For more than a year now we’ve watched Congress debate healthcare reform, or more accurately, health insurance reform, with all its fits and starts, twists and turns with increasing frustration regardless of which side you’re on. For those on the left the aggravation has been particularly acute with the one system, single payer, whose success worldwide at providing comprehensive healthcare to the most people at the least cost has been completely ignored by those charged with reforming our current system. This debate has also demonstrated beyond any doubt just how broken our democracy is when a minority of senators can effectively block any real change, and where even one senator’s ego can thwart the reform that working Americans so desperately need.
So it’s no great surprise that healthcare reform has devolved into heath insurance reform and while there are many good aspects to the final legislation, rather than breaking the strangle hold that health insurance corporations have over our healthcare system, their power has only increased. Not only was single payer off the table from the start, people were actually arrested for daring to suggest that it be part of the discussion. And even the milquetoast alternative, a public option, failed to make it in the final bill, for now at least. The fact that a public option which would have only been available to the relatively small number of individuals buying their insurance from an exchange was considered such a threat to the insurance giants and therefore excluded in the final bill demonstrates both the power and influence corporations have over our government, and the absurdity that the free market is superior to, and more efficient to any government program. If that were actually true then the public option would be no threat to private insurance.
So in light of the weakness of the legislation signed into law, is there any reason to be optimistic about our future? I believe the answer is yes. The corporatist Republicans threw absolutely everything they had to defeat any type of reform from passing and they failed. Some may see that because the outcome was far less than what Obama’s base wanted, it was a victory for the right but if that were true Republicans would now be sighing with relief rather than vowing to overthrow this bill in any way possible. Former Bush speechwriter David Frum was recently fired from the conservative think tank, American Enterprise Institute for criticizing the GOP’s over the top opposition to healthcare reform. It was Frum’s position that Republicans should have negotiated with Democrats rather than simply attempting to obstruct anything Democrats proposed. Frum noted that the final bill wasn’t much different than previous GOP healthcare proposals and that by going for “all the marbles,” “[w]e ended up with none.” Frum declared, “Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s. It’s hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster.”
Was Frum correct, about compromising I mean? Should Republicans have accepted their minority status and tried instead to negotiate an outcome more in line with their beliefs rather than “go for all the marbles?” I believe the answer is no. I believe the Republicans were terrified of any type of reform, if only subconsciously, because they understand, again if only subconsciously, that the Reagan revolution is finally over and their influence over American politics has finally come to an end. For thirty years now Americans have bought into the conservative meme that greed is good, that if you get government out of the way of the wealthy that we all would prosper. But we didn’t prosper, not most of us anyway. Before Reagan we were the largest creditor nation in the world, now we’re the largest debtor. Before Reagan our manufacturing industry was the envy of the world, now that envy goes to China. Before Reagan an average single earner family had more disposable income than the average dual income family has today. After World War II, and until the folly of Viet Nam, we had a strong, stable economy. After Reagan, we’ve had a series of boom bust cycles culminating into the worst collapse since the Great Depression. After the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush, after the smoking ruins the GOP has left this country, any change in direction, no matter how slight, would give lie to the Republican orthodoxy we’ve been subjected to over the last three decades. They knew that reforming healthcare, or anything else for that matter, would be a net benefit to working Americans and a net loss to the right’s corporate masters and they had no choice but to fight it with everything they had. It may take a little while, but Americans will see that “Obamacare” won’t usher in Armageddon or that none of the other ridiculous hyperbole emanating from the right wing noise machine will turn out to be true either. In fact, the health insurance reform just passed will actually have a positive effect if only slightly and may very well lead to actual healthcare reform.
We’ve reached a turning point in this country’s history. The recent spate of violence may be a harbinger of worse things to come or it may just represent the last throes of the evil influence that has dominated our culture for the last thirty years. I believe the latter. I believe the Republican’s defeat is America’s victory.
–Paul Wilden






In an unbelievable display of hypocrisy, Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) expressed dismay over reports that foreign owned hotels in China faced severe retaliation if they refused to install Internet monitoring software that would allow the Chinese government to observe all of the Internet activity of the hotel’s guests. (h/t
Think Progress ran a 
I’ve written previously how foolish it is to count on any of the candidates from the two major political parties to bring about any real change in this country, and, as if on cue, Barack Obama has proven my point with his recent flip-flop on telecom immunity as a part of the FISA bill currently working its way through Congress. At first, Obama vowed to support a Senate filibuster blocking attempts to pass a bill that includes immunity but this is what he had to say about the recently passed House version that does include immunity,
In one short statement, House Majority leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) summed up the reason why we can’t count on the Democratic party to stand up for either the Constitution or the American people. While Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) characterized the recent passage of FISA “a capitulation,” Hoyer has declared it a “victory”. From the 
Much has been written about Russert since his untimely death yesterday and predictably most have praised him as a tough journalist unafraid to ask the hard questions. Predictably I say, in part because of the natural tendency to speak well of the dead but mostly, I suspect, because his flaws were shared by most in our main stream media.
