This bull-ony that the Repubs keep trying to feed America seems to be taking hold.  I believe that the plan is "Death by a Thousand Cuts'.  They seem to always be on the offensive.  They chip chip chip away at the foundation until the building falls.  We are the building.  Guvrnmint is the foundation. 

Unless we want to capitulate, and go home, I suggest that all of our spokespeople get off the Kumbaya Wagon and start kickin it "The Chicago Way".  You remember 'The Untouchables' movie , don't you? 

You wanna know how to get Capone/McConnell? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. *That's* the *Chicago* way! And that's how you get Capone/Bhonner. Now do you want to do that? Are you ready to do that?

 

 

 

It seems that we, as a country, are on an episode of 'Survivor'. Are we in a reality show? Are we in a game? If so, are we winning?  Obama is said to take the long view. But right wingers take the century long view. They make their alliances and toss other folks off the island. They are in full control of the media.  They control the money. They decide what school books your kids are taught from. Most local and county boards are very right wing.  Most school boards are very right wing. They have been taking control of the one thing we always counted on: the Supreme Court.  Why does the right wing seem to always own the argument?  Any argument!  It seems that although we progressives and ordinary non political Americans believe that truth and goodness will prevail, double speak has come to fruition and George Orwell's vision is coming true. Just look at the way Bush named bills: Clear Skies Act (allows for more pollution), Healthy Forest Initiative (allows clear cutting forest land), and on and on.  Whatever they say, believe the opposite.  I know this might sound paranoid, but maybe they ARE out to get us.

The planning was started long ago. The structures for control have been built. The alliances have been forged.  Now the inevitable push for control is being forced.  Will it make the final breakthrough?  Is it too late to stop this madness?  Or is this just the last gasp of the old guard?

I sure hope thinking people can prevail!  But we really have to open our eyes and truly see that our future is becoming less bright as each day turns into night.  Unless we acknowledge that we have been too willing to believe that our fellow citizens are like us, and have not felt the need to protect ourselves from the insidious, that we are now vulnerable to this creeping evil called 'Republican'.  When you have long serving Senators and Congressmen actually getting away with saying treasonous things (by their own definition), what else could they be?

  Maybe Grover Norquist is telling the small fib. He really wants to drown Democracy in the bathtub.  Not the government.  When else have anti-government zealots been elected to government positions.  They don't want to govern, they want to rule.  To believe anything else is foolish.  To believe that these tea baggers are only a small part of our great country is fine.  But don't lose sight of the fact that a complacent citizenry is a requirement for dictatorship.

Think about other countries for a moment. As America took control of Iraq, long time neighbors were turned in as insurgents for money or spite.  Homes were taken from those that didn't have the support of their own war lords.  People were turned into refugees just because they had an education.

 Evil starts with repression and ends with a form of slavery and or class systems that keep people in suffering.  We are going backwards, not forward. 

Pay attention. Start making lots and lots of noise.  Let's shout these evil people down and don't let up.  We must go hard and strong if we want to keep the demons at bay. 

 

I really want to know if there are any Libs or Progressives that would be willing to take up arms to protect President Obama from these right wing loons.  How many of us have the guts to load that shotgun or 30/30 and defend Our President.  I am not as fast as I used to be, so I will keep my twelve gauge ready.
 
Now, I know some of us from the OMG wing of our party are, well, doing the OMG thing right now.  But I really am serious.  I don't have any plans to go to a Republican event and brandish my shotgun.  Really! I don't advocate violence at all. To the contrary, I don't enjoy confrontation or violence, but I am totally unwilling to give up and let the nut jobs run things just because they can bully us. 

When so called men of God pray for a human being, especially President Obama, to die a horrible death over simple politics, it speaks volumes about what is hidden below the surface. 

If it comes to the same tactics used as in Bosnia and now the Gypsies, I will lock and load in defense of Real Freedom, not some right wing version.

Sickening, isn't it?  A minority of bellicose bullies have run Health Insurance Reform off the tracks.  I am  tired of waiting for Dems to get a spine.  Everytime a Dem solicitor calls asking for money, I tell them that I won't give ANY money until I see a health reform bill containing the 'public option' on Obama's desk.  That will tell me eveything I need to know about the politician wanting my money.  I will only donate to those that stood up for me and the rest of the 56% of the voters last November. Everyone else gets bupkis.  First, it was waiting for 60 votes in the Senate.  Now, it is waiting for a couple of blue dogs to roll over and give us some help. 

