I've seen lots of comments as to the mental stability of those who oppose health-care reform, so I'd like to throw out someone who has studied the issue, and remains opposed .I'm not opposed to reforming the system in concept, but I haven't seen a suggestion that contains realistic or implementable programs. This is why:

 

America is too big. There are more than 300 million people in the United States.  If we do it on a state level, then we're leaving people at the mercy of the state governments, and you can ask Californians how well that's working for them. Or Floridians or Coloradans or any state that's caught in massive shortfalls when up against mandated budget locks. So it has to be national. But expanding any program to include everyone means an increase in bureaucracy that would have to at least eat up any real savings, if not more.

 

But the largeness of American causes other problems. Sarah Pain was over the edge with death panels but you do have to assume that there would have to be some rationing of services. I'm not as concerned with big ones as I am with the small ones. What are we going to cover and what are we not going to cover, and how are we going to decide? IVF? My sister-in-law just had a preventative double mastectomy (there is cancer in her family history, but not in her at the moment)--would we want her reconstructive surgery covered - do we all want to pay for that? What about therapy? What about Xanax or sleeping pills? If we're all paying for it, shouldn't we all have a say in how the money is spent? Do we want to have tax dollars spent on Terry Shavios when it could go to vaccinations? Are we going to start having referendums on what procedures are allowed? If we're saying healthcare is an inalienable right, then shouldn't everyone have access to the most advanced treatments possible, regardless of cost? My father had an experimental radiation treatment for his cancer - it didn't buy him a day, but it bought him hope. In a system supported by the government, shouldn't that be available to everyone? All government programs involve prioritizing. With a free market, there are choices between providers, between programs.

 

And along the lines of cost, how do we pay for it? We've heard the commentary about every industrialized nation having government healthcare, but we leave out that every other industrialized nation has a higher tax rate than we do. Maybe you think we pay too little in taxes, but if you do, you're in the minority. Even Canada has a tax rate about 6% higher and a 5% national sales tax (that's why the Blue Jays and Raptors have such ah hard time keeping players). Everyone pays more. But we don't hear that argument about healthcare in the US. We hear about the rich paying more. I find that idea distasteful - if this is a national priority, then it ought to be paid for by everyone. Make the tax hikes progressive if you want to, but make them universal. If we all benefit, we all pay.

 

And that is the heart of the problem. There may be 40 million people without insurance, but that means there are 270 million who have it. Everyone may bitch about their insurance, but they also bitch about their gas bill and the cost of bread. There is not a national mandate for this, beyond everyone wanting their own bills to be cheaper. And for every horror story out there, there are some good ones as well. Of course, I'm biased. I have twin boys who were born 10 weeks early. They were in the NICU for six weeks. The bill was $250,000. You know what I paid? $200. My wife gets a monthly shot of Lupron to help ease some of the pain of her endometriosis. The shot cost $500. It cost me 10 bucks. When my dad was dying insurance paid for in-home care, a private nurse, hell, even one of those chair-lift things so he could get to his own room. He got hurt in the Bahamas (where there is national health care) and the bill was $16,000.

 

Healthcare reform may be necessary. But until we're willing to ask all the questions about it - until we're willing to address all the concerns and all the consequences, forseen and otherwise, we need to hold off. Tweak what we have, but keep the fundamental system in place. 

John Hughes was not a great filmmaker. He tended toward too many mug shots and melodramatic scenes, and did give the world the Macauly Caulkin's facial grasp. But when he was on, he did more to relate to high schoolers in the mid-80s than anyone else. He cast kids to play kids, and spent at least some effort to make them sound like kids. He also trended towards romanticized and cliched ideas of high school cliques and worked too hard to make outcasts the hero in any script.
That said, he gave us Bluto Blutarsky's speech in Animal House. He gave us Clark Griswold's "quest for fun!" He gave us Mary Stuart Masterson in a chauffeur's cap and diamond earrings.  And if you couldn't smile at the sight of Molly Ringwald and whoever the actor playing Jake sitting crosslegged on the table at the end of "Sixteen Candles," ... I can't even come up with a metaphor. 
This isn't doing any of the things he did justice. So I'll just end it like Ferris did " Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 
Not a bad sentiment.

