The Moral Challenge of Health Care Reform

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 29th, 2009 @ 10:15:03 am , using 314 words
Category: Commentary

I watched a piece on Bill Moyers' Journal Friday that drove home the primary subject matter in this health care debate. "Money-Driven Medicine' makes clear the very real idea that at bottom the health care issue is a moral one, steeped in a wrangle betwe… more »
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Ted Kennedy's Humanity

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 27th, 2009 @ 10:32:26 am , using 613 words
Category: Commentary, Repetitions

Kennedy's willingness to cross party lines only enhanced his credibility when he needed to stand alone as a progressive prophet. In early 2003, while so many in his party cowered in fear, Kennedy stood against the impending invasion of Iraq, warning that… more »
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Colorado Democratic Party Headquarters Vandalized

Posted by: Stace Johnson
Published on August 25th, 2009 @ 01:03:23 pm , using 693 words
Category: Commentary

The Colorado Democratic Party Headquarters in Denver suffered vandalism to eleven storefront windows last night. Let's think about this for a minute. Having seen the propensity for violence on the part of conservatives in recent town hall meetings, h… more »
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The Day Grand Cried

Posted by: Leonard "Red" Bird
Published on August 24th, 2009 @ 10:39:41 pm , using 2022 words
Category: Fiction/Memoir

On the day of Barack Obama's Inaugural my neighbor turned to me and said, "We must keep him in our prayers, as he will need all the help he can get." Though it's been a long time since I've given much credence to prayer, I nodded and added, "So will we."… more »
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How Best to Deal with BO

Posted by: Bill Dodd
Published on August 24th, 2009 @ 09:58:25 pm , using 727 words
Category: Commentary

My partner and I were working the day shift out of Valdez, aboard the Exxon Valdez as it negotiated its way through Prince William Sound, the Capt'n in the wheelhouse softly humming, "Who's afraid of the drunken sailor," while on the bow the lst Mate was… more »
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The Democratic Party's Ability to Govern

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 24th, 2009 @ 09:32:56 am , using 464 words
Category: Commentary, Repetitions

Reminder that the Dems have a chance to get this health care reform passed and it is not entirely Obama's task to win or lose. Lots of missteps along this route, but Douthet is right that the party has a signature issue that is certainly not as divisive… more »
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Guns and a Complex World

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 23rd, 2009 @ 08:57:36 am , using 349 words
Category: Commentary, Repetitions

Frank Rich in this Sunday 's NY Times does some duty with the increase of armed militia-styled groups and the appearance at Health Care rallies of gunners with assault rifles. Threats against the president and an all-out attempt to turn back the progress… more »
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Barney Frank Pulls Out All the Stops

Posted by: Stace Johnson
Published on August 20th, 2009 @ 03:38:44 pm , using 30 words
Category: Commentary, Repetitions

Go get 'em, Barney!  When is the GOP going to realize that fascism and socialism are not the same thing, and that a public option represents neither?   [video:youtube:nYlZiWK2Iy8]   more »
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Four Poems by Joseph Somoza

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 20th, 2009 @ 03:26:24 pm , using 542 words
Category: Poetry

April FlowersThere’s such an abundanceof leaves now!So many directionsa white butterflyflits at the same time!It’s no wonder the catgives it up andcurls on a chair,half asleep, half pretending to sleep,like old age in hischais… more »
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Can We Leave The Guns out of the Debate?

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 20th, 2009 @ 08:56:14 am , using 548 words
Category: Commentary, Repetitions

E.J. Dionne in today's WaPo wonders if those screaming and carrying guns to these town halls on health care would be comfortable if leftists had carried guns during appearances of Reagan or W. Bush. The whole threat of insurrection coming from the fringe… more »
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Happy Birthday Bill

Posted by: Steve Belasco
Published on August 19th, 2009 @ 07:40:50 pm , using 146 words
Category: Commentary

I wake up each morning to Rough Road Review where I find the steadiest contributor, Bill Pearlman, has picked the plums from the day’s news and highlighted them for me. Bill, a South Bay beach boy, a volleyball All American at UCLA – the softest touch se… more »
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How about some Liberal Outrage?