Above all, I am pissed at Obama for flopping on this. Letting those Senators go home before producing a blueprint of  reforms was almost criminal.  It shows a total lack of strength and commitment to those who voted him in. All those Dem Senators that were worried about re-election before, now REALLY have something to worry about if we lose this fight

Time to start using Repug tactics for good, not evil.  Use short emotional terms and don't be afraid to get up in their face with half truths and accusations.  The best defense is a great offense.  Let's get out there and shout down those stupid jerks that don't have as much sense as God gave my dog. It seems as though everything we worked for is slipping because the Repugs fight to win and we don't.

 START CARRYING GUNS (loaded of course). This is a war. Get over it. Be Lions for Goodness, not Lambs to the slaughter.  Screw Kumbaya !

I love that quote from Denzel Washington in the movie 'Philidelphia'.  It really condenses the current 'debate' over Health INSURANCE Reform.  As Democrats, we tend to believe that if you talk enough, people will hear and understand you.  This is SO not true when dealing with right wingers.  You really have to understand the beast, if you want to win them over. Pretend that you are trying to explain something to you toddler.  Seriously, this works.

First, you must break down the idea to bumper sticker form.

Second, you must repeat it over and over and over until they believe that they themselves came up with the idea.

Third, you must use the media in the same ways that they do. Emotion wins out over logic. Short,emotional and vivid responses work best. 

Fourth,shouting down oponents seems to work very well.  I saw Dr. Dean on CNBC this morning.  He was being attacked by Wi. Gov Tommy Thompson and two right wing zealots. Dr. Dean couldn't get a word in edgewise because he was being polite and respectfull.  So, CUT THAT OUT!  YELL A LITTLE!

Fifth, ask questions rather than trying to reason with the unreasonable.

Using some of these tips may help slow down this stupid debate.  The right wingers own the language.  They speak in slogans that are exactly oposite of what they really are doing.  Just look at the names of their think tanks and funding groups.  Let's learn from them and start using their tactics against them for good not evil.

I believe that Medicare extended to all that want it could be the best 'Public Option'.  I have been looking for statistics covering the current costs per covered person.  What I have found is that the budget for 2009 is 413 billion.  I also found the number  current recipients as 45 million.  Divide the two and you get $9700.00 per recipient per year.  I work for a company that pays two thirds of the cost of Blue Cross and I pay one third.  last year my portion came to $7000.00.  If my employer is truthful and actually pays two thirds, the total comes to $21,000.00 per year.  If he is fibing and only pays half, the total comes to $14,000.00 per year.  If I could buy into medicare at $10,000.00, we could save 4 to 11 thousand dollars per year.  Why wouldn't I want an option like this.  If I paid another five hundred dollars on top of that, and assuming of course that everyone else that buys in does the same, it would pay for the uninsured folks and help people in between jobs. 

I have a feeling that my Medicare budget numbers are actually higher than  they really are.  So all you folks that love the numbers and know where to find them, please help me get it right.

 

And by the way, I really do pay $7000.00 out of my own pocket for my SHARE.  That is before co pays and deductables.  And, yes, I have Blue Cross. And I have ten years till I get Medicare.

Why are we wasting so much time talking about 'No Healthers'?  Let's start a campaign to redirect their anger towards something much more frightening to the right wingers.  I propose we start mass rumors that the 'guverment' is going to start taxing churches.  This is entirely made up just to get them to protect themselves from losing that cash cow. We can phony up a good issue, too. Can't we?  We should learn tactics from these anti everthing folks. If they have to decide between getting made over health insurance or their church, which do you think they will go for.  Then we can get on with fixing the health INSURANCE issue.  Which, by the way, is what it really is.  Not health CARE!

FYI, this is written as a flight of fansy, but I await your sensible and moderate comments, anyway. 

Just as a after thought, maybe pro health reform folks can speak at churches.  Do you think the No Healthers will shout in church?