I was having an interesting discussion in Muckraker I thought I would start here. 
During the campaign, did you think Obama was an idealistic or a pragmatic candidate? 
Since the innauguration, one of the most prevalent statements about the administrations decisions has been that Obama is a pragmatist. I'm fine with pragmatists -- I like pragmatism as a rule. That's why I backed Clinton in the primaries, because I thought she was the pragmatic candidate. We knew what we were getting. She lost, I know. And I supported Obama once she did. Perhaps less vehemently than many, but that's because I'm pragmatic, and to me, he wasn't.
Barack Obama's campaign, to me, was anti-pragmatic. It was as idealistic as you get, with crowds chanting "YES WE CAN!" when they talked of changing the culture and pattern of Washington, with slogans that stated, and demanded "Change We Can Believe In." And clearly, that was what the country wanted.  
But now I'm wondering whether I misread the campaign, blinded by my own loyalties. So I'll throw the question out to those who backed him all along -- did he run as a pragmatist or is his recent pragmatism a necessary (if you believe so) device to survive in Washington?

We'll find out in about four hours,. 

There are a lot of people here who write quite a bit. I've been reading the Cafe since its inception, and am always astounded by the talents and passion that so many here exhibit. 

I'm just wondering if there have been any issues with adopting a new browser.

Nine years ago tonight I had my last conversation with my father.

He's been dying for a couple of years -- cancer -- and got in infection from his portacath. It took hold, he went septic and 36 or so horrible hours later, that was that. I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I held his hand and sang to him -- Jimmy Buffett's "A Pirate Looks at 40" and though his shaking, he sang along. That was the last thing I ever heard leave his mouth -- "my occupational hazzard'd be, my occupation's just not around."  Later, after they'd given him enough dillotted to knock out a fraternity, I went into the room by myself and told him that if he wanted to stay, that was all right, but if he wanted to leave, we'd all be okay. I'd take his watches for him. He died about seven hours later. He was 54.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about the things he would have loved. That first season of Survivor -- remember what a big deal that was? And he would have gone crazy -- like all of us -- about the 2000 election. I can hear him saying "They're gonna steal it, Matt, they're gonna f-in steal it." And he would have been right. I would have liked to know what he'd have said during 9/11, and in the years that followed. Don't know what he would have thought about Obama, because he loved Clinton. His favorite team won a pair of national championhsips in both football and basketball -- he would have liked that.

He was a developer, so he would have continued to make a lot of money, but he'd have lost it all by now. Of course, I like to think by now he and his boat -- Phaedrus, a beat-up but loyal 50-foot ketch -- and would be anchored off a island somehere hot with someone other than his wretched third wife. He'd have five grandkids -- the first, a girl named Sailor for him, the first boy actually given his name -- that he would have often ignored. Bigger-than-life people are often like that. But he would have been generous with them when he could and would have had great stories to tell them, stories that have, fundementally, been gone for nine years now. I tell them, but it's not the same. 

My life would have unfolded differently had he lived. I don't know whether it would have been better or worse -- probably a zero sum, in the end -- but it would have been different. He would have liked places like TPM, I think. Maybe.

I miss him. Miss talking to him, miss bouncing ideas off him. Miss his jokes, miss his smile. Miss taking a midnight watch with him. Miss the things that a father can do to reassure you when you really need it. Miss that a lot.

Like I said, I've got three kids now. It's an odd thing to say, but I hope someday they will miss the same things about me.

Thanks for the space, Josh, and for the ears, everyone. Sometimes it's good to have a place to write.

While I'm less than thrilled with the stimulus, I'm even less thrilled with the way it has been rolled out.

Why did it have to be rushed through Congress, allowing the other side it's talking point that no one had time to read it before they signed it?

Why is he signing it in Denver, at a museum of all places? ( I was there today. All I heard was bitching and moaning about why a bill to help rescue a struggling economy is being signed amongst all this pomp and circumstance. "How much is this costing?" was a pretty familiar refrain.)

I'm hoping the program works better than its roll out has been.

I was disappointed -- devastated really -- to see the synopsis of the current stimulus plan has wiped out the homebuyer incentives. This is a shame, because without creating homebuyers again, the rest problems will just continue to float. The proposed credit wasn't enough, but stripping it really hurts the package's ability to really help.

The problem with housing isn't foreclosures, it's the lack of buyers, and the belief that many -- if not most -- homeowners have that their house is worth less than they need it to be worth. This uncertainty bleeds over into all aspects of their lives, their purchases, their behaviors. If we can stabilize home values, we can stabilize the economy. It may not help jobs immediately, but it will eventually. in the homebuilding industry alone, there have been 3 million jobs lost in the past three years.

