Pray for Congress

Whether you are for the President's health care plan or not, you should be appalled at the rotten sausage making that appears to be going through the grinder this week.

Using the "deem and pass" exception to keep from voting directly on the Senate bill seems cowardly at best, and bordering on constitutional blasphemy at worst. I won't argue the legality here, but surely the founding fathers never intended for very important and large pieces of legislation to be "passed" in this way.

I have agreed that health care needs revamping, and have even come to believe that every American of every class deserves at least basic health care. Most of this belief comes from the proven fact that people without insurance can certainly get at least urgent treatment at hospitals without having the means to pay. So the rest of us are all are paying anyway, so let's develop a system that works for all. I know full well that taxpayers will have to cover most of the costs, but covering the premiums seems cheaper than paying the entire bill.

Congress has gotten so far off track - both sides - that I think they actually believe what they are doing is right and ordained. Someone, or better yet, many of them, should form the Gang of 100 or whatever, and be actual statesmen and stateswoman, and work to save the Republic, not their own behinds. Wishful thinking? I hope not.

A (Healthy) Cry in the Wilderness

It was beginning to be one-sided with all the screaming about health care reform (or lately, health insurance reform). Sometimes the most influential voices in any debate are either the loudest, or the ones who speak last. For sure, there have been some loud, and at times rude and obnoxious, screeches at the so-called Town Hall meetings. Most of those were opposed to what they thought was being proposed as ObamaCare (ironically, Obama has not written one word of the current bills in play).

Now, there is finally a sleeping giant aroused in the name of a non- (or multi-) denominational religious group called Sojourners and Jim Wallis. He writes a calm statement about the misinformation and fear mongering going on now. So much of what is said and written is pure hyperbole - a widely irresponsible and inflated view of the bills as written so far.

Proposed end-of-life counseling, which could put many older folk at ease about how their lives might end, has been twisted into "death panels" by Sarah Palin and others. Now with so much mis-information, even the good parts of such legislation have been removed to take away some of the fuel from the fire. The sad thing is that, as it was written, the voluntary (not mandatory) counseling was to be paid for by whatever health plan that was crafted. Folks near the end of life could have felt comfortable talking with their own doctors and others about advanced directives, the same things we are counseled on each time we are in the hospital.

Dialogue is a good thing and it helps to clear the air and quash rumors and reveal falsehoods. The problem has been that the public discourse has often been monologues - the views of one side screamed over the voices of others. That is not productive, not fair, and certainly not democratic.

Health Care Reform Discussion Getting Uncivil

The health care reform debate is a hot one, but unlike formal debates, the rules seem to have been tossed aside. Town Hall meetings, which can show democracy at its best, are deteriorating into rude and crude yelling sessions, often with one side screaming to block others freedom to speak their views. Hardly democratic and disrespectful of the freedom of speech tenet, some people are choosing to figuratively cover their ears and say "La la la la" to avoid hearing what the other side might be saying. Only it is not quite that nice.

When one side organizes to create such a ruckus so as to keep others from expressing their views, it is not what our forefathers had in mind when they sought to assure open dialogue, no matter the issue.

The sad thing is that most of the loud mouths do not have the whole story, and seem to be parroting the words of others, namely talk show hosts. Certain buzzwords appear in their yelling, on their signs, and in the media reports. They'd rather spew the drivel of radio entertainers then think for themselves and actually read some of the proposed legislation.

To be sure, there is a long way to go before any agreement is reached on this issue. All the more reason to have cordial, civil, and respectful dialogue to talk out this extremely important topic which will effect every one of us. But to promulgate hyperbole, extrapolating to the point of ridiculous is of no possible help.

Both sides need to tame the rhetoric, and both sides need to allow others, not of their persuasion, to speak their piece....in full sentences, and without getting hoarse. I am not so optimistic that we will get to that point because there are many whose agenda is to stifle other's rights. They could not stand still for someone having the floor for even a few minutes without tossing rude epithets, or worse, threats, to the speakers. Let's continue to pray for peace, but now for peace within our own borders. Another Civil Was is fomenting.

What is This About Heath Bar?

Heath Bar....oh, you meant Health Care.....oh, never mind! Just like Emily Litella (Gilda Radner) would say when she heard something wrong, I cannot believe the variety of interpretations of President Obama's health care plan that are tossed out each day.

I have no desire to get in the middle of this discussion, however, it is a discussion that has to happen and something has to be done soon. Kicking the bedpan down the street one more time is really not an option. Health care (to coin a phrase) is "out of control" and if the industry (the fox) won't fix it (the hen house), then who else to try to make it work but the government?

Oh, I know the rap on government control of anything, but some things have worked. Let's see, I have list here somewhere,....oh, never mind.

But seriously folks, this is a critical issue for every American and something needs to change and something needs to work better than what we have now. Those who WANT Obama to fail so they can say, "I told you so", are the scary ones. Failure is NOT an option to borrow a phrase (once again).

This seems to be the closest we have been to working something out with the doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and other allied health agencies. Some are already on board and some will come once a plan takes shape.

Let's all hope that the President and the Congress (that's a stretch for them, I know) can really reach an accord that gives affordable health care to all. I once believed health care was for the privileged few who had good jobs like I did. How stupid and unfair is that? I now believe, in my conservative bones, that a basic level of health care is a right in America, and as the Fram oil filter man once said (to borrow another phrase), "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later".

Obama vs. Clinton - Is It Over?

It appears that the two may have done some "talking nice" last night, however, the details are secret so far. I can imagine HRC offering to sacrifice herself to help and take the dreaded VP spot. Obama then ponders that while he might be able to abide her presence in the West Wing, he couldn't fathom having WJC dropping by to chat every day. Or wandering the White House anytime he pleases. I mean, how do you tell an ex-President he can't come into the White House. He probably still has his key.

No, I think Obama will let her think she is on the short list, but he won't tell her which list she is really on. He will NOT pick her as VP.

He may offer her a cabinet post, State is the most likely, although HHS might also be palatable for her to gain the bully pulpit for her health care. My money will be on offering no job at all, but if I had to pick, I would think a Presidential Special Assistant for Health care would be amenable to both. Oh, I mean both Barack and Hillary. Bill will be furious.