Will We Get a Public Option?

That depends on you, dear reader.
It looks like the White House really does oppose it (Majikthise). This sounds far more credible than I find comfortable.
So what to do? Via Pandagon, Bitch Ph.D. has some suggestions:
Lookie here: the Blue Dogs have a handy little “contact us” page. One imagines that if they, like [...]

Health Care Reform in a Nutshell

The Republicans are engaging in fascist tactics to repress town hall Democracy while spitting out the most vicious and fearful lies they can think up.
The misnamed center straight up wants to kill health care reform.
The Democrats are working to ensure whatever reform exists will have as little meaning as possible, keeping the control with a [...]

Health Insurance Denied

I’ve been denied health care coverage (Blue Cross and Celtic), for the crime of having prior conditions.  It is therefore with bitter attachment I watch our government fight over health care reform.  If they wanted to, Republicans and Democrats could join together and pass a simple bill: Insurers should not be allowed to pick and [...]

Why Sotomayor is the Perfect Obama Nominee

In an excellent post one 10 Things You Should Know (about Sotomayor), number 7 is quite revealing (Huffington Post):
Sotomayor’s record on two key hot button cultural issues is thin. But, quite notably, her sole opinion regarding abortion was in line with the anti-abortion movement’s position.
…
That said, pro-choice groups hailed her nomination, with Planned Parenthood declaring [...]

Obama’s GM Gaffe

Obama’s strong words on GM may come back to bite him (BBC):
“Our auto industry is the foundation for economies all across the Midwest,” Mr Obama said.
“Had we allowed GM or Chrysler simply to liquidate that would have been a huge anti-stimulus on the economy as a whole, and could have dragged us even deeper into [...]

An End to FreeCreditReport.com Fraud?

It looks like the rip off artists behind FreeCreditReport.com (which isn’t free at all) will need to start being honest in their advertising. Hurray for consumers!

Republican Opposition Backfires: The Stimulus and Family Planning Aid

The conventional wisdom was that the Republicans made a smart move by opposing Obama’s efforts to reach out to them over the stimulus:
Voting against the bill was good politics because it shows that the GOP can’t be persuaded by charm alone, presidential or otherwise. Sure, Republicans risk coming off as stubborn in the face of [...]

Inauguration 2009: We Have a New President!

The inauguration was incredible.  I left with a feeling of real optimism, not the kind you fake to yourself to keep your spirits up in the face of false promises.  There is a lot of work to be done, and Obama is far from perfect, but we made a great choice.  This country feels united.
Below [...]

The Hard Work of Change

Thank You, President Obama, for your commitment to represent young voters.
We are the future of this country, and together, we are ready to do the hard work to make this country stronger, safer, and more just for everyone.

Inauguration Photos and Videos

I’ll have  a writeup later tonight (and more videos!).
In the meantime, please enjoy my new flickr account and youtube channel!

The We Are One Concert Was AWESOME

Despite the crowds, the metro ride in (and out) was a breeze.  Major props to the DC police, military folks, and organizers for pulling something like this off.  I can’t believe we made it in and out so quickly!
The energy was amazing.  Every time Obama came on the sceen, the crowd went wild.  Everyone broke [...]

Why We Don’t Trust Our Political System

Unqualified dynasty relics can snag an office by doing political favors.
Corrupt politicians who maybe possibly might be impeached someday for trying to sell a senate seat, can easily find someone sad and greedy enough to nominate.  And the Senate can’t do a thing about it.
Even the most exciting and inspirational politician to come along in [...]

Handling Threats in Comments

I have a comment hanging around in my moderation queue.  It reads like an angry 8th grader’s racist bathroom graffiti.   It contains a threat against President Elect Obama, exhorting readers to “give him the MLK lesson”.
In keeping with the comment policy at this blog, I’ve decided to allow it.  However, I’ve also decided, given its [...]

Obama Watch: The Human Rights Litmus Test

Crossposted at Revolutionary Act
Now that we’ve successfully elected Barack Obama, we need to make sure he stays honest and true to his campaign.  This article from the Wall Street Journal uses an interview with his transition team to suggest he might not be.  When running for office:
On the campaign trail, Mr. Obama criticized many of [...]

Time to Put the PUMA Out For the Night

sm77 at PUMA blog the Confluence sums up their irrelevance in a goodbye post (emphasis mine):

To think we waited 8 years PRAYING for a Democratic President.  Well now we have one and I still feel the same.   But as a true, firebrand, loud and hellacious liberal who endured the Dubya years, my job is to [...]