If the government can create incentives to buy -- be it tax credits, ultra-low interest loans (fixed rate) or both, then home prices can stabilize. Most people aren't as concerned with home much a house cost as how much it will cost them each month. A ultra low interest loan (2-4 percent) protects home values, because it makes the home down the street afordable at a higher price. If you offer refinances at the same rate, you protect home owners who can manage a lower payment, and if they can't, their home becomes more attractive to purchasers.

TPM's front page says that the government is considering buying mortgages. But the mortgages aren't the problem --it's the houses. Buy the houses -- turn them into economic halfway houses. Follow the Habitat for Humanity model and have folks who might not be able to afford a neighborhood have a way to live there through sweat equity. Buy the houses and create an asset -- don't just throw more money to the banks. And then let the Fed start lending money to people. Let them get into the mortgage business. Create a market that allows people to borrow money at a rate that helps them. After all, 3% is better than nothing, and the Fed doesn't need to show a huge profit. Maybe thei forces the other banks down. If you look at what the total payment amounts on a 30-year-fixed mortgage are, you'll see no one is losing money if payments are made. make the loans assumable, so if the family can't afford to stay, they can package their low rate as part of their home. In other words, the administration and treasury need to be working creatively to help get homes moving again. Without doing that, everything is going to continueto stand still.

 In the spirit of full discolusre, this is my industry, so I have inherent biases. But this problem fundementally began with housing, and housing needs to be fixed before the rest of the problems can be manged. And in my opinion, once housing can start to rebound, those other problems become much more manageable.

Yeah, I know. but she's not here and I kind of need to hang out in the place tonight. I don't think Melissa will mind if I promise to pay for the lock. You've got a crowbar? Cool. Hold on -- yeah, I'll do it -- not need to implicate others in the act. Almost, almost .... There. Where's the light switch? Okay, got it.

You know where she keeps the wine? Oh, that was great of you to remember to bring some. We'll leave a bottle on the counter. Maybe two.

Long couple of days, huh? Yeah, sure seems that way. Maybe we thought it was all going to be a bit easier, but the truth is nothing is ever easy, and certainly never as easy as we'd hoped it would be. But enough of that. Kick the music up and see if anyone else stops by. I know, all part of the same indiscretion. When I was younger, I used to sneak into movie theaters. Pay for one, go see three. Always was a bit of a thrill going up for a popcorn refill. Some of these little things we do -- some of these little rules we break --, hell maybe they keep our edge on. Like the prophet Jimmy Buffett said, "You never know when the hard times will hit you, and I don't want to lose my touch." Still wrong, but ... well, enough of that. Your turn. With Gonzo gone, we can be pretty safe in assuming no one's listening. So tell me,  what some of the things you've done, just to get away with it? What are your little crimes?  

This doesn't belong at TPM, I'll tell you that right now. But the pixels are free, and the space is there, and it seems if not the place, than a place to write it.

The background has to start with uncomfortable statements. Most background does, when it comes down to it. But okay. About eight weeks ago, I made a small decision. I don't mind telling that it's been a bad year. Bad marriage, twin babies running me ragged and the lack of sleep. I've been fundamentally unemployed for about a year, though for five months  I had a job with a company that didn't work out. I work in real estate, so there's a clue. I've been walking a razor's edge for so long that I can't remember what it's like not to be on the edge.

Anyway, i made a decision. I was going to run a 5K. I picked one and started to train.

Now, to be clear, I'm not a runner. Never have been. I've been overweight most of my life. Really overweight, like 130 or more pounds. About two years ago I lost a lot of it, then I gained about half back. I am proud I kept off what I did, but even so ... But I started to train. Found someone to help me, and four nights a week i worked on the treadmill, trying to build up the amount of distance I could run. About two weeks ago I realized I wasn't going to be about to get to a point of running the whole race, but I set a goal for a time. i sweated like crazy down in my basement every night, because the only real time I had to workout was after everyone went to bed. So that's when I did it.

The race was today. I went to the site and felt about as out of place as you could feel. I outweighed anyone else there by a solid 60 pounds, at least. I was in a T shirt and sweat pants and all these svelte people -- like a thousand of them -- were in their tights and loose fitting shorts and areodynamic shirts, all of them stretching. I got there way too early, so for 90 minutes or so, I watched everyone else, feeling more insecure by the moment. I'm overly concious of my weight, and while no one did anything, I felt like i didn't belong there. I looked at the crowd and thought there is no way I'm goign to outrun anyone here, that I'm going to come in dead fucking last and thins thing I've wroekd for  -- this goal i've set -- is going to be a total defeat. This was not a scene for me. I felt like I was in junior high with the girls at the other table giggling. I thought about leaving. I found myself jittery, nervously twitching and then trying to convince myself that it woule be all right. But I actually stood up to leave, and then told myself I wasn't going to. I didn't.

