R.I.P. Senator Ted Kennedy

Senator Kennedy died Tuesday following a battle with brain cancer. The remembrances I have heard from his colleagues in the Senate, and from others who knew him, are universally warm, and describe a person who may have been wealthy, but was down-to-earth; who may have had privilege but worried about his constituents who were not as fortunate; who had immense power but worked until the end of his life for those who needed his help the most.

Ted Kennedy was a man whose heart was in the right place; he was in politics for the right reasons. He certainly has shown personal failings, but when he could have quit and just gone sailing he kept his head down, became a legislative workhorse in the Senate, and in the process had a career and earned a legacy that may never again be matched by any other Senator.

While most of us dream of the day that we can retire, Senator Kennedy worked almost until the day he died at 77, doing a job he loved, surrounded by family, colleagues and constituents who had genuine affection for him. Now that's the way to go.

Rest in peace, Senator.

Obama Needs to Ignore Repubican Pressure

I heard that President Obama is ready to drop the public option in health care reform in order to get some Republicans to sign on.

So what was the point behind Americans giving the President a 60-seat majority in the Senate and a large majority in the House? He had a landslide electoral college victory and picked up 9 "red" states. This is his golden opportunity to do what needs to be done to get health care for all Americans.

Yes, there are a lot of people out there who don't understand it. They may be a vocal minority, but who cares? When you have ignorant people out there like the 35-year old woman who thought passing this bill meant we were going to "become Russia" and that we would be soon "be waiting in line for toilet paper," then you're not obligated to pay attention to her or to any of those folks who are calling you a Socialist, Mr. President. You ran on health care reform and health care for everyone, including those who become unemployed, and you owe it to the people who put you in office to make good on that promise.

The Republicans are only playing to their base for 2010. Don't get confused by thinking that there's anything you could do, any bill you could put before Congress, that would get the Republicans on board. It's like Rush Limbaugh. If you had the best idea in the world he wouldn't sign on because it would cost him ratings to agree with you. The same goes for the Republicans in Congress.

So get the deal done, President Obama, with or without the Republicans. We don't need 'em to do what's right for the American people, because they don't care what's right for us -- only what will get them reelected.

Insanity Reigns

It's impossible to try to follow any logic on the right regarding the health care reform debate. There simply isn't any logic to be had.

Let's see...

If you are over 65 and retired, you are on a government-sponsored health care program called Medicare. If you are under 65 and you lose your job, having the option of purchasing health care insurance through a government program is socialism and the President is a Nazi -- if you're a conservative.

If you're on Medicare you currently don't get reimbursed for discussions with your doctor regarding living wills, but you would like to be reimbursed for it. If you're not on Medicare you call discussions with your doctor regarding living wills "government control" and claim that it's euthanasia -- if you're a conservative.

If you're a conservative you will take the word of a loudmouth college drop-out or a former governor who refused to finish her one and only term over those of the President, the AARP, the AMA and the Nurses' Association.

If you're a conservative you call a proposed panel of doctors and specialists a "death panel" and claim they're out to kill disabled babies, yet everyone knows all insurance companies have panels whose main purpose is to determine how not to pay claims.

If you're a conservative and you have health care coverage you're fine with it, and are not in the least bit bothered that someone who is out of work can't afford to go see the doctor.

Well, all I can say is, thank goodness I'm a liberal.

Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich join the wingnut ranks

I can still hear the bullet whizzing by my ear. You know, the one we dodged when John McCain and Sarah Palin were defeated in November.

Now Sarah Palin has said that the Obama health care plan will create a "death panel" that would try to euthanize her Down Syndrome baby, Trig. Newt Gingrich defended her outrageous statements, saying also that "you're asking us to trust the government."

OK, I've always known that Sarah Palin was a lightweight in the brains department, but this isn't just a stupid statement, it's downright dangerous. Now we have morons interrupting town hall meetings saying things like "keep your government hands off my Medicare" (last time I looked wasn't Medicare a government program? Oh, yeah, it is!!) Out there on the right there seem to be a lot of people who are willing to believe anything that comes across their e-mail, no matter how outrageous and untrue, if it comes from someone of the Republican persuasion. That's sad, but unfortunately I know it to be true. I get these e-mails forwarded to me by my right-wing father. I should say, I used to.... I've had to set my e-mail to automatically delete my 88-year-old father's e-mails because they got me so incensed.

And by the way, Newt... "you're asking us to trust the government?" I seem to recall you used to be, let me see... oh, yeah -- the Speaker of the House!