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Comments Posted By KQµårk 死神

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It’s time: I need YOU, WE need US

I agree with most of what you say. I just think we can build on the progressive Dems rather than tearing down the system and starting over again. I’ve said before because we don’t have a parliamentary system it gives third parties no access to power. In fact if there was a third party need in this country it’s a party to split conservative Dems off into what they are Republican lite.

Also the only way progressivism can grow is through legislative success. If nothing changes it will not spark the rise of anti-corporate progressives. It will do the opposite and get more corporate Republicans in office like it did in 1994.

Our goals are the same. Our methods are different my friend.

My perspective is different because I worked within the system for decades (corporate America). As a chemist who developed products for the paper industry I fought the fights for more environmentally sound products. I can proudly say I assisted in getting one segment of papermaking to switch from nasty non-biodegradable alkylphenol ethoxylates to the same environmentally friendly alcohol ethoxylates used in Europe. It was not easy either because very few regulations and cost considerations did not help my efforts so it was an uphill battle. The only thing I had going for me was the fact that I worked for European companies most of my career and they had a longer term global perspective so I had global management behind me but still had to convince US management. So I know firsthand you can change things from the inside.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 1:48 pm

That sounds like a great idea. But I have to wonder to me that outburst showed the chasm between the parties. One party has a thoughtful, intelligent and respectful leader. The other party is a group of liars who have no solutions so they continue to spout lies. Face it there are no Representative Dingles on the Republic side of the aisle. That being said I think it’s only a good thing to keep both parties honest because like it or not they are running the country.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 12:01 pm

President Obama Hit the Reset Button on Healthcare Reform Like only He Could

He does have a flair for the fucking dramatic.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 11:22 pm

There is far to much power in the Executive Branch for third parties to gain any real power. If we had an executive that came from the legislator like a parliamentary system that would be possible.

I think campaign finance reform has only strengthened the two party system because less money leads to less viable parties. The only campaign finance reform that would remotely work is 100% public financing but that will never happen because of free speech.

The other number I can never get out of my head is how Americans identify themselves now even after the election of President Obama. A little over 20% liberal, a little over 30% conservative and about 40% moderate with the rest brain dead. Until that political center changes fundamentally all this talk of third parties just dilutes progressives efforts even more.

The fact is President Obama is perceived as liberal by most of the electorate and right now we have to focus on him and Dems succeeding before taking the next step.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 11:21 pm

The strength and curse of most progressive Dems is that we are fair minded, kind and thoughtful people. Most of us simply will not stoop to the level of right wingers and never will. That puts us at a disadvantage politically against those where the ends justify the means.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 11:05 pm

The only way to change the political center in this country is for the Democrats to control politics at least for a few more election cycles. That is the lessons we should learn from FDR. FDR compromised like hell in the beginning but did less and less because he got more and more Dems in congress on his side.

It’s about discerning which Dems to keep and which to replace but WITHOUT losing control of congress or the presidency out of apathy.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 8:56 pm

You have a great point. With your input I won’t even qualify it but leave it up to the reader. It was definitely a climax in the speech progressives like us wanted to hear for sure.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 5:17 pm

That was Sick!

I think the GOP “jumps the shark” every day but this was different because millions saw the spoiled children for themselves.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 1:51 pm

I think the president hit the reset button on the healthcare debate in a way only he could. If you ask me it was his best speech yet because it combined poetry and prose while having the right combative tone of the famous “Enough” speech when he accepted the Democratic nomination.

Some writer on Huffy said Joe Wilson is the poster child of the GOP and that’s true. A party relegated to a power base in the South made of angry white men yelling and lying at the same time.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 12:06 pm

Latest Shuttle Mission to Hubble Yields New Moments of Zen

So true. I always think if mankind would just understand our relative place in the universe and get over ourselves we could solve our problems. Throughout history the grandiose beliefs people have about themselves have stamped out progress.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 10, 2009 @ 2:00 pm

Baucus Releases Private Healthcare Insurance Bill

The more I read about the bill the less I like it especially comparing to the other bills that came out of committee. For example the HELP bill shares the cost of premiums much more fairly regarding age. Older people will pay 5 times more than young people in the Baucus bill but only 2 times more in the HELP committee bill. The whole idea of having universal healthcare is sharing the risk and leveraging people less likely to get sick to defray costs for everyone. I’m just worried the bill is SOOOOOO bad now it never gets out of committee and forever holds up reform. Like I said before this is starting to look more and more like an all our nothing showdown because the corporate Dems are not only writing a bill for insurance companies but trying to write it on the cheap to make it devastating for the middle class.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 16, 2009 @ 7:56 pm

It looks like the Baucus bill might not even get out of his committee. I don’t know what the ultimate ramifications of that means but the HELP bill looks to be the bill most Senate Dems agree upon.

