(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
Why are people worried about Republican obstructionism in Congress? Why are they even worried about what hissy the GOP is throwing over the latest faux-issue of the week? There is one thing people of every political stripe should know by now — the GOP is irrelevant.
The Democratic Party has enough votes in the Senate AND House to pass ANY piece of legislation it wants. That is, it could, if they weren’t so busy cutting their own throats.
President Obama is now HOPING that Congress can get a healthcare bill by the end of the year. While Republican’s such as Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) crow about dealing the President a “Waterloo” if they can defeat healthcare reform, it is the conservative Democratic cabal in the Senate that is the real obstacle.
Yes, we all know that it all really comes down to the fact that these Senator’s have been bought by the healthcare industry. And, for the Republican’s, it is all about opposing any bill no matter how much good it does for the nation. But, this situation only puts the exclamation mark on how little the Democratic Party can, or, will do while in power.
In 2006, Democratic politician’s campaigned on ending the Iraq war. They were voted control of Congress and, surprise, they sat and whined for two years about how they just didn’t have the votes to do what they promised to do.
So, in 2008, the voters gave the Democratic Party those votes, both in the Senate and House. Now that the votes are there, some Democratic politicians are willing to torpedo their own Party, much less their own President’s agenda.
It’s pathetic. For BOTH Party’s.
Sen. DeMint might score point with South Carolina voters whose knowledge doesn’t extend past NASCAR, but, everyone else with an IQ above room temperature knows that the Republican Party has zero power and leverage in Congress. Sen. DeMint can stand on his head, hold his breath, or make proclamations all day long — it just doesn’t matter. HE doesn’t matter. The Democrats have 60 votes in the Senate, control the House, and have a Democratic President.
Right now, on Rachel Maddow, they are showing a video clip of a GOP town hall meeting where “birthers” ambushed the speaker and his panel. They are simply nuts. Lunatics. And, they don’t matter. They have no voice in politics, because their PARTY has no voice.
So why can’t American families get affordable healthcare? Because too many in Congress are bought and paid for by different “Industries”.
So why are these political prostitutes still in office? Because the corporate media refuses to do its job and inform the citizenry.
The Democrats whined and cried about how helpless they were in 2006. Now, we get more whining by Harry Reid, this time, about how helpless he is because people in his OWN PARTY won’t vote with their President.
The GOP; “The Party of NO”
The Dem’s; “The Helpless Coward Party”
Neither deserve to be running this country…
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There is so much noise about getting a bill by the end of the year that it distract from the issue that needs to be address. The real issue is are the bills in the House and the Senate going to provide good quality, affordable health CARE to all of the citizens of the U.S. The answer to this question is NO it won’t. Neither plan will provide health CARE to all U.S. citizens. Millions will still be without any means of paying for health care.
Even though I am an advocate for a single payer system, I could get behind a strong, robust and accessible public option. That unfortunately is not what either bill offers. As it stands, the bills have severe restrictions on who may participate in the public options, reducing any chance that it will compel the insurance companies to reduce their rates or clean up their act. By restricting participation and size, the politicians have insured that it will be ineffective. The way the public option is currently structured, I fear that it will only be available to those whose premiums are highly subsidized and those with preexisting conditions and will not be self-sustaining, It may, in fact, become a constant drain on the budget and provide even more ammunition for the insurance industry and their political minions that private insurance is the only way to go in America.
I agree that the Democratic Party has enough votes in the Senate AND House to pass ANY piece of legislation it wants. Unfortunately, it is more interested in increasing the market share and profits of the insurance and big Pharma etc. than providing accessible and affordable health care to its citizens. President Obama also shares a large portion of the blame for turning health care reform into an insurance (big Pharma etc) give away. He could have chosen to allow single payers advocates a seat at the same table as the insurance industry. He could have presented an ambitious plan for real health care reform at the get go. At least the negotiations would have started at a higher level. Instead, once again he gave a brief outline of the minimum that would be required. And surprise, surprise when starting a negotiation at a minimum level, even the minimum has been negotiated away.
The Plutocrat Party runs America. There are small differences between their Republican and Democratic hand puppets, and this makes what we call “democracy” in America. But there is no real democracy.
1. The people want single-payer health care. The Plutocrat Party refuses.
2. The people want an end to the forever war on “terror.” The Plutocrat Party refuses.
3. The people want a return of effective regulation of corporations. The Plutocrat Party refuses.
As long as money is allowed to buy political power in America, we will be ruled by the Plutocrat party, whatever its current representatives call themselves. It’s just that simple.
No two ways about it, the media is no longer the voice of the people, it is totally owned by the corpo-rats, the vermin intent on sucking the last of the life out of the not quite dead body of this
countryworld. The insanely ravenous greedheads that are ruining everything are so myopic in their pursuit of the almighty dollar (yen, pound, etc) only the collapse of the whole economic system world wide is going to get their heads out of their stacks of paper – stocks, bonds, currencies, land titles, etc.While the demise of the hyper capitalistic system is a thing to be desired, the sudden collapse that is currently in progress is going to cause incalculable misery and suffering. Sad and easily averted, if the truth was known, and reported. But the media……
I have no answers or even guesses as to how to turn around the trainwreck that is coming. Maybe it is too late, maybe this is all one huge lesson for Gaia’s evolving planetary consciousness. On a personal level, all that can be done is to position one’s self to ride it out locally. Know your neighbors, learn to barter, work on diplomacy instead of confrontation in the day to day, live a sustainable life, and a gentle life.
And of course keep visualizing a better way, keep looking for it to be happening in your neck of the woods. Make it a joyful game of find the goodness. It is still there to be found, it is just that those damn greedheads and their lame stream media won’t report on it, it might cut into the bottom line.
Be well