If there is going to be a serious progressive movement in this country capable of standing up for health care against an industry that spends $1.4 million a day on lobbying, we can’t just look to the members of the Progressive Caucus and say “hey, you, get something done.” They need cover. They need to know that they will be supported. And people like Van Jones who have given their lives to causes we say we value like prison reform and environmentalism need to know that they will be defended, and not handed over to Glenn Beck for their willingness to stand up and fight.

When Barack Obama appears at the AFL-CIO Labor Day rallly tomorrow to talk about health care, he’ll be speaking in a state where a battle is underway for who will get the Democratic nomination for the US Senate seat that will be open in 2010.

Jennifer Brunner is the Ohio Secretary of State, and she is a strong supporter of the Public Option.

The problem with Van Jones’ resignation isn’t that it’s a major loss to the Obama administration. Jones wasn’t a particularly important player in the big scheme of things, and he’s not irreplaceable. No, the real problem is that it gives these sentiments legitimacy.

Yes, the great minds on Wall Street want their investor pigeons to bet on death in a big way, while they gorge themselves on fees. Vulture bonds anyone?

Democrats have been so busy putting the lie to the GOP death panel attack that we’ve failed to consider the proposal on its merits. Would the GOP argue with a Secretary of Death? We should think this through.

The New York Times tracks down veterans of the 1994 health reform effort, along with aides working on the same problem today, to compile a list of the lessons learned. None of them is very useful, and the real lessons are missed.

Following the announcement from the White House that they were crafting their own health care bill (to memorialize the deals that they negotiated with Baucus and stakeholders), it looks like Baucus has decided he wants to write the bill after all.

Soufan we go hard, we go hard

Health Care, H1N1, Obama’s Speech, and then some. Oh, and Grilled Steak Tabbouleh Salad.

Teacher’s Pest.   This Famous Studios Noveltoon cartoon was released on March 13, 1950.

Directed by I. Sparber.  Story by Isadore Klein.  Music by Winston Sharples.  Backgrounds by Tom Ford.  Animation by Myron Waldman and Gordon Whittier.

What’s on your mind?