Hmmmmm. It appears that the worm may be turning...Seriously, did the insurance companies step on their wangers?

A few days ago the public option was on life supports, seemingly just days, or moments away from time of death being called.

Then the insurance companies produced a quick "study" that turned out to be cooked, threatened to raise everyone's health care premiums if the public option passed, and now all of a sudden I'm hearing optimism about the public option surviving everywhere I turn.

Even my husband, who hasn't been paying much attention to all of this, came in tonight and asked if I heard about the insurance companies pooping in their mess kits, and asked me for an update...

Is it possible? Did they over play their hand and start a bit of a backlash?

Nate Silver at 538.com did a little "10 reasons" thing on the 20th on why the public option is probably gaining momentum...#1 being :

1. The tireless, and occasionally tiresome, advocacy on behalf of liberal bloggers and interest groups for the public option. Whatever you think of their tactics -- I haven't always agreed with them -- the sheer amount of focus and energy expended on their behalf has been very important, keeping the issue alive in the public debate.

Woohoo! That's us, huh???

I was home most of the day yesterday with the t.v. on MSNBC in the background and it seemed like there were many guests on talking about how close they are to getting the votes, and more optimism than I have seen in months.

Then as I sat down to write this post, I stumbled on the full speech the President gave from New York on the Organizing For America Webcast...the one the "mop" clip came from. Well, hell...if I had seen the whole speech before I did my whiny post yesterday, you wouldn't have had to prop me up. It is almost half an hour long, but if you haven't heard it, please take the time. It will remind you why we voted for him, and reassure you that he DOES know what he is doing.

We have an amazing President, and I can't believe I keep forgetting that.

Speaking about health care reform he said, "You Democrats...y'all are an opinionated bunch, and I like that about y'all...But now it's time to come together and get this done." He pointed out that of the five plans that have passed committee, pick the one you like least...it has provisions to stop people from being refused insurance because of pre-existing conditions, from having your insurance canceled because you get sick, and creates exchanges so you have bargaining power. That's the one you like least!

Broadening his scope he went on to say that we have a long way to go, but we've only been here for nine months. and "I'm not tired...I'm just getting started...I'm energized!"  Me, too!

What a difference a day makes...24 little hours.

I'm like a new person.

I was born of and raised by ostriches. Then I married an ostrich, and gave birth to and raised more ostriches. Therefore it has been difficult to pull my head out of the sand and pay attention to what is happening in the world. I mean, after all, it was a pretty comfortable life.

I was poor (by today's standards) growing up. My parents bought their first house for $19,000 using his G.I. Bill benefit. He worked at an auto parts store, and my mom stayed at home and ignored us kids as much as possible. We mostly fended for ourselves, except when we were "really bad." Then Mom pulled out the "just wait until your dad gets home card." He'd come home from a hard day at work, receive his instructions to spank us, and he did, without question. Everyone in our small world was pretty much just like us. No one had much, but we didn't know there was any other way to live. Seriously, my first recollection of "rich" people was watching "Dallas" on t.v

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