Arlen Specter came to the little town of Titusville, Pa yesterday to meet with 20 or so people regarding his run for reelection. He choose to meet with local Democratic party leaders only; I was able to get an invite along with other local committeemen and women.
However, this diary is not about the chameleon Arlen. What it is is about reframing the issue of healthcare....
The debate over healthcare reform has been hijacked by the Republican Party. And lets face it, they have been effective. Most of their attacks do not even make coherent sense; (how can you be against Government intrusion into health care but still not want to give up your Medicare Card?) or downright dishonest: (see panel, death)
So Senator Specter talked a good game with regards to healthcare. And he was very quietly confidant that healthcare will pass with a public option because he did not think that Blue Dog Dems that are against it would filibuster a final bill. He even said that Senator Grassley was just afraid of being primaried from the right and that was why he was being so difficult, but he also felt that Grassley would not want to face the general electorate with blood on his hands so that after making a lot of noise he will "compromise" and something reasonable will pass. (I hope more of you call his office promising to financially support his next opponent; even if you are not from his state you can still give cash (or at least threaten to give cash to)to any Dem who runs against him)
I'm not sure that I share his confidence in this regard but I wonder if the term "Respectful Majority" should enter our talking points. They are lunatics and loud and crazy; we are respectful but more important we (ie those who want real reform on healthcare) are the majority. We don't act the way they do but we are no less insistent upon change. Incorporating this term in the debate could make them seem (more) shrill and irrational, esp to the general public and help turn the tide back in favor of what most of America really wants.
One more thing; to see Specter in our little town spending 90 minutes talking to 20 people shows how seriously he is taking his primary challenge. I think it has been very helpful; he really totted the company line with us. Not to say that means I trust him to remain that way or that I will vote for him in the primary, but he really does give us a moderate reasonable sounding experienced voice on the healthcare issue.