Democrats did not offer a truly socialized health care system like they have in the United Kingdom. They did not just pass a universal single payer health care system like “Medicare for all.” Not only did the bill not include a public option, but the regulations on the private insurance companies are extremely loose. Despite passing an extremely industry friendly, pro-private market, health insurance expansion bill, Democrats were still attacked by Republicans as socialists pushing a “government takeover” of health care.

Blistering.

Paul Broun, Republican Representative and moronic statement machine. His influences…pretty much what you’d guess them to be.

Featuring two new videos from Northern Lights final show and The Soft Pack.

Last week, among the sturm und drang of the health insurance reform “thingy”, Aunt Toby had a couple of ‘light bulb moments’ with regard to the fight, Congress, and why things are so screwed up: First: no matter how much money we have or give to people who wrap themselves in the Progressive flag, as [...]

Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Rep. Degette, the Pro-Choice Caucus, the president. . . ?

A troubling aspect of the shell game being played with the U.S. Army Field Manual’s Appendix M is that it appears to be applicable to those who we can label an illegal enemy combatants even though they have not engaged in any act of war against us. Which sounds like the kind of people we might want to throw into Gitmo. This apparent ongoing shell game with detainees also makes clear that we really need someone (like SCOTUS) to insist that the same access to some review process now available to Gitmo detainees be available to Bagram detainees. Until that happens, our government seems intent on holding people in arbitrary detention.

It appears that accountability comes last for Blue Dogs, and help comes last for progressive challengers. That’s been clear for quite a while. Maybe labor is starting to see things differently. But I’ll bring to your attention the fact that they immediately starting protecting those who voted for the health care bill rather than damning those who didn’t. And in the days leading up to the vote, the latter was more of a priority.

Most neighborhoods have them, little mini marts that sell daily necessities. My local corner store is part of a chain, but in other cities less car-driven, these convenience stores tend to be mom-and-pop businesses. In the San Francisco neighborhood of Mistro, between the Mission and Castro, Yousef (Joseph) Elhaj owns the Church Street corner store.

More than ten years ago, this Christian Palestinian left his family behind Bethlehem, Palestine and came to America working first for his brother-in-law and then buying the Church Street store from his older brother. In Palestine he worked as a salesman for a plastics manufacturing company, but after the Second Intifada, realized that his wages were not enough to support his family. Corner Store documents a pivotal point in his life.

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet first circulated a letter to his colleagues in the Senate to “save the public option.” He and 23 other Senators wrote to Majority Leader Harry Reid and asked that the public option be inserted into the reconciliation package for health reform. Another two dozen Senators expressed public support for a public option if it came to a vote.

But now that Bernie Sanders has backed down on offering a public option amendment, another Senator needs to step up to the plate. After leading online activists and almost half his caucus to “save the public option,” it should be a no-brainer for Michael Bennet to show he’s a true leader and offer the public option amendment for a vote.

Unfortunately, it looks like Bennet is trying to weasel out of supporting the public option.