The race started. I ran some, walked more. It was a lot harder than on the treadmill. I couldn't run nearly as much as I thought it would -- Boulder is a very hilly city, it turns out -- but I kept going. And I finished. Slowly, but not DFL. (in case you're wondering, 43:20. about a minute and a half slower than I aimed for) I managed to run acorss the finish line.

Like I said, it's been a bad year. But this felt good. it doesn't change anything about anything, but I finished the race. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning. 

What the bailout needed three days ago was for someone to go on TV and explain what the plan was and what the risks were for not passing it.
It needed to be done in simple, understandable terms so the American public would have an ida of what was being proposed, why it was necessary and how it could help. 
We didn't get that, so people got scared of it, thinking that it was just helping Wall Street. And since every member of Congress is up for re-election this year, when they heard the criticism, they got worried about their own futures (after all, $165K a year jobs ain't bad).   
I was hoping Obama might take the opportunity to do so during the debates, but that's asking a lot of him. It's a President's job, but a) he can't really make a case for much and b) no one really beleives him anymore anyway. 
So it got lost in the details and the bullet points and pundit-dom, none of who also bothered to spell anything out about the plan.  It would would have been good if a leader -- any leader -- would ahve taken the chance to let us know what was at stake. 

Just curious. I know a troll troll is a someone who comes in and throws out Repub talking points just to cause trouble. But what defines a concern troll? Is is showing a lack of faith in the campaign? or is there a specific pattern of activity -- maybe raising concerns just to raise them?

The term gets thrown about a lot -- just wondering what the popular definition was.

Hey, come on in. Don't worry about it, last night was crazy. Thanks -- I'll set it right over here. I guess tonight is, too. I was tempted to watch, yeah, but I'm a hurricane junkie, so that's taken priority. Galvaston was the site of the nation's worst hurricea, I'm sure you  heard about that during all the coverage, but I read a great book about it a few years ago. So I'm nervous for the people there, and for the refineries and all that stuf, and for the people who left; I'm praying for the people who stayed behind. 
But it's funny how that had me thinking about books. I haven't been writing as much as I want -- chaos in my persaonl life, mostly. But the other problem is the story that comes bext, I don't know how it begins. You've got to lead strong, I've always thought, or people won't give you much of a read. I've got two favorite beginings. The first is Richard Bach -- remember when he was relavent? "We think sometimes ther's not a dragon left, not one brave knight, no princesses walking through enchanted forest. ... "What a pleasure to be wrong." The book quickly disintegrates from there. 
The other, though, and my all time favorite entry. Tom Robbins. "If this typewriter can't do it, then fuck it, it can't be done." That one has gotten me started more times than I can count. 
So I know youve' got a favorite book or two,m the kind that gets inside of you, pull syou in with the first sentence. I'd like to know about it.  Tell me, how does it start?. 

Hi. Nice of you to stop by. I appreciate it -- don' t think I say that often enough. Nice to see a smiling and friendly face today. 
I wasn't around much -- mostly childcare and parks and such, so I didn't get much of a look at the place. But froim what I can see, there's something missing. 
I can't tell you how much I look forward to the chance to relax here at the end of the day, imagining meals and conversation and a chance to hang aound with some interesting people, letting them know and fearing myself that there is value in pleasant conversation. 
Here's your drink. Of course I remember. Wouldn't be much of an inkeeper if I didn't. And it's important to remember,. Expecially in the last hours of this day. I was in the shower when I heard, when my wife told me that a plane had flown into the towers. Didn't think too much of it untl the second one surged like a shark, and at that moment it felt like the world was much different than it had been. I went to work and found the family room of my model filled with superintendent and subs and anyone who would fit. I remember the chaos and the wondering if anything would ever, really be the same again, and then all of us trying to shimmy a flag pole to get the flags to half staff. My old bosses wife's best freind called her from the 104th floor to say goodbye. 
We owe ourselves our memory of those events that changed things. We need not look back in horror or even grief, but I think it's important to all of us, especially because of what it has meant to our party and our world. And as much as I hate to make this place anything but light and breezy, tonight, I just don't feel it appropriate. So, instead, I just want to ask this,. When it happened, where were you?