America's Weak Link in Health Care Reform

Good Morning Papamoka Bloggers! When it comes to health care reform it appears the House of Representatives is doing a great job, especially my Congressman Henry Waxman. The weak link so far appears to be the United States Senate, and that's where WE THE PEOPLE have to apply pressure to make sure we get a viable public option.

As I've said in my earlier post, a viable public option is necessary to drive down costs and to ensure fair competition in the health care market. Did you know that health care, along with baseball, is one of the few industries exempt from anti-competition, anti-trust laws? That's one of the main reasons why the costs are so high. It's well known that health insurance companies conspire and collude to drive up costs for sick Americans.

Did you also know that health care and pharmaceutical companies are some of the largest givers to national elections? Our representatives appear to be bought-and-paid-for these days thanks to a lack of reasonable campaign finance reform. It also seems that money creates a perfect storm of DC greed and corruption, making it very difficult for the American people to find a fair solution to this problem.

Forget the Republicans, for they are so deep inside the industry's pocket it's disgusting. Rank and file Republicans should be offended and repulsed by their leaders, but instead they seem to follow their every lead. Supporting our unfair, broken system seems to come natural to the GOP. It's beyond my reckoning. Personally I'm stumped why they support such an unfair system!

Now, for the Democrats. There are still a few that are undecided - probably due to big money contributions. We need to make sure they know what WE THE PEOPLE think. See the list below to identify the uncommitted Senators along with the industry money received so far - to see who you can lobby.

1. Mark Warner, $69,000
2. Harry Reid, $78,800
3. Kent Conrad $78,800
4. Joe Lieberman, $72,000
5. Blanche Lincoln, $91,000
6. Tom Carper, $58,450
7. Evan Bayh, $66,100
8. Michael Bennet, 2,000
9. Dianne Feinstein, $44,000
10. Mark Udall, $43,500
11. Max Baucus, $141,250
12. Ron Wyden, $40,750
13. Mary Landrieu, $38,000
14. Mark Pryor, $30,000
15. Ben Nelson, $106,123

I already wrote Senator Feinstein a strongly worded letter. I hope you do the same if you see your own senator on the list, Yes, I'm asking you to please TAKE ACTION! WE THE PEOPLE need to step-up and make sure our elected officials do not abandon us during our time of need. Here is the tally for the entire Congress so far:

House 195 YES/6 NO/239 DON'T KNOW
Senate 37 YES/40 NO/22 DON'T KNOW
Combined 232 YES/46 NO/261 DON'T KNOW

What you see here means that we have a good shot at getting the legislation passed, but it also means we need to start lobbying the Senate hard NOW! We worked hard to get Hillary and Barack elected, along with dozens of other new Democrats, so why can't we use that same spirit to pass comprehensive health care reform? It's important for us all to do something!

If you still have doubts about the public option, despite all my rantings, you should take time to look at all the great sources available. One of my favorites (and it's honest, based on the primary candidate legislation now moving through the House Energy and Commerce Committee) is Stand with Dr. Dean - by Chairman/Governor/Doctor Howard Dean.

The site FAQ section is a great source for finding out everything you need to know - in easy to read bullet form. I also encourage you to sign the petition on the homepage.

This is one of the most serious issues I've ever been involved in. It's critical to the well-being of the American people, American families, and to the American economy. I beg you not to listen to the lies and the propaganda out there. They are deceiving you. Many of our own elected officials are hard at work deceiving us. Don't trust anybody! Do your own research.

All I'm asking is that you look at a variety of sources for information. If you do figure it out, and see that it will lower costs, create a better system, and help the economy, then please TAKE ACTION and contact one of your elected officials and make sure they know how you feel. We all need to do everything we can to make sure that we get legitimate health care reform and a viable public option.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
From Our Rants & Raves Blog

Editor's Note: If you wish to debate me personally on this subject, be sure to visit Our Rants & Raves blog where I will be hosting my own debate.

