Get out of the way. Yes, Mr. Obama, now I’m talking to you as well. If you aren’t willing to LEAD, then get out of the way. Many people who had never gotten involved in politics, who had been so distressed during the Bush years at how badly everything was going, got involved and worked hard to get you elected. "Change," remember? We worked for the change we needed, that we believed you wanted as well.
Since you took your oath of office, it’s been bipartisan this and bipartisan that. It doesn’t take a beltway insider to figure out that the Republicans, you know – the Party of No, of "Waterloo" and "I hope he fails" – are not, repeat not going to vote with you on anything.
Do you hear that? No matter whose soul you sell, no matter how much you give away, they are not going to vote with you. On anything. Ever.
Why oh why didn’t you tell the Republicans that "This is what the people want, this is what we’re going to do. You can either lead, follow, or get out of the way because this is going to be done. And if you don’t want to be on the right side of history, that’s fine. You can face the voters in November. We’ll be perfectly happy to take all the credit for giving the people what they demanded." WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY THAT?
You let Max Baucus start a P.R. blunder by arresting people who attended the Committee hearings, for requesting a seat at the table to discuss the single payer option. Then Sen. Baucus drug out the hearings for months, which let the Tea Baggers get organized. The Tea Baggers went on to terrorize the meet and greets with the senators and representatives. They got a lot of press, which further disgusted the people who wanted to support you.
Various senators who were supposed to be on our side (Lieberman, Landrieu, Ben Nelson for example) played the usual political games and further messed up the bill. Maybe they ought to take an oath to do the right thing for the people. They ought to take that oath each and every day they show up to work.
Single Payer, Public Option, and Medicare for Everyone were taken away from the debate. The "best" the Senate could do was a watered-down plan that won’t cover everyone. People were frightened when they heard they’d be forced to buy health insurance whether they could afford it or not, they’d be jailed for not buying, and so on. Oh, pre-existing conditions are no longer permitted as a reason to deny coverage. Great. Is there anything to prevent the insurance company from raising the rates so you have no choice but to drop your coverage? People are hurting, dying, living in fear of illness and financial ruin, and are sickened by what they see going on in DC.
We feel like we’ve been sold out, Mr. Obama. And we’re mad.
The Dems lost Teddy Kennedy's seat to a man who vowed to kill health care reform, the cause of Teddy's life. How much more will we lose in November? Does it have to go this way? I don't think it does, but someone needs to stop listening to the "centrists." Jim Hightower wrote a book back in the 1990s, "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos." Take the hint.
I repeat – LEAD. FOLLOW. OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.