Sen. Reid Carves Tombstone for Public Option

Anyone have any ideas on what the tombstone over the public option for healthcare will look like? Will it be a picture of Harry Reid's face alone or can we get a group photo of Senator Reid, Ms. Don't-Snow-on-my-private-parade Olympia, Senator MyPeopleGetWhateverItell'emIwant Montana's Max Baucus (a Corporate Pinocchio if there ever was one), and our own beloved almost-democrat-but-hey-she's-star-quality-cute-to-look-at Congresswoman Betsy Markey plus a few of the other Colorado Republicans wearing democratic drag these days. Maybe we can even get a shot of the nine faces of Joe Lieberman included.

From the WSJ on Lieberman

"Sen. Joseph Lieberman, speaking in that trademark sonorous baritone, utters a simple statement that translates into real trouble for Democratic leaders: "I'm going to be stubborn on this."

Stubborn, he means, in opposing any health-care overhaul that includes a "public option," or government-run health-insurance plan, as the current bill does. His opposition is strong enough that Mr. Lieberman says he won't vote to let a bill come to a final vote if a public option is included."

Or how about that great ex-insurance salesman turned Senator Forty-two-percent-of-folks-without-health-insurance Ben Nelson of Nebraska. Maybe he'll stop in for a prime time photo-op as well. I'm sure he will want his grandchildren to understand how he helped create a second class citizenry for the other families in America.

From ABC Blog News:

"On "This Week" Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said he couldn't live with the health care bill that was just voted on last night.

He gave me a list of non-starters, including the opt-out public option. Nelson did leave a little room for negotiation on a public option. "

It is the beautiful twins of corporate irony in action. The House bill takes out the provision that would remove protections for the Insurance Industry put in place around WWII which allows the entire industry to collude with impunity. Next the Senate takes out single payer and the true public option. I doubt the movie Mafia characters could have cooked up a better scheme.

While the rest of us work for a living the insurance industry has been choosing those best dressed guys who like to sell shampoo to a bald man and nurturing and funding them for years straight into your Congress seats. Don't you love it when a plan comes together and you wake up in the morning feeling powerless in your own country?

And then these senators go home to their well tended families, whip the servants (excuse me... the undocumented workers) into a frenzy getting a round of scotch for everyone, and tuck their loved ones into their warm cozy corporate paid-for beds. It is a tale even Hollywood wouldn't dare to film.

If you want to get the undigested version the Library of Congress's Thomas is a one-stop reading point. Hey maybe we should eliminate access to the library to those who can't afford to buy the books. Seems only fair and should move America back into feudalism more quickly than what the conservatives have planned. A short trip. Just a suggestion--I digress.

Am I upset? Of course I am. I have no idea what to wear to the prison when I get thrown in as a conscientious objector refusing to purchase a government "approved" private nonprofit plan. Better garbage you couldn't snag out of Paris Hilton's boudoir than the rancid elitist fluff of hot air pumping out of the Senate.

Although prison might not be such a bad idea if I get really sick. Prisoners have healthcare. Prisoners have more status than the poor and the working class in the Senate's eyes.

So what does it take to get all these chumps out of office who sunk this ship? I'm ready to go to work to oust them. Each and every one of them.

Bye bye Harry... your arrogance to make your face in history will take you back down to the jowls of the working class. This country is going to see an election that really will make the history books the next time around. Now I suddenly understand how all those third parties achieved power and how some parties died out. I say "bury" the Republicans and reduce the Democrats to groveling choir boys.

I am not the only one disaffected. This commentary written by local chemist Ed Craig in a response to a friend asking about his feelings following Markey's House vote. It should also raise the "find a new job" on the list of priorities of some politicians. Thank you Ed for the use of this material.

"I see this very similar to what the Republicans are doing with Abortion. They make a big deal about making Abortion illegal. It get's the conservatives to show-up and vote for them. Well, the conservatives were in control of virtually everything for 8 years and they never once tried to push an Anti-Abortion bill through congress. Why? It's simple, as long as Abortion is out there they can count on the conservatives and religious idiots to show-up and vote for them. They know as soon as they make Abortion illegal all those people with evaporate.

Health Care Reform is the same on the Democrat side. As long as it's out there Democrats will line-up to vote. Once people are satisfied with their Health Care then they won't be as interested in showing up to vote. Also a lot of the people in Congress are getting huge kickbacks from the health insurance companies and health care providers. Keeping people in office that are already beholding to the insurance companies and health care providers doesn't serve us any purpose at all other than preventing us from putting someone else in office that might not be so beholding.

If Bennet, Udall, or Markey want my vote they'll find a way to vote for some type of real health care reform. Otherwise they're no better than the Republicans so why keep them around. I went through this 30 years ago... I'm not waiting another 30 years for them to

grow a set of gonads. Either they can do the job or they can't. If they can't do the job then why would I want to keep them there?"

They don't have these problems in England and France. Oh that's right, England and France shed its love-affair with Monarchies a few heads ago except for photo shots and sound bites. Here our companies crawl in bed with the Monarchs while the not-too-bright peasants serve the both tea and crumpets in the hope that someday, maybe just someday, they, the servant might also be a royal.

Personally I only bought into the Cinderella and Prince Charming on a White Horse idiocy until about age sixteen. I am not buying what the Congress is selling this time either. Proverbially, I say we set the Queen O'Hearts on the lot of them. My reasoning? Few seem to understand that Alice really lives in the real world and not everyone is so lucky as to pull a seat next to the White Rabbit.

Pass the magic cookies please.

Tomorrow, okay or maybe the next day--on Greeleyville, a surprise guest columnist on Health Care Reform. Stay tuned.

Congressional Shocker: Betsy Markey Bats For The Other Team

It would appear that I am not the only one peeved at the Democrats voting against health care reform. Thunderhead, a Greeley Colorado resident, posted the following note to my previous thoughts about Northern Colorado's Congresswoman Betsy Markey. I thought I'd repost it here.

Thunderhead: No one wants you on their football team when you cannot come through in the pinch.The Virginia governor's race should have been example enough, Betsy. Virginia's progressive base stayed home last Tuesday because their democratic governor decided he'd behave legislatively, like a Republican, and did so throughout his term. Like Virginia, we mistakenly believed you were on our team. The rule of thumb: when there's a choice between a republican candidate, and a democrat who acts like a republican, the republican will be chosen every time.That is what happened in Va. and is why Betsy, you do not deserve, nor will you win a second term as House Representative in this district. You betrayed your base on an historical issue. You may think, like other handwringing democrats who cannot be progressive, "what will the voters do instead, vote in a republican?" Wrong reasoning:That is what the, now former, democratic governor of Va. thought.To your base you are now a republican; you cannot make it up by voting left on other important issues; you voted to keep our health insurance industry monopolized, you voted for zero competition for the health insurance cartel, your base told you clearly: single or payer or robust public option. Always do what your base tells you. If in doubt within your district, always do what progressives nationally tell you; progressive democrats are progressive democrats anywhere in the country; they're not timid shape-shifting chimeras. But you knew better Betsy; you chose to be a political hybrid and try to hold your base hostage to a republican taking your seat. But it was you who brought harm to your base. You're a lame duck now, one year in to a two year term. And you are no democrat.