PS - There is information about how to contact our national elected representatives in the right margin of Our Rants & Raves blog. I hope you decide to help out. Thanks - Michael

The Confused and Conflicted GOP 2.0

Hello Papamoka Readers! I want to talk about the strange goings-on in the GOP today, using Senator Arlen Specter and Rush Limbaugh as tools for our discussion. Let's just assume Specter is really a Republican. :)

I think they are very good examples of two very different, yet equally retarded, approaches to an evolving GOP electorate. Both represent a certain inertia within the party - neither seems to understand how to handle the changes going on around them.

Let's start with Rush Limbaugh, who we all know is known for his rude, insane remarks. It seems poignant he was caught this week being particularly insane while speaking to the Heritage Foundation. He joined the GOP leadership - and Justice Clarence Thomas - to JOKE about the recession. He spoke about how there is no recession if you want to work and make money - like him. He was more insensitive and insane than ever.

Incredibly, Limbaugh joked about the recession despite knowing that his fat paycheck is a big reason why his distribution partner Clear Channel - who pays almost all of his $400 million plus contract - had to layoff over 12% of its workforce. That's about 12,000 ditto-fed Americans. Most of the people in that audience knew it too, yet they still laughed and applauded. This type of GOP arrogance is outrageous! Limbaugh and his Heritage Foundation audience deserve scorn from the American people. Let's be honest, they are SCUM!

So, I want to use Limbaugh to represent one large segment of today's GOP. To me, he represents today's DEAF and DUMB Republicans. They may be numerous and vocal, but they are deaf and dumb by and large. They ignore the problems of today. They disregard claims that Americans are suffering. Take for example how Congressman Eric Cantor had to rename his "listening tour" this week a "teaching tour" after Limbaugh demanded it. Despite years of damage in their wake, this group of Republicans look to teach, or propagandize, not listen.

They also have many eccentricities. This is the crazy right that picks and chooses scientific evidence the way they pick and choose morality from the bible. This is part that says America is center-right, when all evidence suggests America is center-left. This is the part that sees tea-bagging as a movement, Sarah Palin as intelligent, hate speech as tough speech, dogs as cats and up as down. There's another way to describe this group, and that is the ends always justify the means. They are DEAF and DUMB, and capable of great damage. Oh yea, and Rush Limbaugh is their leader.

Now on to Arlen Specter. This week proves the man is a Republican. He may now be a Democrat, but he's still a Republican. So, what group does Specter represent? To me, they are the GREEDY SHEEP. They stay silent and avoid morality fights, while quietly fighting for power and wealth. George Bush disguised himself as a DEAF and DUMB Republican, but in reality he was a GREEDY SHEEP - or maybe a weird mixture.

They're the low-tax, leave-me-alone Republicans. They only want money and power, and morality is just a tool to manipulate the masses. In truth, this group doesn't give a rat's ass about the American people, or America. Gays, abortion, flag lapel pins and the like are nothing but wedge issues, to be used as blunt instruments to create division. They play chess with their power, and the American people are simply pawns in their game.

Interestingly, I think Barack Obama understands this group, and may beat them at their own game, but we'll have to wait and see.

They are "sheep" because they enjoy following a strong leader, or despot, as long as he or she leads them to money and power. As long as the Party waves the flag, keeps taxes low and projects power they're happy. Arlen Specter fits perfectly in this mode. His principles are all about money and power. He's a great example of a fiscally conservative, non-empathetic Republican. They're the your-on-your-own Republicans. Individualism and power at ALL COST!

The GREEDY SHEEP are also having trouble adapting to the changing electorate. I think Specter underestimated the importance of change in America today. I think the voters of Pennsylvania are more interested in new ideas and solutions than one old greedy sheep dog. Arlen Specter-like Republicans may be adapting slightly faster than Rush Limbaugh-like Republicans, but it's hard to see the difference. You might as well watch the grass grow.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog