Among the several things which strikes me about those two posts is how honest, reasonable, respectful, and yet passionate they both are.

For those unaware, an inverted five pointed star forms the outline of the goat-like deity, Baphomet, and is a symbol long associated with Satanism.
http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/BaphometGallery.html

Also, there's an interesting aside regarding Gen. Butler. He testified before congress in 1934 that a group of wealthy men has tried to recruit him to lead an overthrow FDR. That's right, to stage a violent coup. Guess who's grandfather Gen. Butler stated was a conspirator in the coup attempt -wait for it- George W. Bush's grandfather, Prescott Bush! Talk about apples not falling far from their tree.

It seems that Gen Butler's charges of treason were never investigated and the whole matter ignored by Congress. I guess, the U.S. Congress has long been a corrupt body.

http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm

Republicans talk big to their base about reducing deficits, overturn Roe vs. Wade and such. But when actually in power, they somehow always manage to fail to deliver for the right on any of those issues.

The problem seems to, as always, come down to the rules of the Senate which enable 41 people to thwart any legislative initiative, and that enable a Senate committee of only six people to, effectively, do much the same.

While not providing a guarantee of always determining the truth, critical analysis can, far more often than not, seperate the information wheat from the information chaff. Such analysis requires mental effort and a genuine desire to know the truth. Birthers are not searching for the truth. They only are seeking to have their their hate and anger validated.

So, what should we do about such zealots? I tend to agree with Maher. Directly and vocally call them out on their insanity so that their particular psychological virus doesn't spread to the non-infected. Isolate the disease, else it spread, much as the swift-boat virus did.

Therefore, I agree with you that a public-option will make it in to the final HCR act. It has to or reform will only work to increase costs and enrich the health insurance industry.

The right makes these same sort of frustrated noises. We need to focus our energy on holding those in power accountable by posing a credible electoral threat to them. Such as Joe Sestak against Arlen Spectre, not patently toothless threats of electing some third party candidate.

Yes, there is a lot of distance between leadership and cooperation versus dictatorship. You offer a fair criticism. It's too bad the Kali didn't make such a criticism. I quote Kali: "If Obama can't deliver a public option for health insurance with this Democratic Congress, I will be supporting a third party candidate in 2012."

That doesn't sound, to me, like a call for leadership and cooperation. It sounds more like an ultimatum to Obama doesn't it?

Perhaps, a better plan is to write Harry Reid and demand that he use whatever Senate rules and procedures he has available to bypass the Blue Dogs and Republicans.