In a landmark five to four decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the detainees of Guantanamo have the right to appeal in U.S. civilian courts, their indefinite detention. The Bush administration has argued from the beginning that the detainees are “enemy combatants” and therefore are not afforded the rights that most of us take for granted including habeas corpus.
James Johnson
In a report that should surprise no one, the Senate Intelligence Committee is claiming that Bush and Cheney knew the intelligence did not support their assertions that Iraq was a threat to national security. While it’s certainly true that our intelligence was flawed, Bush’s claims that his judgment was sound and his actions were based on the information he was receiving were essentially untrue. From a McClatchy 
Will Attorney General Michael Mukasey do his job, perform his constitutional duty and enforce this subpoena? When Mukasey’s name was offered to the Senate to replace Gonzales as Attorney General, it was hoped that even though he’s a staunch conservative, he would possess the independence and integrity to act in a non-partisan manner as the nation’s leading law enforcement officer. His equivocations regarding the legality of “waterboarding” during his Senate confirmation hearings didn’t inspire much confidence but here he has the opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to the rule of law by compelling Rove’s sworn testimony to the House Judiciary Committee.
Thomas Friedman’s op-ed
The reaction to McClellan’s tell-all book, where he reveals, among other things, Bush’s elaborate propaganda scheme to sell the public on the need to invade Iraq, was swift and furious. McClellan was said to be a disgruntled ex-employee, disloyal, disingenuous, and self-serving, just to name a few. In an administration where loyalty is valued far above honesty, integrity and competence-”heck of a job Brownie”-McClellan’s stock is now valued somewhere below Judas’.
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, in a tell all book soon to be released, accuses the Bush administration of leading us into war by manipulating the public with an elaborate propaganda campaign,
If Senator Joseph Lieberman had his way YouTube would be required to take down any videos he deems objectionable, all in the name of protecting us against terrorism of course. From an 



In a slim 4-3 decision, California’s Supreme Court has overturned the laws banning marriage between same sex partners. The decision was something of a surprise given that six out of the seven justices are Republicans but contrary to what the religious zealots are saying, far from being “judicial activism”, the decision was based solely on constitutional issues,
The Republicans, already “thumped” in the 2006 midterm elections, have now lost three Congressional seats in special elections this year signaling a further decline in the confidence Americans have for the Republican Party. From an 
I’ve written previously on and how far too much attention has been paid to his remarks. I’ve also John McCain’s own Pastor Wright, Pastor John Hagee, and how that in spite of his anti-Catholic and homophobic remarks, not much has been mentioned in the press concerning his connection to McCain even though McCain actively sought out his political endorsement. My main point was that in either case, placing too much emphasis on these candidates associations obscures the real issues we should be focusing on,
The Washington Post
In typical True Believer® fashion, Michael Gerson’s column in The Washington Post, entitled “
Now that the Supreme Court has decided that it’s okay to inflict unbearable pain while executing someone and therefore ending the de facto moratorium on capital punishment, it’s time to re-examine the use of this uncivilized and barbaric punishment.
Is it any wonder we’re mired in an endless war in Iraq or why Israel and the Palestinians can’t seem to work out their differences when we have
Once revered world-wide as a beacon of freedom and justice, America has devolved into just the kind of nation we were all raised to abhor. Started as a grand experiment in democracy where all are created equal, where we’re a nation of laws and not men, we’ve sunk to the point where our president not only believes he’s above the law but that the ends justify the means and that nothing, including torture, is off limits. From an op-ed
And to the extent that any of the prisoners are in fact terrorists, descending to their level (or worse), not only goes against the founding principles of this country, it’s morally wrong by any decent standard, religious, ethical or humanitarian.
I’ve written previously on this nation’s insistence with choosing its leaders based on traits (or perceived traits). And nowhere is this truer than with our obsession with Barack Obama’s relationship with Jeremiah Wright. I’ve also about Wright, and while I wouldn’t want to try and defend his every utterance, most of what he’s said has not been that unreasonable.
Wednesday, the Senate voted down a bill that would’ve made it easier for women to sue their employers for pay discrimination. The bill, introduced by Senator Kennedy, was an effort to counteract the ridiculous Supreme Court decision last year that limits a woman’s right to sue to 180 days after the discrimination is first alleged. Because people don’t ordinarily discuss pay with coworkers, and are in fact usually discouraged from doing so by their employers, it can take years for pay discrimination to come to light making the 180 day limit unreasonable at best and a bad joke at worst.

Stories of the Bush administration’s ban on photographing returning coffins from Iraq may be old news, but it might surprise some to learn that even when the family of a slain soldier specifically permits press coverage of the funeral, the Pentagon still tries it’s best to keep it out of the public eye. From a
According to David Brooks’
In a move that was widely criticized, former president Jimmy Carter began negotiations with the democratically elected leaders of the Gaza strip, Hamas. As Carter travelled to the region, pretty much all you heard was that Hamas is a terrorist group that refuses to accept the existence of Israel and therefore is unworthy of negotiating with. Given our current political climate, this was hardly a surprise. Bush, in classic authoritarian style, has refused to negotiate with any of our enemies, even when
David Brooks
While the best that President Bush can muster as a leader is to prance around in a flight suit, Jimmy Carter has demonstrated what real leadership is all about as he attempts to negotiate a peace settlement in the Middle-East. Of course Carter is taking plenty of flak from a shallow, vapid and clueless media that’s incapable of even covering an election without falling into meaningless personality-based coverage more suitable for People Magazine. A perfect example is this Washington Post
And with Hamas, by looking only at the surface, the media has all but ignored the plight of the Palestinians of Gaza who live in what amounts to an open air prison. In much the same way that Obama’s leadership qualifications are reduced to his ability to roll a ball down a lane, the Palestinians are painted by the utterances of one man, “Mr. Zahar’s words are worth publishing because they provide some clarity about the group he helps to lead.” Not only does this represent a gross over-simplification of Hamas, it says virtually nothing of the Palestinian people as a whole, who just like the Israeli’s, have indicated a willingness to create a two-state solution to their conflict. So while it’s true that the Hamas leadership has been unwilling to recognize the state of Israel, they don’t speak for all Palestinians anymore than Bush speaks for all Americans.
At first I was more concerned by the criticism from Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama’s “bitter” remarks because as I pointed out before, you expect inane drivel from the right but Clinton is expected to know better. But after reading George Will’s
After decades of the right exploiting these very issues, “god, guns and gays,” he can actually write something like this with, one would guess, a straight face. Anybody remember the “wolves” campaign
The fifties and early sixties are often referred to as “the good old days” by those who lived through them (providing you weren’t black or some other minority), and many consider that period–before the hippies came on the scene–as a very conservative period in America. But as Stephanie Coontz reveals in her essay,
Hillary Clinton seized on this and accused Obama as being an elitist and that he’s out of touch. Exactly the kind of accusations the Republicans have so disingenuously hurled at Democrats over recent memory,
Of course Obama’s remarks are essentially correct. It’s this reality that is precisely why Republicans focus on these issues in the first place. In their quest for power, conservatives have nothing of any real value to offer working Americans. For example, lowering taxes, only the rich see any real benefit from their tax plans, the piss on…err…trickle down theory was shown to be completely bogus when Reagan tried it, the only thing that everyday Americans get from the Republican’s endless quest for lower taxes are failing schools and
Since the recent declassification of the John Woo
When Barack Obama visited a bowling alley in the Pennsylvania town of Altoona a couple of weeks ago and rolled a couple of gutter balls, the national media saw fit to run over
In what seems like an endless parade, yet again one of our political class pundits shows how completely out of step he is with the prevailing American opinion. Michael Gerson’s op-ed column,
The other day I on the shameful behavior of our national media for reporting on the most trivial and unimportant matters while hardly mentioning the far more serious issues such as torture, lying and lawbreaking from our nation’s leaders and unrestricted expansion of governmental powers, to name a few. I quoted from a Glenn Greenwald
But the number of “media cycles” doesn’t explain why there were ten times more stories about “Obama and bowling” over “Yoo and torture.” Nor does the number of “responses” to a story explain away the disparity. It’s only news when person in question responds? Why were there over one thousand stories covering Obama’s bowling to begin with? Is this really news? Is our nation so trouble free, is the world so trouble free that the journalists filing all those accounts of Obama’s apparent lack of bowling skills had nothing better to report on? Is this the information that we need to know in order to elect our next president? Apparently Drezner thinks so, “Shockingly, the press appears to be more interested in events that determine the future (i.e., who will be the next president?)”
Like an unsinkable rubber duck, John McCain continues to insist that things are going just swell in Iraq, that real progress is being made and success is just around the corner. Ignoring the recent “surge” in violence where a reported 900 plus Iraq civilians were killed, ignoring that the American death toll topped 4000 this week, McCain insists that the surge has brought Iraq “something approaching normal,” and “[w]e are no longer staring into the abyss of defeat, and we can now look ahead to the genuine prospect of success.”
This, of course, is but one example of the completely useless stories reported and repeated endlessly by a news media that unceasingly focuses on shallow, personality based investigations of our nation’s leaders and would be leaders.