The bottom line dynamics have not changed in quite a while now. It’s a fight between Democrats that what real healthcare reform and the corporatist Democrats while Republicans are just trying to block any reform. I think the Baucus bill has made faux corporatist Democrat reform so unpalatable that is becoming a battle of real reform versus no bill. Baucus was counting on cover from the white house but he’s not going to get it.

BTW the first petition to kill Baucus’ bill.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/publicoption_reid/?rc=ol_091509

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 16, 2009 @ 6:05 pm

Again the MSM is playing games implying Baucus’ plan is some kind of centrist option when 75% of the people support a public plan it’s not a “liberal” option.

“U.S. Senator Max Baucus unveiled a long-awaited healthcare overhaul on Wednesday that would dramatically revamp insurance rules but does not include a government-run option backed by liberal Democrats.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090916/pl_nm/us_usa_healthcare1_11

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 16, 2009 @ 4:35 pm

I thought I knew what you meant and your point is valid. I often make the mistake of lumping the two together or wrongly interchanging the two as well.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 3:58 pm

I think you may mean Medicaid but you bring up a great point. Though all the bills in congress do expand the group of people who qualify for Medicaid that’s a good thing if costs are lowered and subsidies are generous.

I agree the bill is a non-starter from being even the initial bill congress passes. The only positive thing it does show is what the GOP calls reform which is a bunch of bullocks, excuse my British accent.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 3:00 pm

I know the part progressives don’t want to talk about are the people fighting reform. A new Gallup survey still says a slight plurality are against healthcare reform.

More depressing is the opponents to reform are more steadfast than proponents of reform.

From Daily KOS

“Bottom Line

A month of town-hall meetings across the country during Congress’ August recess has hardly budged Americans’ views about passing a healthcare reform bill, or helped many more Americans form an opinion. The public is as divided over healthcare reform today as at the beginning of August (37% in favor and 39% opposed), with a large segment still undecided.

Although the two sides on healthcare reform are about evenly matched numerically, opponents may have a political edge. The 82% of reform opponents saying the issue will be a major factor in their vote for Congress next year eclipses the 62% of reform advocates who say the same. “

I know much of the trepidation about big changes is part of human nature but we still need to understand the nature of the electorate.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 2:44 pm

Hide the kids and double bolt all the doors

That’s for sure if I followed my parents and my older brother for that matter I would of ended up in the military after high school.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 9, 2009 @ 12:28 pm

Lulu another insightful comment and thanks for sharing your story. My roots are second generation Irish American on my fathers side and my wife who is the most intelligent, insightful and beautiful woman I have ever met just happens to be of African decent . We have been married for over 17 years and have been through it all from cancer to the death of her mother from breast cancer at a relatively young age.

I was a terrible student all the way through high school. Actually I could have used a speech like that growing up. All I cared about was sports, music and girls back in those days. My parents were blue collar and just did not value a college education that much but I was still the first in my family to go to college.

My wife was the opposite. Besides having two parents who were college graduates. She was a perpetual honor roll student, achieved second place in the national science fair, was a debate champion and was accepted to most of the Ivy League schools she applied for because of her academic achievements. But of course we all know any racist would say she got into a particular school because of the color of her skin when the opposite was true. Fortunately because of the way I was raised I never judged people by superficial impressions.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 9, 2009 @ 12:25 pm

😆

As soon as the media dubbed the Public Option as the “liberal” healthcare plan it has tagged it for inevitable destruction.

This line from a current AP article says it all. Somehow it paints Baucus out to be some centrist savior of healthcare reform from that dastardly socialist government takeover of healthcare.

“The long-awaited plan from the Senate Finance Committee chairman, Democrat Max Baucus, would create nonprofit cooperatives to compete with insurance companies instead of a government-run insurance plan sought by liberal Democrats and backed by Obama.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090908/ts_nm/us_usa_healthcare

In this case we are going to need lightning in a bottle and for once a House bill must defeat a Senate bill.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 9:32 pm

You go Kalima. Spot on and well said.

