Yes, I am willing to make the sacrifice.

I have been active in the Democratic Part for over 20 years now and have worked in every election since I got out of high school. Over the past few days I asked myself if I am will to sacrifice our majorities in Congress in 2010 if that is what it took to get strong health care reform with a public option and the answer is YES. I will gladly lay down my party to seize this once in a generation opportunity,

like the pukes?

The saddest words are "what might have been."

:thumbsup:

The political climate is really very different now than it was in 1994. In 1994, the Republican Party's approval ratings were not in the toilet. The ghost of Ronald Reagan was much more powerful then. Whereas Clinton followed Bush I, Obama follows one of the least popular politicians in American history, Bush II. Clinton was elected with less than 50% of the popular vote. Obama was elected with well over 50% of the popular vote. The religious right had not completely taken over the Republican Party then. Now, Republican politicians are generally insane, reflecting their rabid base.

I think Obama blew his first chance at health care reform by pushing for a weak plan. I think he should table the idea, for now, and push for single payer in 2011. The current system is unsustainable, and everyone knows it. Change will come. Let's not settle for a bailout of the insurance industry. Let's insist on the eradication of it.

I expect the Democratic Party will pick up 3 seats in the Senate and between 3-6 seats in the House UNLESS Congress passes a disastrous "insurance reform" bill. At this point, I would rather do nothing than to pass any of the bills under consideration in Congress.

:dem:

-Laelth

TY

If that's all you've got, I think I'd rather go back to sleep.

:dem:

-Laelth

A bare link to a poorly-written essay, and I honestly have no idea what alleged truth you think I am oblivious to.

:dem:

-Laelth

but i definitely think hope that obama is smarter than that.

let's do it now, not in 2011.

The NYT essay that suggested Democrats were ready to abandon bipartisanship got me really excited. I was ready to push for single-payer then. Of course, within hours the White House was back on it's bipartisanship shtick, and I lost my hope that we could get it done now.

If, and when, the Democratic Party decides to go it alone and stop kissing Republican butt, then I say the time is right to push for single-payer. Of course, in all the letters to politicians that I have written on this subject I have expressed my preference for a single-payer system, but I did so knowing that it was not a realistic possibility because it was "off the table." If the Democrats decide to go it alone, I will feel the need to make sure single-payer is "on the table." That's when I think we'll have the best chance to get real "health care" reform and not just a bailout of the health insurance industry.

:dem:

-Laelth

While I agree that this hasn't been a very inspiring performance (quite the opposite) it is certainly better than we would get with Republicans running the house and the senate. There's a difference between chumps halfheartedly trying to do the right thing and bastards working as hard as they can to do the wrong thing.

Bryant