13 thoughts on “The Health Care Reform Summit”

  3. Swami, I’m thinking along those same lines. It’s probably going to come down to who makes the rules for the debate, how well they hold to them, and how well the Dems have done their homework.

    The Republicans have two things against them: they must throw red meat to their increasingly radical base else risk losing them –and this requires holding to their talking points, even those that don’t hold water. While at the same time, they’re going to have to assure the corporations, and the haves and the have-mores that Republicans are working on their behalf, in order to keep the campaign money flowing.

    This is not an enviable position for a politiian to be in. Not when the rabid base only represents around 30% (and I’m being generous here) of the voting population, and our country is in crisis mode. This kind of chicanery would have worked with a fat and happy citizenry. Not any more. Too many of us are hungry and desperately in need of help–though no fault of our own.

    All the Democrats have to do is the right thing: they can serve their country in its time of need, or serve the multi-national corporations in a time of great greed. But come November, we’ll remember. We must.

  4. I understand that John Boehner, fearing that this is a trap, and that he’ll say something really stupid, has asked Marcel Marceau to come in his place.
    Marceau will do his famous bit, “The Cage,” which he’ll be asked to perform when they talk about budget numbers.
    And, whever Obama opens his mouth, Marcel will do his even more famous
    “Walking Against the Wind.” This will visually represent the fultility that Republicans feel when talking with the President.
    And then, when asked for his yay or nay vote, Boehener will return, dressed as a mime, and will utter Maceau’s only movie line, and the only spoken word in the film “Silent Movie,” from the great Mel Brooks:
    NO!!!”

    To make sure I spelled his name right, I checked Marceau’s wiki entry, only to find that he died in 2007.
    He’s dead, so he can’t…
    Holy Crap!
    He’s dead!
    You were right Boehner, this really IS a TRAP!
    RUN AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. Certainly a dastardly evil trap.Hawaii makes me think of getting a foot caught in the giant clam, tridachna lamellosa!The place is crawling with them, and crawling with evil socialist liberals too.

    Great post Maha, ‘loved tha John Stewart video.

    I have a question for you and your readers.
    Yesterday, a neighbor called me, said he was feeling ill, and asked me to take him to emergency at our local hospital.
    I wanted to stay with him wntil he was released so I could drive him home, or if they needed to keep him, I would get the info to pass to his kids.
    Anyway, security asked me for my driver’s license, then asked me to stand in a particular spot, took a photo, and gave me a stick on I.D. badge.
    I commented that this was new since I had to bring my wife to emergency about 2 yrs ago when she cut her foot and needed stitches.
    Is this routine in most hospitals? Am I being over reactive at being pissed at this?
    I live in a medium sized town, and we are not in the middle of a crime wave.

  6. Erinyes, I live in a middle-size town with a big hospital which serves the county. I just walk in and get a visitor’s pass. They never bother my car.
    I felt really creepy hearing about your story at the emergency room. That is amazing.

  7. I don’t know about the ID card erinyes, its the way things are going though. As to Boehner and the rest of the Repubs, they are pretty darn effective at speaking in one coordinated voice! I’d never realized that Hawaii’s system could be used as a model. The only model I knew about was MA, which I think has covered more people, but has not regulated the cost side of the equation and people complain that they still can’t afford it.

  8. I checked Marceau’s wiki entry, only to find that he died in 2007. He’s dead, so he can’t… Holy Crap! He’s dead!

    Ah, see, Boehner will bring his good friend, zombie Marcel Marceau, to do the interpretin’. Zombiehood never stops the GOP! Just part of their endless quest for BRAAAINS!

  9. erinyes… Be glad you didn’t get strip searched. There’s nothing like being the recipient of a Square badged Whackenhut full body cavity search.

  10. Marcel Marceau died quietly at home.

    (ba-dunk!)

    Sorry, I couldn’t resist. How often does life set you up with a line like that?

    Anyway, can I just say how tired I am that we have to rely on Jon Stewart to point out the absurdity of Republican statements, instead of the Democratic message machine, (it being pathetically non-existent?)

    I mean, Jon is great, and they are very funny at the Daily Show (‘Senator’ Akbar was a particular favorite of mine), but I wish he had more help from the people who are supposed to care.

  11. While health is wealth most of our people no good health and it is the reality that they have no wealth to keep health well. To keep good health we also need wealth. Health is wealth? Not always that!

  12. What are they afraid of? A straight up-or-down exposure of their ideas?

    Cundgulag, that was a great bit!

  13. @ Joan R – Don’t give the rethugs any ideas – lest they trot out Zombie St. Ronnie and THEN where would we be?

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