It’s time to take this country back AGAIN from these right wing loons that cannot accept reality.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 5:15 pm

Agreed. I should not conflate the two problems.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 3:04 pm

Very good point Nellie. It’s important for all Americans in the long run because not to far in the distant future the majority in this country will be minorities. If people of color are not educated because of the many socioeconomic problems we still have in this country the future is in jeopardy no matter what.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 12:38 pm

Hear! Hear! The fucking media is at it again declare the demise of the public option for the umpteenth time too. Face it they want to keep as much profits in private healthcare as possible for maximum ad money along with selling the constant outrage.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 12:35 pm

Great piece Kalima. Wonderful encouraging speech for our nations young students.

The right wing outrage over this speech just shows how THEY view everything through a cynical political prism. Thankfully youngsters are not as jaded as their parents and they still have some respect for the president. I know if I was in grade school even if it was Nixon encouraging me I would at least think about studying harder.

Most of all the right wing does not want educated consumers, voters in this case, because if they did they would never win another election.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 12:32 pm

Keep Hope Alive and As a Public Plan

Two big hypotheticals for someone who does not like hypotheticals. If Dems do not pass a bill with a public option and if progressives were smart we would throw primary battles from the left at the congresspeople that resisted the public plan. That’s the way the right fortified their base in congress.

But alas progressives being what they are will just be discouraged and vote for third parties that will never win so the right wing will gain ground. Even congresspeople that fought for the public plan will be caught in the crossfire.

My big point is no matter if the public plan is even attached to the bill now it’s still not progressive enough. Like SS and Medicare future legislation to make them into the progressive entities they are today will take more than on election cycle.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 1:09 pm

I think you are right on this one K7. The “Blue Cross” Dems and conservative Dems will benefit from any bill in their districts and states at the detriment to everyone else.

The new Baucus bill is a fucking double whammy. It not only does not have the public option it drastically reduces subsidies. Those are the two things to keep you eyes on and he made both worse. Instead of current bills where 10% of someone’s income would be the most families would pay up to $88,000/year family income. The Bauchus gang of six bill will be up to 13% of income. That’s over $11,000 a year for a family making $88,000. The reason is two-fold to drop the price tag with some cosmetics but mostly to pay for a higher priced system with no public plan.

I should say that being said we will never end up with the Baucus bill. Too many House Dems will never vote for it. It just draws my ire that he’s negotiating backward.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 8, 2009 @ 12:46 pm

That’s why it’s important to look at all the details. With the subsidies about 70% of American families will get relief with their premiums. Depending on income premiums are set to be 10%, 9%, 8% or 7% of income going from highest to lowest income qualifying for subsidies which will be for families making $66,000 – $88,000 depending on the bill.

Also increasing the risk pool by adding millions of younger healthier people will bring down costs for all.

The public option is the way to go to maximize savings for sure but if you read the studies universal healthcare is over half the savings.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 6, 2009 @ 1:17 pm

In this case progressives especially in the House are the fail safe point for the public option. The whole idea is to never get a bill without a public option to the president’s desk. I know it goes against what usual happens when bills are reconciled but if the House passes a bill with a strong public option and the Senate does not I think the House bill will win this time.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 6, 2009 @ 12:51 pm

Vetoing a universal healthcare bill was never an option. Even if it’s not really healthcare reform but health insurance reform it’s still something desperately needed. Sure it will not be the bill the president wants but it will be the bill congress can pass. That being said I think in the speech he’s going to insist Congress send him a bill with a public plan but not commit to vetoing a bill without it.

The fact is universal healthcare of any kind saves money. It does not save as much money as a public option but it gets you half the way their based on the following study.

How universal healthcare lowers costs.

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Fund-Reports/2009/Jun/Fork-in-the-Road.aspx

With no universal healthcare costs will rise 6.5%
With only private universal healthcare costs will rise 5.8%
With universal healthcare with public option costs will rise 5.6%
With universal healthcare with public option and Medicare limits costs will rise 5.2%

If you don’t think 1.3% is much it’s about $2 trillion dollars over 10 years.

I will be very disappointed if a bill passes without a public option no doubt. But I will still look at the entirety of the bill to see what is does do for the unisued like moi.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 6, 2009 @ 12:46 pm

What the president and congress have accomplished so far

Great list Nellie with and assist by AdLib.

Add to it increased transparency like divulging White House visitors. Drastically reducing the number of lobbyists and industry insiders in his administration to 10 form dozens and dozens under Bush.

Just appointing an independent AG is a huge change back to where things should be in this case.

» Posted By KQµårk 死神 On September 6, 2009 @ 12:58 pm