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 18th, 2009 @ 07:33:33 am , using 293 words
Category: Repetitions

This from Kuttner this am in the WaPo. It does seem like Obama is not taking a lead in this, but praying for reason or rain. I suppose it is not in his temperament to go too far in concluding the right is compounding the already dire conditions where the… more »
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American Masai

Posted by: Steve Belasco
Published on August 17th, 2009 @ 04:25:41 pm , using 494 words
Category: Commentary

We read this morning that the administration is considering compromising its public health insurance option. It is feeling the pressure of public sentiment which is running against change or, at least, that particular change. I am reminded of President J… more »
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Evening

Posted by: Peter Marin
Published on August 16th, 2009 @ 11:48:29 am , using 131 words
Category: Poetry

Evening and the slow processions of desire pause on the corner, pause where as boys we whistled our tunes watching the girls pass by. Who were we then, as we are now, mysteries, fading? How many faces hidden on the page can you pick out… more »
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HEALTH CARE REFORM

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 16th, 2009 @ 10:02:27 am , using 465 words
Category: Repetitions

We’ve been so caught up in dissecting the technical arguments over health care reform that it is easy to lose sight of the human dimensions of the crisis. That was impossible last week when we saw pictures of thousands of people waiting stoically ou… more »
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Obama Invokes Past Presidents

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 15th, 2009 @ 09:27:28 am , using 217 words
Category: Repetitions

So when folks with a stake in the status quo keep inventing these boogeymen in an effort to scare people, it’s disappointing, but it’s not surprising.  We’ve seen it before.  When President Roosevelt was working to create Social Security, opponents warne… more »
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Summer of '69

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 14th, 2009 @ 11:01:42 am , using 213 words
Category: Poetry

     Summer of  '69One must be true to the muse, said Gravesover & over in the heatof the Mallorcan summerhis lovely Norwegian dancerhanging on his every line'my dear, you are beautifuland you sink me into Erosby your illusory lovef… more »
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Blue Dog Ramble

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 13th, 2009 @ 04:09:02 pm , using 475 words
Category: Commentary, Repetitions

A sort of analysis of the so-called Blue Dog Dems in today's Guardian (Guardianunlimited.com), the UK liberal daily that often sees more clearly than most US papers, from Dylan Loewe. These Blue Dogs barely got hold of their seats, and that because of ra… more »
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A Line In the Sand

Posted by: Bill Dodd
Published on August 12th, 2009 @ 12:02:28 am , using 429 words
Category: Commentary

If you're curious how military-coup deposed Pres. Manuel Zalaya came to be president of Honduras in the first place, just remember than when he first came to power he was a Right-winger, a leader of the "white" aristocratic oligarchy and business/militar… more »
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Hooliganville, USA

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 8th, 2009 @ 11:50:04 am , using 419 words
Category: Commentary, Repetitions

Hard to believe these people can't take the time to compose an argument that has some data or facts that make sense. A debate about the health care proposals makes sense. But this kind of mobthink has got to be the worst aspect of the political process.… more »
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Howard Dean on the Importance of the Public Plan

Posted by: Stace Johnson
Published on August 6th, 2009 @ 05:33:34 pm , using 46 words
Category: Repetitions

Between all the birth certificate nonsense and the town hall mobs, there's this little issue of health care and the public option. Fortunately, Howard Dean is not distracted by the background noise, and reminds us just how important the public option is… more »
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Bill Clinton rescues the two journalists in North Korea

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 5th, 2009 @ 09:23:53 am , using 211 words
Category: Commentary

Very emotional this am when the journalists held in North Korea descended from the plane in Burbank. Gore to greet them early, their families, then Bill Clinton who did the humanitarian rescuing. Such a graceful success story, and right out of some kind… more »
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Medicare and Misinformation

Posted by: Bill Pearlman
Published on August 2nd, 2009 @ 11:24:13 am , using 476 words
Category: Commentary, Repetitions

The sheer amount of misinformation and mythical non-reasoning going on in the health debate is really weird. A guy on one of the town hall meeting the other day stood up and said, 'I don't want the government messing with my Medicare!' There you have it.… more »
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