Barney Frank Lays on the Smack Down

My Gut Reaction: Right on, Barney

Analysis: The above video is an example of how liberal Democrats and the Administration should deal with the extremist opposition that has arisen to health care reform. There is no point in attempting to debate someone who believes that President Obama is like Hitler, or who argues in spite of all evidence that there will be death panels included in health care reform. The only legitimate response is to point them out for the morons they are.

Like many liberals, I am deeply angry with the reports that the public option may be shelved due to fanatic opposition. This could be a lost opportunity which America may regret for decades in the future. However, I do not blame President Obama for this failure, as the fault lies largely with the American people. If they refuse to engage in critical thinking and stand up to the lies put up by people like Sarah Palin, they have only themselves to blame when they get led down a disastrous path.

We should not let this failure divide our party. Rather, we should see it as a call to strengthen our efforts against a fanatical opposition that will stoop to any depth to thwart us.

Time to Fight Back

An article from Politico.com and linked on Yahoo News notes that President Obama is beginning to strike back at Republican intransigence against the stimulus and health care reform. He has begun issuing statements through the Democratic National Committee condemning the behavior of Republican leader Congressman Eric Cantor, and Cabinet Secretaries have called the governors of states such as Arizona with Republican representatives who oppose the stimulus, asking if they would like stimulus monies to be withheld.

My Gut Reaction: It's about frakking time.

Analysis: For too long, we have allowed the Republicans to indulge in rough politics without any real retaliation from the Democratic leadership. If what we are seeing is any indication, that's about to change.

If the Republicans want to bitch about stimulus spending, they should have the guts to forgo any benefits it may bring. It is hypocritical to take the public money if they think it is useful or harmful to the nation's long term interests. Let the Republican shirkers go without, while the rest reap the rewards.

Democrats used to be willing to play hard ball. As Molly Ivins once described, President Lyndon Johnson once had an issue getting the schools in a particular southern town to integrate. Furious, he called the governor of the state the town was in, and asked if his state wanted to keep its military bases. When the governor anxiously said it did, President Johnson said coldly: "Schools. Integration. Tomorrow."

And lo and behold, the schools were integrated the next day.

The moral of the story is the Democrats need to start polishing up their political guns. It's elephant hunting time.

Once Again, The Revolving Door

An article in today's Washington Post examines the phenomenon of former government and congressional employees going to work as lobbyists for health care companies in the upcoming health care debate. These new lobbyists include former employees of prominent senators such as Democrat Max Baucus and Republican Charles E. Grassley, as well as former lawmakers such as Dick Armey and Dick Gephardt, and are working for pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, as well as industry lobbying groups such as the American Medical Association and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The lobbyists claim that their contacts with lawmakers do not give them or those they represent any extra advantages, but public interest groups are not so sure.

My Gut Reaction: The lobbyists and congressmen may be sincere in their protestations of innocence, but this situation still makes me rather quesy.

Analysis: With all these lobbyists weighing in on health care reform, it seems the only ones not getting Congress's ear are the American people. Although the public is supposed to be represented by our elected officials, I have the suspicion we get far less attention than these corporate lobbyists. Although some may argue that hiring lobbyists is simply a form of free speech, to me, hiring a former government official to speak for you seems a lot like influence peddling.