy Hotlist
by RandySF [Subscribe]
Wed Aug 26, 2009 at 08:04:37 AM PDT

We asked for it, now Robert Byrd wants it.

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the only senator to have served longer than the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), mourned his friend Wednesday, saying his "heart and soul weeps."

Byrd said he hoped healthcare reform legislation in the Senate would be renamed in memoriam of Kennedy.

"I had hoped and prayed that this day would never come," Byrd said in a statement. "My heart and soul weeps at the lost of my best friend in the Senate, my beloved friend, Ted Kennedy."

Byrd's wistful statement focused on the work accomplished with Kennedy during decades together in the Senate, and called on the healthcare bill before Congress to be renamed in honor of Kennedy.

"In his honor and as a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American," Byrd said.

Amen.

Did the Democrats win BOTH houses of Congress, or not?

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Trying to work with the GOP is useless

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Go Barney Frank

The GOP is Milking Kenneth Gladney For All He's Worth

Most have heard about Kenneth Gladney by now. The so-called Black Conservative from St. Louis who got into a little scuffle with idiots from the SEIU at a recent Town Hall event on Healthcare, hosted by Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO).

Keeping up with the protests over the past few weeks, and seeing the way things were escalating, it came as no surprise that scuffles were beginning to break out. I lay a lot of the blame on Obama for his lack of leadership, because he failed to calm the fears of those who have been brainwashed over the past few weeks.... and for his Administrations lack of action to change the strategy once it became clear that their Healthcare initiative was a train wreck. Obama lost the propaganda war long before any real debate had a chance to begin....which means the Town Hall meetings are a bit of a joke. Yet, even today, these idiot Democrats continue to hold these meetings...despite the fact that these events are useless at this point and are in fact only making matters worse.

What Obama should do is instruct Democrats in the House and Senate to cancel any future Town Halls. Instead, there should be a series of nationally televised Town Halls (just like the Presidential Debates) where the shouters are not allowed in to disrupt the event....and where a real debate and discussion could take place. There could also be a panel of experts at these events, and debunkers (like Fact Check and Politifact). This would be a chance for Obama to clear up much of the propaganda that has been allowed to go unchallenged by his Administration over the past few months.

But the Dems continue to have these meetings as if they are making a difference in the PR battle. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri held one just today and she was lucky to have gotten out alive. The Town Halls are nothing more than platforms for Right Wing Protests and video snippets; there is no vigorous debate or discussion taking place. It's a farce. Right wingers, who have no real information and therefore can't debate...and have no interest in debating the issues are doing the only thing they can do - shouting at the other side...and creating chaos. Nothing meaningful is going to come out of continuing what have become Right wing propaganda events.

And the SEIU should stay home if their people are not smart enough not to be suckered by the Right. By getting involved in a scuffle (and I don't know who started what.... the video does not show the beginning of the incident) they are giving the Republican media machine exactly what it wants. That's what the Right Wing was hoping for by attending these events hosted mostly by Democrats. Thus the Republicans now have their newest Joe the Plumber... and he's just as phony as can be IMO. He's playing up his "brutal beating" as much as possible, and he's allowing himself to be used by the Republican spin machine.

The biggest irony is that he's reportedly asking for help with medical bills. Why? Because he's unemployed and whatever Health coverage he has apparently isn't enough (the whole purpose of the Healthcare Reform that he was protesting against). Or could it be that someone is just looking for a payday? Read on and see...

There are also some things fishy about this entire incident. I don't doubt it happened...but the more I look into the situation....the more fishy it smells. I won't go as far as some bloggers who suggest that the entire incident was staged.... I believe it happened.... I just believe that the SEIU idiots fell for something that the Right Wing groups wanted to happen in the first place. Apparently Gladney, who was selling Right Wing shirts, flags and buttons for someone, became the bait that the Right Wing needed. And the dummies from the SEIU fell right into the trap.

The SEIU shouldn't have been there if they don't know how to stay out of trouble. And they certainly should not have been at the event to antagonize the Teabaggers, knowing tensions were exceptionally high. Just stupidity all around. And yes... I know wearing Union T-shirts has been the norm for decades, but common sense has to come into play at some point. If you are wearing clothes identifying your Union affiliation....be on your best behavior. They really shouldn't have their T-shirts on at all in my opinion.... it's unnecessary at an event that is supposed to be a discussion about Healthcare.

But regarding Gladney in particular, it gets worse... I found an even more interesting tidbit about Mr. Gladney... and when I read it I was reminded of one of the TV commercials where you are told about criminals who engage in insurance fraud by staging phony car accidents and by having their own eye witnesses conveniently placed to tell Police exactly what happened so that everyone can get paid. Again, I don't think the incident at the St. Louis Town Hall was staged...but the circumstances are a little fishy. So much surrounding this seems to have been placed in a way that conveniently benefits the Republican Party. Why else would part of Gladney's legal representation just happen to be at the Town Hall incident as a witness? Convenient. Yep, his attorney just happened to have been at the Town Hall. And seeing the video of his attorney at a protest a few days later, he seemed more like an activist than a personal injury lawyer. Those who are pushing this story don't seem to be making any bones about the fact that Gladney and Republican interests want to milk this incident to get all they can out of it.