I am a Progressive Democrat.  I am a realist.  I lean more towards the social contract with America than the Fascist ideals of the GOP.  Simply put, I want free speech and individual rights, but I am unwilling to give up my rights to carefully orchestrated mobs of paid thugs and right wing zealots. Martin Luther King did not send gangs of thugs to shout down free Americans.  Just because these thugs are Americans (maybe they need to show me proof that they were born here), does not mean I have to give up my right to attend town hall meetings and  get information from my elected officials.  If someone starts shouting in my ear, I will take action.  I have a spine and a will to defend my rights.  I will give no ground to those that want to run America by force and intimidation. 

 

Freedom is not free and sometimes must be defended from the very people that claim they want freedom. Sorry, no 'Kumbaya' for this American.

Let's stop tiptoeing around the truth and start using proper english that anyone can understand.

TRAITOR-somebody who is disloyal or treacherous.

Conspirator-a member of a group of people planning or agreeing in secret to commit an illegal or subversive act.

Plotter-somebody who is involved in a secret plan, especially to do something illegal or subversive.

Conniver-to pretend not to know about or do nothing to stop a wrongful or illegal act, thus showing encouragement of or consent to the act.

Turncoat,collaborator,conspiritor, please continue.

Tea Baggers Beware.  If the local county law enforcement agency were to Deputize one hundred strong union men and women to phyicaly remove and arrest anyone disrupting the meeting, and anouncing this before the meeting begins, it would seriuosly damage their ability to stop the proceedings.  Have these Deputes work in four person teams strategically located throughout the venue and have loud patriotic music play as they are being removed, this tea bag tactic will quickly lose steam.  I know there will be some lawsuits, but after the fact, they will most likely be dismissed or at least minimal in any damages.

The key to this working is to have deputes at open forums and private security at ticketed forums. 

Another way to stop these shouters is to give speaker the same type of mic as Howard Dean used at his ill fated 'scream' rally.

In the words of Great Leader GW Bush, "Bring it on".

First of all, let's stop calling health care reform by the wrong name.  It is NOT health CARE, it is health INSURANCE.  It is a mistake to call it anything else. 

We are making it way to complicated.  The solution is very simple, really.  Medicare works very well.  If the pool of insured became younger and more healthy, the costs of Medicare would drop proportionately. Finding the actual cost involved would require actuaries to figure out.  Once done, allow people to buy into Medicare.  Small business would jump into the pool. Self employed would jump right in.  Make a sliding payment scale for anyone else and you have a very reasonable solution to a very painful problem.

 So, what's all the hubbub, Bub?

First of all, let's stop calling health care reform by the wrong name.  It is NOT health CARE, it is health INSURANCE.  It is a mistake to call it anything else. 

We are making it way to complicated.  The solution is very simple, really.  Medicare works very well.  If the pool of insured became younger and more healthy, the costs of Medicare would drop proportionately. Finding the actual cost involved would require actuaries to figure out.  Once done, allow people to buy into Medicare.  Small business would jump into the pool. Self employed would jump right in.  Make a sliding payment scale for anyone else and you have a very reasonable solution to a very painful problem.

 So, what's all the hubub, Bub?

Why is every one doing the Chicken Little dance?  A simple change of view can lead to a better answer.  The financial giants that got us into  this mess should be held accountable. Absolutely.  No doubt.  Maybe the better fix to this crisis is to form a class action suit implemented by the Justice Department.  Let's go after the people who are responsible for this.  But lets do it in a way that makes them show their cards, in court. This would be more fair than casting blame and doing the Chicken Little dance.

The stimulus bill is having such a hard time, that I am surprised that no one else can see the obvious.  It is simply much too large for most Americans to wrap their heads around. It is too complicated and overly ambitious for even the more educated folks because it is so multi faceted. 

 

All I can say is 'K.I.S.S.'  Keep It Simple Sam.  Break this bad boy down into smaller, easier to chew packages and most Americans will see how it will help them and then they will get after their Repugnatcan representatives to pass each one.  The Repugs will be forced to get on board or be shown for the anti American jerks that they most certainly are.

 

Break this bill into four seperaate bills. Each bill having immediate action followed by long term goals.

 

Start with the parts that will get things moving and can be easily quantified.  I want Obama to get the credit for making things better, but it must be tangible and real.

After wathcing all of the cable news hacks do their thing, I have been pleasantly surprised by Campbell Brown.  She shows a sense of humor and a willingness to get at the meat of the issues.  She isn't perfect, but as of late, she has been showing more integrity than  Tony Snow EVER did.  She would be my choice for breifing the press on all of President Obama's doings.

She gets my vote.