They're beginning to piss me off . . .

The president continues to operate under the belief that liberals will warm to the bill when presented with a goodybag that includes an individual mandate, community rating, guaranteed issue, and a minimum required package. There's no chance, really, that a bill WON'T feature these reforms.

An "individual mandate?" What the fuck is that? Making it a law that someone is obligated to purchase health care? How is that going to work out for people that are barely scraping by on minimum wage jobs? Or those that have been fucked over by Bush's economic policies which have left folks paying 30% interest rates on their credit cards and owning homes that literally aren't worth the paper they are written on? What about the indigent? What happens if someone refuses to abide by the "mandate?" Fines? Wage garnishment? Jail?

Obama needs to pull his head out of his "bipartisan" ass and start looking at the real big picture here. Fuck the "we don't have enough votes in the Senate" bullshit! They know perfectly well that through the reconciliation process they can easily muster the bare minimum of 51 votes and pass a fairly robust plan that will accomplish a majority of the progressive reforms that stand the most chance of making a difference.

What's really happening here to gum up the works is a combination of that infamous Democratic spinelessness in the face of GOP bullying and too many Democratic politicians with campaign funding debts to the health insurance industry.

I honestly don't think they have their fingers on the right pulse of the right voters on this issue. People voted for change last November -- or at very least the hope to see someone actually make an honest and aggressive effort at change. If Obama allows this opportunity to reform this country's broken healthcare system to wither on the vine or be completely trampled on by the Republicans, he and the Democrats, I guarantee you, can look forward to big losses in the mid-term elections next year. I know one thing, if Obama and the Democrats fuck this opportunity up, they can absolutely count on this progressive staying home on November 2, 2010.


----k