Done With Democrats

We’ve got a majority in congress and a President on our team. As Bill Maher says, if not now, when?
The answer is never.
If Democrats don’t fight for meaningful health care reform in this country, I am THROUGH with them. As Susie Madrak notes:

If Obama does, in fact, include language to prevent the public health plan from becoming a single-payer option, we might as well kiss this Democratic majority goodbye. Because, as history shows, given the choice between a fake Republican and a real one, people will pick the real one every time!

Its go time people. We need to make a stand. Health Care reform is a life or death issue. Setting up a website to get us worked up, and then stepping up to the negotiating table having already given up, is the worst sort of betrayal. It isn’t the change we voted for, its an even bolder more of the same brand of politics. The kind where the people get royally fucked over for the sake of companies, in this case, the insurance industry.

No more.

If the Democrats can’t pull a win that means something out of this battle, its time to start organizing against them. Every single Democrat who opposes the public health option needs to be ruthlessly and energetically challenged in their next primary. Dr Howard Dean has a useful list here. You go on that list as a no, and you are on OUR list as someone to actively oppose during the next election.

I’m very happy and proud to see Jim Webb of Virginia firmly in the supporter’s column, along with Kerry and Kennedy from my home state of Massachusetts.

Where do your Representatives and Senators stand?

Republicans Lieberman and Graham to Block Torture Evidence

Republicans Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham vowed to block torture evidence by “any means necessary” (HuffPost).

Wonder if they’d resort to torture?

Against Institutionalized Child Abuse

We live in a sick, twisted world. Sometimes it is too much. This is one of those times (via Jesus’ General).

These places need to be shut the fuck down.

The Compelled Birth Movement

I get email! A reader (Liz) took issue with my post “The Problem With Calling Abortion Murder“.

Useful Spam Comments

I’m not sure what to do with these.  Three comments by people who clearly read my post, and who are just as clearly simply responding to my blog because the word “fitness” is in the title.  I want to reiterate my comment policy on spam:

Spam comments in the past, if applicable to the post, have had the spam links removed and the comments allowed.  Now, all spam comments will simply be blocked.  Period.

If I approve a useful comment from a spammer who took the trouble to read and respond to a post, then akismet will then allow that person to continue to comment.  So even if I remove the spam links, they might add more comments later with links to sketchy sites.  I don’t have time to police this blog.  So the rule is, if you spam, you are blocked.  And by blocked I mean I click “spam” on the helpful little akismet interface.

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 choose who they cover.  They won’t.  They will bicker, grand stand and attach riders to bills and – in the end – fail to take decisive action.

I’m not in the mood to hear bullshit supporting the privilege of insurance companies to discriminate over the rights of individuals to affordable medical care.  The truth is that in any other industrialized nation this would not be an issue: It damn hell shouldn’t be in ours.

I have COBRA for a while longer, but its very expensive and the coverage isn’t that great.  Then I’m not sure what I’ll do.

The only thing I know I can do is stand with the President and fight, and hope he makes this a priority.  Hope everyone in congress makes this a priority.

In the meantime I’m left wondering how so many Senators and Representatives could care so little about the value of human life that they would rather defend the profit margins of insurance corporations than ensure their constituents are allowed medical care.

Please join me in making Health Care Reform a priority.

Question for Randall Terry

Randall Terry,

Since you are effectively endorsing murder, if someone kills you will you have reaped what you’ve sown?

Or just maybe, will a fucking crime have been committed?

I disagree with you strongly, but I will never, ever advocate violence against you. That’s a key difference of character between us. And I feel for the family still grieving over George Tiller’s murder at the hands of a deviant, evil man. And I feel for the family of whoever else takes you at your word and decides to commit murder for the darkly ironic pro-life movement.