It just seems to me that Republicans are taking advantage of this unemployed guy (remember how phony "Joe The Plumber" had odd jobs...and now he's making big money for the Republican propaganda machine?). It annoys me that they (the Republican Right) are probably partly responsible for this man being without a job, thanks to Bush's recession.... but then they turn around and recruit him to protest against his own best interests on Health care. Amazing! But there's a sucker born every minute.

Republicans Citing Insurance Industry Front Group in Their Efforts to Kill Healthcare Reform

Two Great Progressive Initiatives That Aren't Being Touted By the Obama Administration

Why isn't the Obama Administration touting great policy initiatives that would be popular with Americans...initiatives that are either underway or close to being implemented? To me it's more proof of what I have mentioned before... Obama has lost control of his agenda and his Presidency. It has been hijacked by Liberal fringe interests. All we have been hearing about over the last few months is Gay Marriage, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Gitmo and Torture. I'm not suggesting that these issues aren't important. Certainly they are of primary interests and importance to a few. But these issues have hijacked the spotlight and the Obama Administration at the expense of other interests...that are of primary importance to a very large part (likely a majority) of the Country. This is what I warned about in a couple of previous posts.

There are currently two important initiatives flying under the radar- one I heard about in a 5 second radio news clip a couple of months ago...(and hadn't heard anything else since). The initiative has to do with the Obama Administration pushing the idea of guaranteeing sick leave for American workers. Roughly half of all private sector workers (yours truly included) don't get any sick leave.... no paid leave at all. Without sick time you can't take care of a family member and you can't take care of yourself. I used to have paid sick leave at the same workplace, but when the business was taken over several years ago by a cut-throat company... workers lost paid sick leave. Even when I had the paid sick days (which amounted to about 5 days a year) I rarely took them. I would take 1 day every 18 months to 2 years. Even then I would usually go to work sick. Now I have no choice. Missing just one day puts me behind- a consequence of being in the "working class". But I liked the way things were before because I at least had the option. It's bad enough that I have inadequate health coverage...and practically have no health care program to speak of and have no doctor, but things are magnified even more when I can't afford to get sick and can't take a day off to even see a doctor (which ends up creating delays that make health conditions worse).

Obama is crazy for not having this kind of initiative (which is a political winner on top of just being the right thing to do) at the top of his agenda. Touting this initiative would be PR gold IMO. And he would probably be able to win a fight with Congress on that issue....and use it as a victory. I believe he tried to sneak this into the Tobacco Bill, but Republicans made him take it out (although I may be mistaken). But why is he being quiet and sneaky about such good legislation...about something that the voters would get behind him on?

The second initiative is one that apparently is already going to happen. It has to do with providing relief for those who have student loan debt, and it even includes provisions for loan forgiveness. Again... PR gold for Obama. But there's just one problem. No one has heard about it! I was certainly not aware of it... and i'm drowning in student loan debt. In fact, i'm pretty much facing Financial Armageddon because of student loans. I'm months away from Bankruptcy... although Bankruptcy won't clear my student loan debt. But the fact is... the Bankruptcy would clear my other debts...allowing me to deal with the student loans. Granted...the student loan initiative would not cover every borrower... because there are so many different kinds of student loans (too many.... I have at least 5 different kinds myself). But it would provide me with a few more options and might be able to help a little. And when you're dealing with Financial Armageddon, you'll take whatever help you can get.

Why Obama's Health Care Reform Effort Is Headed for Defeat

Obama's strategy on this was flawed from day one.

#1. Obama allowed his Presidency to be hijacked by other issues & by leftist interest groups who have their own narrow agendas apart from the rest of the Country (It was Obama's fault for allowing and even playing into this hijacking). He took his eye off the ball...which should have been the economy. Gitmo, Torture, Gay Marriage, Don't ask don't tell.... and all sorts of other distractions took over his Presidency...and of course the media couldn't resist. By putting these divisive wedge issues at the top of the agenda...instead of keeping the focus on the economy (reminding Americans of who destroyed it) he provided the Republicans with the gift that they needed. This is partly due to the wingnuts on the left.... but it's also the fault of Obama for not dealing with his own constituency effectively. The Gay folks want everything their way...right away...and they should have never had that expectation to begin with. Same with the far left enviro/human rights nuts....who are focused almost exclusively on Gitmo (when there are so many other problems). Obama failed to communicate that to these people. Now they are all going nuts....and dragging down Obama and the Democrats in the process. This is something that I expected...but I didn't expect it to happen so soon and so dramatically. These failures have been huge.

#2. Obama should have never proposed massive healthcare reform in the middle of an economic crisis....when the nation is completely broke. It was one of the most stupid political moves that I have ever seen. Massive healthcare reform would be an uphill battle even in good economic times... but it's impossible during an economic crisis. There is no money to pay for all of these proposals...unless there is a tax increase...an option which is not on the table. You can't raise taxes in the middle of an economic downturn. But even in good times, it would be difficult to get a tax increase (but you could at least talk about one).

