Washblog

When George W. Bush and the Republican congress gave away millions of public money (our tax dollars) to Big Oil, Big Pharma, Private War Contractors, and the rest of their special interests, we labeled that Fascism. When Obama and the Democratic congress throw 32 million more Americans into the clutches of the Private For-Profit Insurance Industry with the promise of subsidies (our tax dollars), the Republicans call it Socialism and the Democrats call it "Universal Healthcare". This is neither. What passed yesterday was for some "the best that we could do" and for others "a victory for President Obama".  For me, it was just an affirmation of the take-over of the Democratic Party by its corporate wing.

I know, I know, there are those who will say, "You are being a purist." "Don't allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good." ""This is only a start; we can go back and fix it later." What an interesting charge - "being a purist". Only in Orwellian-speak is being pure to be confused with being bad. Perfect and Good are fairly subjective terms but I would accept the notion that one must pass through "good" to get to "perfect" - I just fail to see the "good". My favorite straw man, however, is the "fix it later" meme.  "Merry Christmas kids. Here's your new wagon. We can always put the axles and wheels on later."

I do not accept that this is the "best" the Democratic Party of my father could have done. I do not even accept that this is the "best" that Ted Kennedy's Democratic Party could do. What I saw come out of this so-called reform bill was the best that the Democratic Party of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama would do. The notion that there will be any real effort on behalf of the bruised and beaten Progressive wing of the party to move toward real universal healthcare coverage with (at the very least) a "robust" public option is purely pie in the sky. The Progressives played their hand until the last card was dealt and then folded when Dennis Kucinich announced he would vote for the bill because of his compassion for President Obama. With overwhelming majorities in the House and the Senate and with a Democrat in the Whitehouse, the best chance for a real plan to finally declare with pride that healthcare is a right in this country just passed us by last night. There can be no doubt that the numerical advantage that the Democrats have today will not be seen again anytime soon and it is a political reality that administrations come and go. No my friends, the opportunity for real Progressive change has been put off for at least another generation. Obviously I am not alone in my thinking. From David Sirota:

What's the matter with Democrats

"...Despite lawmakers' refusal to hold votes verifying that assertion [that there are insufficient votes for a public option], liberal groups obediently follow orders to back the bill, their obsequious leaders fearing scorn from Democratic insiders and moneymen. Specifically, MoveOn, unions and "progressive" non-profits threaten retribution against lawmakers who consider voting against the bill because it doesn't include a public option. The threats fly even though these congresspeople would be respecting their previous public-option ultimatums -- ultimatums originally supported by many of the same groups now demanding retreat.

Soon it's on to false choices. Democrats tell their base that any bill is better than no bill, even one making things worse, and that if this particular legislation doesn't pass, Republicans will win the upcoming election -- as if signing a blank check to insurance and drug companies couldn't seal that fate. They tell everyone else that "realistically" this is the "last chance" for reform, expecting We the Sheeple to forget that those spewing the do-or-die warnings control the legislative calendar and could immediately try again.

Predictably, the fear-mongering prompts left-leaning Establishment pundits to bless the bill, giving Democratic activists concise-yet-mindless conversation-enders for why everyone should shut up and fall in line ("Krugman supports it!"). Such bumper-sticker mottos are then demagogued by Democratic media bobbleheads and their sycophants, who dishonestly imply that the bill's progressive opponents 1) secretly aim to aid the far right and/or 2) actually hope more Americans die for lack of health care. In the process, the legislation's sellouts are lambasted as the exclusive fault of Republicans, not Democrats and their congressional majorities...."

And so, I would have voted No. But then again, I'm a purist.

[UPDATE: 13:23PST 03/22/2010] - As if to add a bit of emphasis to my point, I just received an email from Jay Inslee; someone I have long admired as a reasonably Progressive member of Congress. The subject heading of his email?
The kitchen is finished

He begins:
 

"We are joyous at our success on health care, but we are not done."

Sounds good; almost like he is ready to go back to work and continue to work toward real Progressive reform. But no...

"Now the opposition will start a massive effort to defeat those who voted for change."

Just a simple fund raising letter. I guess that's what I should have expected from an email entitled "The Kitchen is Finished".

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue