“For almost the entirety of the health care debate, the Obama Administration has relied on economist Jonathan Gruber to make the public case for its idea of reform – even the most unpopular parts. But as Firedoglake revealed on Friday, the Obama Administration has failed to disclose that it paid the same economist more than $780,000.

Jonathan Gruber’s work has been cited by the White House, Members of Congress, and countless media outlets, but not once did the Obama Administration disclose it was paying him more than $780,000 in tax dollars. ”

email fro FDL

Gotta go -bbl.

My husband and I just returned from an expected Christmas week trip to visit a friend who was near death. He is currently recovering, but we were informed last Thursday that his insurance company doesn’t thing he should have therapy because – oh you know – the are the pre-existing Death Panel – the ones Sarah Palin either doesn’t know ar is lying about. My guess she’s lying.

So while I’m fortunate to have health care, I’m surrounded by those I deeply love who are not. I also know what it is like to not personally have health care due to a pre-existing condition. I know what impact the insurance company and employers rules had on my care and my family’s income. I know and I know it isn’t simple. But it didn’t need to be this hard had Obama shown leadership. I hold HIM directly responsible for the feebleness of this bill.

Yeah, as you likely have seen me say before – I have long had health care and what would be considered good health care. My plan is a self-insured plan administered by a company.

Both of my young adult daughters have pre-existing conditions – so, if you want to measure from an “in your own back yard” problem – I’ve got it. They have crumby insurance, with this bill, it is likely to get worse – just not worse as fast.

So, how do you think one should go about demanding REAL health insurance reform if your advice is to keep your mouth shut and don’t let the POTUS or Democrats know it matters? It matters a lot.

Good point. If this bill passes, you will have to let us know how your sister makes out with health insurance, although it’s not supposed to kick in for a few years. Angels, would she be affected right away?

http://www.realtor.org/banks_and_commerce.nsf/Pages/banks_in_real_estate?OpenDocument

You must be a Democrat. Sounds like my family.

That’s very true, angels. I know.

I am very aware of health care and insurance and I’m not convinced that this is anything to be crowing about.

The only way we’ve gotten anything is to have dragged the DINO POTUS and his political team by kicking and screaming that this is NOT the CHANGE we want. Obama either needs to be a Democrat and lead the Democratic Party or, as one who believes in the 2 party system, I’ll keep fighting in EVERY way I can to find a REAL DEMOCRAT to lead the party.

Like it or not, we are stuck with a two party system. To gain power to do anything, it will be within one of those two party’s. That’s why from my point of view, we need to do less tearing down and more effort in fixing whats wrong, instead of just bitching and airing our anger.

Because if we complain that we aren’t getting what we want, what we asked for, and what we voted for; well, then it’s our fault when those we relied on don’t deliver. What do you think it would take for Obama and crew to actually act like they wanted REAL CHANGE. Not just happy to empty the pockets “change” of the american people. Thats redistribution of wealth apparently they can believe in – straight to health insurance companies and other big business via Wall Street.

Shut up or you just may get less gruel and we’ll charge you more for it. What power do you think you have anyway? Ballot box – oh surely you jest. You can’t afford the ballot box that counts.

Any ideas out there? It certainly seems the conservadems hold the power. That’s not what I voted for, anyway.

“but its better then no step, and if we work to better the Democratic party, we can build on this bill.”

Do you think that will really happen? I’m not sure.

I see your points.

Does anyone think if McCain had won, we would be talking about healthcare at all? We would have another right wing Supreme Court Justice instead of the good women we got. Does anyone think unemployment benefits would have been extended? Do you think there would have been any stimulus money at all? None of this would have happened.

The healthcare bill may only be a tiny step in the right direction, but its better then no step, and if we work to better the Democratic party, we can build on this bill. If we lose it all, and Republicans regain control in 2010, we will lose even the small steps this messy coalition has gained.

So I ask the question I asked up thread. Whats a liberal/progressive to do? I would like to hear more positive ideas, and less bitching and trashing, leave that to the other side, they are much more a threat to me then this messy big tent coalition.

I really don’t think it would be that hard. Here’s a specific example of what I’m thinking about. Last week or so, Cujo359 put up an excellent diary on economics on FireDogLake. I didn’t agree with the thrust of it, but he/she asked some excellent questions, sans rancor. That could spark discussion and debate with people from my side of things, and we could begin to look for candidates who lent credence to the concerns of both.

Here’s another. For all her faults, and they are legion , kris has been making an argument about the essential inability of government to create jobs. She argues that government will simply make a bad situation worse. I think there’s some truth to that, although IMHO she overstates the case, and we should explore it in a much more profound way than we have to date. If we did, I suspect we would get to a place where we would agree on 60-70% of the issues, agree to disagree on about 20%, and vehemently disagree on the remaining 10% or so.

So my question is, why don’t we focus on what we can agree on (or at least agree to disagree)? Perhaps once we got through that, we’d find that the remaining 10% is not as insoluble as we’d supposed. Working together on difficult issue has the ancillary benefit of broadening people’s perspectives. And I believe that change comes from the ground up, not the top down. Just my view.

I hear you. In an ideal world, it would be wonderful for us to get together to be the change vs. some outside force, but today there are so many more powerful forces than us in collusion, and I think they are winning. People are upset about that. Ogenec, people did try to effect change in health care through the blogs, etc. and while most of the country wanted some kind of public option or true competition, the lobbyists won. But I don’t want to give up, either. I guess if you look at history, it’s usually taken a leader to effect change, usually a charismatic one that people will follow and believe in. That doesn’t mean we can’t have more everyday leaders around like we the people – I guess we should. So I agree with you on that.

You say that so forcefully that one is (almost) convinced you believe it. I don’t. It’s pure advocacy, as the next few months will make even more clear. And you’re the one who keeps name-checking Obama. I don’t care that Obama is getting hammered around here. And, I’m pretty sure, neither does he. I care that you are acting as handmaiden for Palin and Romney. But you know that. The incessant invocation of Obama is deliberate, to engender the Pavlovian response Sec accurately described.

First of all, I wasn’t aware that citing someone as being new at anything was an “attack line,” simply a statement of fact, which you yourself admit, so let’s dispense with that. Now, jumping across your egocentricity, advocacy doesn’t preclude reportage (that can be seen easily when I report & write from foreign policy forums, White House events, etc.), nor does it prohibit opinion or analysis, all of which is easy to discern for those honestly trying.

People are upset that Pres. Obama is getting deservedly hammered around here, as well as other sites. So again, for ogenec and others who don’t get what I do. I don’t write for approval of progressives or those who advocate “enough of the friendly fire.” I don’t write for the benefit of the Democratic Party masses. I’m a liberal writer who seeks something much larger.

If anyone can’t take the reporting, political analysis and opinion around here, well, you have softer, gentler sites that will mollify your angst. I have no intention of not telling the truth as I see it, which last time I looked didn’t have a Democratic, progressive, or Republican bias.

TM NOTE: That’s it from me on this one, but y’all continue to have at it. I so enjoy reading all of your comments, even when I don’t jump in.

And yes, I confess. I’m not a long-time reader. First came here in 2007. But I am highly-skilled reader. 99th percentile verbal aptitude, in fact. I have the LSAT and GMAT scores to prove it. And I know advocacy masquerading as reportage when I see it.

I’ve said this for a very long time. I was a writer, with political analysis and culture issues the focus, long before blogging was born. For me, blogging is a platform, not what I do. I know that’s hard for newcomers to the scene to get, but that’s the nut of it. Being part of “new media” is where I fit in, because I am not and have never pretended to be what is called a “movement progressive,” represented by t4h, democratz and many others around here, who do grass roots organizing and working for candidates.

If any of you are looking for party line validation you won’t find it here, except when earned. As long time readers know, pushing 14 years on the web now, that’s not what I do or have ever done. It certainly isn’t what I intend to do going forward. People expecting me to ignore national political trends and phenomenons will also be disappointed. There are plenty of people out there who prop up bad actions by the Dems because they aren’t Rep, contending that’s good enough. I’m not one of them.

Not sure if anyone would. But it won’t be for want of trying here.

And, yes, leadership is fair game for analysis. But why should it take some external force to get the progressives and pragmatists on board? Wht can’t everyday folks like you and I do it? That’s what I’m missing. If blogging merely reinforces already-held views, then I fail to see the point of it.