I now look back at how we have regressed in nearly every category over the course of my lifetime. We used to be able to find family supporting jobs that would serve as a career. We used to get retirement as a matter of course. We used to be outraged at pay-to-play politics; in fact, used to deem it illegal. We thought we were participating in the growth of the economy by nature of our increasing home values and our increased consumption of goods. (All a chimera as the housing bubble burst and we realized our increased "standard of living" was primarily a function of increased personal debt, not greater wealth.)

On and on it goes. It is inescapable that we have been sucker-punched. And nowhere does this become more obvious than in the present scenario wherein the champaign is flowing on Wall Street to celebrate its recovery while my friends and neighbors struggle simply to survive. And when we are told we can afford wars for oil (and for Halliburton, Blackwater, and the rest of the military-industrial complex) without even an accounting for the billions that are spent and that simply "disappear," yet we can't afford universal health care or anything else that might be of benefit to us all.

Yeah, it is class warfare that we are engaged in. And it's really time for all to ask themselves which side are you on, boys?

Let's re-do this health care reform plan and adopt the plan that Obama campaigned on. I would certainly find that to be more satisfying than this proposal which has been compromised in almost every detail to appease the insurance industry. Being an Obama supporter, you will then be in support of it, too, right?

Yeah, I thought so. You voted for Obama? Yeah, right. And I just returned from my weekly excursion to Mars.

Oh, wait... the deal is we will lose the war if we DON'T give the army another 40,000 troops and a few trillions in cash.

There's a difference in how this is stated; a difference that did not escape me as McChrystal reported the latter case to the President.

Thanks for this, ruta. You pose a number of troubling questions that make one wonder just what the hell we can ever hope to accomplish in Afghanistan.

That's looking like the closest thing to accurate political analysis you have offered here. Pretty thin gruel, mate.

Your search for equivalence is interesting. For example, you will notice that nowhere in my comments have I mentioned any criticism of the Republican filibuster. Yet, you complain about the hypocrisy here. Well, then, tell me about the last time a Republican threatened to vote against the GOP caucus on a procedural vote.

~crickets~

Yeah, I thought so.

You are forgiven your lack of attention to detail and your apparent partisan approach to reality. (i.e. "...it is quite simply amazing that you people seem absolutely unable to grasp the fact that this bill is unpopular in this country and is getting more unpopular by the day...") It is, after all, most assuredly difficult to participate in the real world when you have your head so firmly shoved up your arse.

And so it is time to draw the line in the sand for these gamers and dare them to cross it. Should they decide to do so, make reform of the filibuster a key Democratic initiative and let these pissants serve as the poster child. Expel them from the caucus and do everything possible to target them for defeat next election.

And then move on to reconciliation to gain health care reform. And take no prisoners. Time to play hardball.

SweetJeezus! Just where do these people get the idea that they can defy their own caucus on procedural votes? Why is Reid even entertaining such threats? These audacious pissants should understand that they are Democrats or they suffer the consequences. Period. They can vote their conscience on the issue when it gets to the floor. But they have NO standing to defy their caucus and threaten to sustain a filibuster launched against their leadership.

I somehow think LBJ would be serving up Rocky Mountain Oysters to his feckless colleagues today as a means of getting the point across. Reid and the others would do well to channel a little bit of LBJ and put these jackasses out on the limb and challenge them to defeat health care reform. Enough compromise. Call the vote.

I somehow think LBJ would be serving up Rocky Mountain Oysters to his feckless colleagues today as a means of getting the point across. Reid and the others would do well to channel a little bit of LBJ and put these jackasses out on the limb and challenge them to defeat health care reform. Enough compromise. Call the vote.

There is no one who will prevent you from paying for your own health care, over and above the level of care provided to us all under a universal health care plan.

It is you who finds the level of care provided by the English system to be less than satisfactory. Yet, I am certain that the millions of Americans who are presently not covered at all would find the English plan to be a great improvement. Not only that, but the record for outcomes of the English plan versus the American experience shows that the English plan works quite well. THAT is the issue, and you have supported the quest for universal coverage very effectively in your comments.