Barack Obama's Big Night

Last night President Barack Obama addressed Congress and the American people on the issue of his health care reform bill. I eagerly awaited this address because I have been feeling for months now that President Obama, by taking the high road and not addressing full out the craziness that has been brewing by the conservative right, was letting an opportunity slip away - the opportunity to make fools of these crazies by bringing to light the truth about the health care plan.

Lat night, President Obama did, I feel, make his position known in a more forceful manner. I loved his speech about he not being the first President to fight for Universal Health care but he would be the last. I love the fact that he addressed Sarah Palin's idiocy about "death panels" and called her out without naming names.

I even love the age old theatrics of the address to Congress - the party that sides with you stands and cheers everything you say. The opposition literally sits on their hands (except, of course, for Joe Wilson - the rude prick). Whenever I see this, It really takes me back to a time over 200 years ago when I'm sure the founding fathers that the conservatives talk so much about disagreed with and were outspoken with each other.

But let's get back to President Obama's outline and why the hell wouldn't we want this to pass? President Obama said that if you have health care from work or Medicare or Medicaid your coverage would stay the same except for the fact that there would be no pre-existing ailments and your coverage can't be "changed" during or after a sickness. If you don't have health care you have to be required to buy some form of basic health care or be penalized by the IRS. And if you still can't afford it, a basic basic form would be offered to you covering, say, heart disease of a broken leg so that you don't run off to the hospital emergency room, rack up a $25,000 bill and skip out on it. That everyone would have to be covered for basic health care like drivers are covered by car insurance. - What the hell is wrong with that?

There are only two scenarios that I can think of why the Republicans are so against this plan and this man - and neither of them make them look good in any way, shape of form:

1. The Republicans are in the back pocket of the medicine and insurance industries (duh). Of course they are - I literally snort coke zero out of my nose every time the Conservative Right says that they're for the people and that the Democrats are for big business and big government.....What? what? Republicans are notoriously for big business and tax breaks. They are the poster boys for bribery and being bought and sold for a buck. Do you want to know what got the only positive reaction by the President on the Republican side of the aisle yesterday? When The President acknowledged John McCain? NOPE! Guess again......How about when he said he would look into Doctors malpractice insurance practices and try to deregulate some practices and procedures for doctors? DING DING DING DING! The Republicans are being strong armed by the Insurance and AMA to not budge an inch lest there be less money to be shared. See? The Republicans still believe in trickle down economics - profit is trickled down from BIG INSURANCE right into the pockets of Republican Congressmen.

2. Like the sore losers they are, the Republicans want to see President Obama fail and will take down the country with it if they have to just to get a big "See? I told ya so" in the end. I don't know if it's racism, jealousy, aversion to change and hope or a weird allergic reaction to peanuts or shellfish, but these Republicans literally will stop at nothing to get Barack Obama to lose.

But here's the thing...In the end, the conservatives will self implode in a sea of craziness and the light will come down on the truth - that this system is broken and we have to change it. That President Obama's plan is no different or more insidious than having mandatory car insurance or home insurance on a mortgaged home. And that the really sad, sad truth in those that disagree is that it's OK to insure your THINGS - your car, your boat, your home because they have a tangible value but human health (especially the working class) much less important to the Conservatives after all.

Why so Angry???? And so Crazy???

Health protestor: Obama has 'broken his oath'Aug. 12: Craig Miller, the man who confronted Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., at a town hall-style meeting, joins msnbc's Dylan Ratigan to discuss the incident, as well as his feelings on the role of government. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/32386333#32386333

My husband, Jack, got me hooked on Morning Joe on - as far as morning news shows go, I have to say that it's pretty intelligent (with the possible exception of the title host, Joe Scarborough). Actually I even like Joe - though he is a conservative, he plays well with liberals.

When Morning Joe ends, that's my cue to start the day - until yesterday and today, when I was fascinated by Morning Meeting host, Dylan reporting on the Town Hall Meeting uproars that are going on across the country. Yesterday he interviewed a woman who was waiting for The Obama Town Hall meeting to start in NH. She was the NH Tea Party Organizer. Barely coherent and not making sense, she reminded me of the cat ladies that sort of rant about conspiracy theories. She said that she expected to not be let in to the Town Hall, but wanted to express her concerns that Government was taking away her freedoms. When Dylan Ratigan pressed her for specifics, there were only the same talking points.....Cap and Trade......What about the Constitution......at least she was, by my accounts, wacky but mentally competent to stand trial, let's say.

But today.....oh today....Dylan gave me a piece of viewing that was both difficult to watch and fascinating at the same time. I think we all saw the clip of the man berating Arlen Specter at his Town Hall in PA yesterday. Of some man screaming at Mr. Specter, some other guy trying to hustle him out and then Mr. Specter getting between them to diffuse the situation as the crazed angry man was leaving and screaming "God will judge you".......

Well Dylan (my new boyfriend if he keeps this up) had the crazy "God will judge you" guy on the air today in a 9 minute interview! A 9 minute interview without commercial break, mind you. Mostly because this guy was ranting about 31 czars and President Obama broke his oath and was sworn in twice and Obama is a liar and Obama can't keep his word and....cap and trade and he wants to see an accounting of the federal reserve and..... what? what? what? This was the saddest and most pathetic thing I've ever seen. Now here's the thing that I saw. I saw a man that was mentally or emotionally disabled. I saw Arlen Specter handle this so well. Then I saw this on TV. Now at first I said what you're saying...if the man is mentally unstable (and look for yourself, the link is below)....., then why would MSNBC put him on the air...but then I realized that the man had pages of talking points on his lap and he was just reading the talking points so someone SOMEONE thought it was good idea from his side to put him on television.

I used to work at a conservative radio station, that I will not name. At that station there were many rabble who were on the air purely for ratings and didn't care a whoop what they were ranting about. They traipsed people like this around much in the same way that the Easter Seals telethon did the horrible marching of the crippled children in the early 70's. The people that are raging against the Obama administration and their local politicians are for the most part easily led, at best. They might be lonely, or subject to believing everything they hear, but they are not representing the American people.

These conservatives would have you believe that they are true Americans, trying to uphold the constitution and the American way of life. Don't be fooled. True Americans love this country and want it to be the greatest country in the world. They are open to critcisism but it has to be constructive. Violence is by its nature destructive, not constructive and these people are using violent words and actions. They don't want a dialogue, they want to stop the dialogue.

Now, what can we do? Well, just like an annoying mosquito or the town drunk when he wants to pick a bar fight after one too many....we should ignore them. We SHOULD go about our business of convincing the more rational people on the fence that there are no death squads, the DMV will not take over your annual pap smear and a government official will not be asking you to turn and cough.

And we should keep on letting these people expose themselves as robots with talking points and embarassing themselves - because they are the best advertisement for not taking them seriously.



Health protestor: Obama has 'broken his oath'Aug. 12: Craig Miller, the man who confronted Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., at a town hall-style meeting, joins msnbc's Dylan Ratigan to discuss the incident, as well as his feelings on the role of government. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/32386333#32386333