Today marked the restart of NewsGang Live. Unlike our recorded audio podcasts of the past, this was video and featured some great music, discussion, and thinking, all around health care reform. Hopefully Steve will rerun it on the Building43 Real Time Channel, so keep an eye out if you missed it the first time around. The discussion is here. Fifteen points if you leave a comment telling me I didn’t look as bad as I felt…got a cold kicking my butt.
One of our key discussion points was where we see a final reform bill heading, given the ideological differences that reasonable conservatives have with democrats (yes, we actually had a reasonable conservative on the show). The public option remains the key pivot point for disagreement, so I thought you might find this helpful to watch and share with friends.
My gut analysis is this: Right now, Republicans aren’t the problem. Forget about all the stuff you heard at town hall meetings and on the news, because it was just tossing spaghetti on a wall to see what would stick, as well as a shameless effort to stir up fear and hate among those who are inclined to give in to those emotions. That effort, combined with a sluggish start on the part of the netroots (but not the President, as so many seem to want to say), gave the hysterics a lot of news cycles but not a ton of traction.
Right now, the issue is strictly what the left, and in particular, the people who were on the ground during the election will do. If we stay home, we don’t call and we don’t act, then we will get the change we deserve instead of the change we believe in. Here is an excellent listing of resources for things to do. I would say the top of the list is calling, writing, faxing. But not just YOU. Get everyone you can to do it, particularly if you live in Montana, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Maine, Arkansas, and other states where BlueDogs are controlling the dialogue. Call friends, neighbors, email, and above all, share the facts about the public option with anyone who still doesn’t understand it.
I don’t know for sure where this will go. I’ll be honest: I would rather not ditch the entire effort for reform over the public option. I’d rather get everything else and maybe a paid Medicare opt-in before 65 as a compromise, but not getting something through guarantees nothing will be done for another 15 years. I’m not willing to accept that outcome. This is the last opportunity we really have to be heard. Whatever President Obama says tomorrow night will begin the process of getting something done. What something is will depend upon the voices those Senators hear. (The House has already drawn their line in the sand; the Senate is the battleground).
I am buried under a pile of Kleenex right now, but have lots more to share soon. Let’s get busy!
