Mosque Debate Shows Democrats' Inability to Stay on Message

During the health care debate I was livid over the Democratic Party's inability to form a coherent, usable message to galvanize the electorate and pass progressive health care legislation. My post yesterday on Harry Reid's kowtowing to anti-property rights folks further shows Democrats' inability to be unified on any issue. If there were an issue that Democrats could be 100% together on, this would, and should, be it.

But from the word "go" the Democrats have resembled the Mets front office rather than a functioning body politic. Hoping to allow the Republicans to talk about Cordoba House until they got bored (akin to allowing a child to throw a temper tantrum in the hopes that he/she will simply tire him/herself out) and sidestep the mosque as a campaign issue, the Democrats seemed to be caught off guard by Obama's statement alluding to a "mosque in Lower Manhattan."

Does Some Civility Still Exist in Washington?

In an age of extreme political incivility, when politics is based not on policy but on talking points, sound bites, retorts, and inflammatory rhetoric, it is very rare to see genuine friendship and respect among opposing parties' members. But Tom Coburn (R-OK), one of the most obstructionist Senators in history and a fierce opponent of nearly every government initiative, recently spoke out against incivility and blind hatred.

On C-SPAN, Coburn noted his close personal friendship with President Obama (a stronger one, he said, than his friendship with George W. Bush). And at an Oklahoma town meeting, he actually defended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi against boos and jeers from the crowd. He even called out Fox News on its proliferation of misinformation (specifically, that you will go to jail if you don't have health insurance).

Goodbye Public Option, We Hardly Knew Ye

With Pelosi's backing down on the public option came the official death (something I've been saying for a bit now) of the measure for the health care "reform" bill currently being debated in Washington. Pelosi was one of the strongest backers of the measure since the inception of the clusterfuck that is the healthcare debate. That all changed yesterday when Pelosi began the first step in the "I know that's what I said, but it's not what I meant" process.

Pelosi has in the past stated unequivocally that the healthcare bill cannot pass the House without some sort of a public option. When reminded of her statements by a reporter in light of Senate negotiations that create a convoluted system that allows those between the ages of 50 and 64 to buy into Medicare, Pelosi stated that she would have to see the Senate bill and declined to repeat her ultimatum of a public option or no House bill.

What's sad is that Congress was willing to spend almost $1 trillion to bail out Wall Street and significantly add to this country's deficit, but when it comes to healthcare we're not supposed to be spending any extra money to make sure people have access to affordable, decent plans. President Obama has said, "I have pledged that I will not sign health insurance reform that adds even one dime to our deficit over the next decade." Pelosi said, "But our standards are that we have affordability for the middle class, security for our seniors, closing the doughnut hole and sustaining the solvency of Medicare, responsibility to our children, so we're not one dime added to the deficit." I'll throw my hat into the ring here with absurd statements, "I would like a Manhattan townhouse, a house in the Hamptons, and a Maybach, all without adding one dime to my deficit." This is America, things cost money, including insuring millions of people.

Wall Street will reap massive bonuses - some in the form of stock with longer vestments (at least until the dust settles and people forget about how they screwed all of us) - and the fact remains: those employed in the bailed-out industries will be getting very large paychecks while those people laid off because of horribly misguided and, at times, downright deceitful tactics in our nation's financial industry will go through the end of this year without affordable healthcare. $700,000,000,000 to bail out Wall Street, $707,851,000,000 for the Iraq War, $0 for healthcare reform. Really?

Is the Medicare buy-in plan an improvement? Sure, for people between the ages of 50 and 64. Are you 25 and just getting off of your parents' plans (if they even have insurance plans provided they haven't seen their benefits cut back or been fired) and can't find a job in this miserable market? Good news! Only 25 more years and you'll be able to buy into Medicare! Until then, however, no Hoveround for you. Peace.

Photo - Pelosi (NPR)