“If This Vote Fails…”
Posted by Michelle Moquin on 19th March 2010
On my way to a seminar yesterday I was listening to the radio and Rep. Kucinich was speaking about health care and how he changed his mind and decided to support the bill. He was told that he could be the one person that would either make this happen or kill the bill. Knowing the repercussions of this bill not passing, Kucinich decided to vote for it.
I was delighted that he finally realized his fight to get a single payer was not going to happen. I love his passion and his commitment but I long ago discovered that the single payer option was never going to be agreed upon by the Republicans, even if the Democrats were all for it. Hell, it’s tough enough as it is to get this watered down bill to even be considered by the Republicans, let alone get their votes. But I guess that is where I differ from the very left, as so many of my friends seem to peg me as.
I am not saying that one has to give up on their goals, give up on what they believe in, but at some point one has to look at the big picture, think logically, get off of the ‘personal win’ and see what is best for the American people. And what is best is passing this health care bill.
Kucinich made it very clear that he is not in favor of this bill, but he also made it clear that he realized that he was not going to get what he wanted, and that this bill is better than nothing. And getting this bill passed means that we are headed in a direction that can be improved upon. This will happen. Not passing this bill means it is dead in the water and no change will occur. Our health care system will remain the same. This can’t happen.
At some point one has to step aside, and accept what ‘is’, the is-ness of the moment. And right now, what ‘is’ on the table is a health care bill that ‘is’ better than not having one at all. If this bill doesn’t pass, you can kiss any kind of health care reform goodbye for a very long time. It must pass.
President Obama gave a speech this morning at George Mason University:
FAIRFAX, Va. — President Barack Obama described the stakes of this weekend’s health care vote in stark terms Friday, using words uttered so rarely out of the White House that they seem all but banned: “If this vote fails.”
What then? “The insurance industry will continue to run amok,” the president declared, pointing to rising rates, denials of coverage and limits on care.
With Sunday’s expected vote hanging on the support of just a handful of wavering Democrats, Obama delivered an energetic, 20-minute closing argument for the goal to which he has devoted much of his presidency and on which its future could pivot. Before an amped-up, campaign-style rally of several thousand at George Mason University, the president summoned both pragmatism and principle in an effort to sway the undecideds to his side.
He emphasized the bill’s provisions that would go into effect this year, including those banning insurers from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, dropping coverage when a person becomes ill or imposing annual or lifetime limits on care, requiring free preventive care and allowing children to stay on parents’ policies into their 20s.
Obama said the bill, if it becomes law, will deliver “the toughest insurance reforms in history” and “the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history.”
“What we’re talking about is commonsense reform,” he said, delivering his remarks at top decibel levels and ad-libbing considerably from his prepared remarks. “You’ve been hearing a whole bunch of nonsense.”
Obama also urged lawmakers to reach beyond today’s disputes and grasp the history-making aspect of the effort.
“It’s a debate that is not only about the cost of our health care but the character of our country, it is about whether we can still meet the challenges of our time, about we still have the guts and the courage to give every citizen a chance,” Obama said.
He pointed to contentious debates decades ago over creating the now-popular Social Security and Medicare programs and enacting civil rights laws. “As messy as this process is, as frustrating as this process is, as ugly as this process can be, when we have faced such decisions in our past, this nation time and time again has chosen to extend its promise to more of its people,” Obama said.
It was the fourth outside-the-Beltway event Obama has held on health care in the past two weeks, and his last public push for the legislation that tops his domestic list. He postponed until summer an overseas trip to stay in Washington to help ensure passage and rolled his shirtsleeves up to wade into his delivery. With so much riding on the outcome – from the policy changes he wants to his own political standing – Obama spoke at top decibel levels and, rare for him, ad-libbed considerably from his prepared remarks, filling them in with folksier language and additional dire warnings.
The first-come-first-served crowd of 8,500 responded with vigor, punctuating Obama’s speech with loud cheers. A handful of people booed and interrupted, with one yelling “No socialism,” but the vast majority appeared supportive of his goal.
The president returned repeatedly to the difficult year of debate over a sweeping remake of health care that has consumed the country, and to the rampant speculation, among lawmakers and in the media, over the political ramifications of a win or loss.
“Is this more of an advantage for Democrats or Republicans? What’s it going to mean for Obama? Will his presidency be crippled? …. Or will he be the comeback kid?” he mocked. “A lot of reporting in Washington, it’s just like Sports Center. You know, it’s considered a sport and who’s up and who’s down and everybody’s keeping score and you got the teams going at it. It’s rock ‘em sock ‘em robots.”
Still, Obama acknowledged the difficult decisions facing lawmakers who haven’t yet stated their position on the legislation.
“I know this will be a tough vote. I know that everybody is counting votes right now in Washington,” he said. “We are going to do something historic this weekend. … We are going to fix health care in America.”
Readers: Let’s stay on it okay? We don’t want to know what happens “If this vote fails…”
Also, I feel I must say something in regards to the Mariana Trench, and the uncooperative countries. Have you not seen enough of what happened in Chile? My suggestion, if I have any influence on this at all, is to cooperate. I know one doesn’t like to admit being powerless, but get out of your head, put your ego aside, start caring about your people, behave, and no more ‘natural disasters’ will occur.
It really is that simple. Get on with the daily duties of running a country – there are so many more important things to be concerned with then trying to show your brawn to a bunch of aliens. It is of no use, and your people will evidently suffer from it as we have already seen. If the islands around Guam suffer, Guam will suffer. Let’s not let Guam and others be collateral damage. Of course that is just my opinion and advice.
Juanita: LOl – cute, very cute.
Cecilia: Funny but still quite unfortunate for the fellow.
Marie: I’d be asking the same question too.
Bahameen: I know Madaline and her girls are such a support. I will keep them there as long as I can. Be well.
Carolie: I’m usually up at 6:30 am on Fridays and posting by 7 am, but this morning I am posting later than usual. No work today so I slept in late…so yes, I was cracking Zee’s. Move out here, and no I don’t mind :)
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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Posted in Good Reads and Good See'ds, Health & Well Being, Political Powwow | 1 Comment »