#3. Obama lost the PR battle (as I expected). The Republicans have the most dominant media apparatus in American history. I have been saying for years...that Progressives need to establish their own media if they want to have any hope of controlling their own message. Clearly the American people have bought into the Republican message, at least on this particular issue...and on Torture and so forth...the polls show that to be the case. The Republicans control the narrative on these issues. This is one thing that Republicans do well... controlling information... using their media dominance to their advantage and influencing public opinion. Of course their talking points don't have to be based on facts or common sense... they simply have to talk the loudest and repeat their point over and over again until Americans buy their arguments. And if you repeat a lie enough times... folks will eventually buy into the lie.

#4. Obama is trying to make reforms in a Country where Americans want to see changes...and want better healthcare, but they don't want to pay for it. Americans don't want to pay for anything. Republicans have successfully turned the Country into a tax-averse nation. Conservatives have successfully convinced Americans that investing in the Country is bad...that it is somehow unpatriotic to invest in our own nation and our own people. In other words...they have been taught that all taxes are bad....and that they should fight any efforts to raise them (even temporarily). This is why this Country is in the midst of a slow death and will continue to be so...with its crumbling schools, crumbling bridges and infrastructure, poor transportation (when compared to other developed nations), deteriorating health system and stagnant and now falling standard of living. Another reason for the decline is the nations incessant focus on foreign conflicts, instigating wars, and its support for a huge military industrial complex. Approximately 1/4 of this Country's annual budget goes towards defense or defense related costs, and that doesn't include the full costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Americans don't complain about that spending...because they are convinced that the nation needs to maintain its empire status in order to keep them safe. This is a nation that is more concerned with spending money to build more bombs than to build better lives. It is more concerned with investing in military hardware than investing in its own people. That's a recipe for disaster....and we are starting to see the results. America's priorities are still out of order. Until that is changed...the nation is doomed. (and this is a sentiment that comes from a man who believes in a strong military and a strong defense). But I firmly believe, that if we were to change our current aggressive, pro-war, Truman Doctrine based interventionist foreign policy... then we would be able to scale back military spending while still maintaining a robust defense. The U.S. could save in the neighborhood of $200 Billion to $400 Billion or more per year. That's half of your health reform money. The other half could come from creating efficiencies and raising revenues (modest taxes on income, tobacco, liquor, etc).

#5. It's not that Obama is trying to do too much. The problem is... he is trying to do too much at once. A better approach to this issue would have been to concentrate first on healing the economy. After a couple of years...once the economy had a chance to recover sufficiently...and after bringing more troops home (thus decreasing military expenditures and having more money available from that change) then he could have tackled healthcare. I never believed that he would accomplish this in his first term... let alone his first year. His strategy was far too ambitious... and his overly ambitious approach to problems is now catching up to him. But the bottom line here is that healthcare would have been an easier sell if there was more money available...and there was a better economic outlook. There would have been more options to deal with costs if the deficit and the total debt outlook were more manageable (which is what would have been the case in a few years).

#6. The American political system is thoroughly corrupt. Obama should have dealt with rooting out the systemic culture of corruption and should have fought for a campaign finance overhaul before actually trying to get serious healthcare or financial legislation passed. Obama failed to cut the cord between corporate America and politicians in Washington before he set out to do all of these changes. A recipe for disaster. Members of Congress (from both parties) are servants for corporate America... they act as lobbyists for private industry. And when I say cut the cord... I mean cut it completely. Obama should have been pushing for public financing of elections, the elimination of all Quid Pro Quo activities between politicians and private interests... but he failed to do so. This means that private corporations will continue to have strong influence over legislation and over members of Congress. In fact, corporations still write legislation (just like the Tobacco Bill from a week ago...which was written by the Tobacco companies). In this kind of environment, serious change really isn't possible.

Before real change can be accomplished, there must be fundamental changes to the underlying structure of business and politics in this Country...and changes to the way Congress operates. Without new rules of the road on that front... everything else is really a joke.

Like I have stated... if there is a healthcare bill... it will be watered down to something pointless by the time Obama signs it. And he will use what little PR system he has to celebrate the legislation as a victory... (IF anything passes at all).

The same is the case for the new financial policy proposals. That will be watered down too... because the banks and the financial firms don't want it... and they usually get what they want because they control much of Congress.

Rachel Maddow On Rick Scott and the Republican Strategy to Fight Healthcare Reform

Click to Enlarge
Maddow reveals Rick Scott and discusses the return of the Swiftboaters...

It looks like the corporate strategy is to kill Obama's plans from the inside, while their Republican allies try to defeat it from the outside.

And notice how single-payer supporters don't even get a seat at the table. Obama once again alienates Progressives. I actually believe that Obama's plan of allowing Americans to choose what healthcare coverage they want is actually a good idea... I am feeling better about this now than I did a year ago (now that I know more about the general plan)....and that's if it doesn't change completely between now and the point where there is a final Bill in Congress. Allowing choice blunts the argument by the Right wing noise machine that Obama's new evil socialist system will deprive the well-to-do of choice and will destroy the Health system.

No matter what plan finally materializes...Republicans will obstruct it all the way.
And I still believe that Obama is choosing this fight a little too soon.