There is no question that from the very first day of the Obama Administration, that Republican political policy was to destroy the president by distortion of facts and uniform obstruction on all Obama agendas. This has led to a number of contradictory and embarrassing moments for the GOP, but in general, with some help from some not too helpful Democrats in the Senate this policy appears to have had some success.
The President and Democrats in congress, particularly the senate, have been slow to respond effectively to this deliberate attempt to destroy the President. The minority party is basing its future on a political strategy that states that the path to regaining power is by thwarting the ability of majority party to govern regardless of the consequences to the nation. This can be a disastrous strategy if the public ever becomes aware of what is happening.
In the past week, President Obama has ventured into the lions den and launched a full frontal assault on on this strategy of obstructionism, bombastic deceit, and mob rule. He did so with civility and demur. In directly confronting the politics of obstructionism he has put the GOP on notice that they will not be allowed to spread their deliberate distortions and obstructions with impunity. At the State of the Union, the GOP retreat, the Democrat retreat, town hall meetings and the Washington Prayer Breakfast, the President, without raising his voice, directly confronted those who recklessly seek to destroy him without regard to the truth or the country. 
This stark contrast between the demur of the President and those who attack him will not be lost on the American people. It is another question as to whether or not it will have an affect on the obstructionist strategy of the GOP.  I frankly doubt it. The GOP decided early on that their way to return to power was to disrupt by what ever means possible. There entire strategy is based on making Obama fail. To return to a rational politics based upon facts and the nations need will be seen by the GOP as a victory for Obama and the one thing that the GOP cannot allow is for Obama to be seen as victorious or capable governing. 
So the party that has nothing to offer the country and nothing to lose is trapped in it policy of disrupting the functioning of the elected government. It simply remains for Obama to continue to civilly confront those who would obstruct with their distortions and contradictions. The past week has clearly demonstrated his ability and effectiveness at doing just that. The contrast between the simple straight forward talking style of the President and the deceit and obstructionism of the Right will not be lost on the American people. The American people are angry and a party that puts its own political advantage ahead of the legitimate needs of the public had better be wary.

Forget the tea baggers, Alan Grayson is a one man wrecking ball in the house. He has read into the record a list of all the deaths projected from lack of insurance in every single Republican district. I urge you to view it and digg it or what ever to get it out on the internet. It is very emotional to watch him read the name of the Congressman, their state and district followed by the number of dead.  It puts into perspective what health care reform is all about.

So while the wingnuts are looking for the whites of your eyes, Grayson is respectfully revealing the true cost.  See it here on the Huffington Post

With nearly every health insurance plan experiencing increases of 9 per cent or more and the 2009 inflation rate in negative numbers it is difficult to understand why supporters of health care reform have not jumped on this issue at this time.  October is the month when almost all people with health care insurance get the bad news of how much their insurance costs are going to increase. It should be the one time of year that you can garner some interest by the general public about their health care costs and yet it is being totally ignored. Supporters of health care insurance should be asking a simple question, "How much is your health care insurance going up and how much has your salary gone up?"

As a person over 50, I find it a bit confusing that those over 50 are more likely to be against health care reform. To begin with any self aware person realizes as they approach 50 that the possibility of losing their employment increases significantly.With the loss of employment comes the extreme financial burden of paying for health insurance which can easily exceed a thousand dollars a month for individual at that age. At 50 and above many of the sins of our past against our bodies begin to haunt us and it shows in the inflated premiums that we have to pay for adequate health care. If you are 50 years or older and not in favor of health care reform, you are either wealthy, tragically uninformed, or have been deliberately misled.

In the short term, seniors and baby boomers have the most to gain with health care reform, but from what I have the proponents of health care reform have done a less then adequate job in building the case for the need for health care reform and its benefits for the aging population. People have been frighten by terms such as "public option" and "single payer". The opposition has with success turned these benefits of health care reform into symbols to be feared and loathed.

The Obama Administration has failed in presenting a clear plan for health care reform. They have tried to be accommodating to an opposition that only desires the political defeat of the administration.  The President has failed to use the full power of his office within his own party in demanding reform. He has appeared weak and the Democratic party has appeared divided. The President must realize that as the Republican opposition hopes, the failure of health care reform will truly be his Waterloo. The President must insert himself forcefully into the health care debate and reign in  opposition in the congress, particularly in the senate if he is to be successful..

There is a lot being made by the McCain Palin campaign about the redistribution of wealth as proposed by the Obama tax plan. What seems to have gone unquestioned in the discussion on this question is the redistribution of wealth that occurs in the State of Alaska. This year every man, woman, and child that is a resident of Alaska will receive a redistribution of wealth from taxes on oil revenues of over $3000 each.  A family of four will receive a distribution of over $13000. Palin, was apparently instrumental in increasing that distribution this year by about $1200 a person. It is noteworth that Alaskan's do not pay income or sales tax.

It might also be tempting to call this redistribution of wealth a rebate, but logically for it to be a rebate the recepient must have, at least theoretically, contributed to the orginal tax to begin it. It is the closest thing we have to a welfare state or socalism. McCain and Palin should be required to explain how this clear redistribution of wealth is fine for Alaska, but much more milder and traditional means of taxing proposed by Obama is not.  They should be asked if they are prepared to denounce the redistribution of wealth that occurs in Alaska.

Andrew Sullivan has penned one of the most damning no holds bar condemnations of John McCain's ill advised reckless decision to pick a political unknown as his vice presidential running mate. The article will surely be vigorously attacked by the McCain campaign and their talking bobble heads. What is a shame is that it has taken this much time for a truthful analysis of McCain's reckless decision that can only be truthfully viewed as a decision that puts the naked political desire to win at all costs above the welfare of the nation that McCain claims to love. Here is the link to Sullivan's article. It should be read. One can only hope that its frank and straight forward language will shake the MSM out of its fear of and complacency with the Republican spin machine.