I can finally take a breath!

Health care reform is passed! It has some real benefits for ordinary people and will do a lot to rationalize the health care system and hopefully cut costs. It's not the bill I would want, Medicare for all! But....it showed that in the face of incredible odds it is possible to get something important accomplished in the U.S. Congress. It also showed how virulent the opposition is to President Obama. Why would ordinary people believe that a bill that reinforces the private health insurance system is socialistic? Why would ordinary people not applaud a law that permits children to be on their parent's health care insurance for til they're 26? Especially important in a recession where it's hard for young people to find jobs. Why would people not want to curb in the power of the health insurance companies to deny you coverage for a pre- existing condition? It's because the steady drumbeat of opposition has demonized the bill and the President. I believe the Republicans have made a mistake. I think most people don't want a "just say no!" government. I hope Democrats and independents will work as hard in this off year election as they worked to elect Obama. Let's reaffirm the idea that civilized debate, rather than furious invective, is more effective in reaching voters.

GRRRRRRR!

Can't get over the "brown shirt" methods of the Republicans and the right wing naysayers. I would bet that half of them need health insurance or are in danger of losing their health insurance or might any day find out that their costs are rising. But they think it's all right to break up meetings, shout people down, and even hang members of Congress in effigy. Is this the level of civil discourse that they want to teach their children? Is this the kind of community they want to live in? I notice that the quality of the online responses printed in our local paper is at about the same level: nonsensical connections, wild ideas, foolish name calling. Anything proposed by Obama or the Democrats is "socialism". Their call is to resist but never to put forth ideas that could solve the problem. Fact is: our nation is the only western industrialized nation where people go into bankruptcy because their medical bills break them.