Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

Join the Health Care Truth Squad!

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

From Organizing for America:

Starting today, we’re launching an unprecedented week-long campaign sprint — our “Final March for Reform.” Each day until the vote, we’ll feature a powerful new way for OFA supporters to speak out in our communities and weigh in directly with Congress.

Today, we’ll start by spreading the facts about reform in our communities

You can download fact sheets and print out flyers in support of health care reform here.

Facts about Obama’s Health Care Reform Plan:

  • If you have health insurance through you’re employer, you can keep your coverage if you want
  • Small business owners will receive new tax credits for providing coverage to their employees
  • Medicare benefits will not be cut and the Medicare Trust Fund will be extended for 9+ years
  • Bans coverage denial based on pre-existing conditions
  • Bans arbitrary premium hikes

The Plan does NOT:

  • Establish Death Panels
  • Force you to change your plan
  • Cut Medicare benefits
  • Allow federal tax dollars to cover undocumented immigrants

While that last bullet is true, i think its bullshit. Its beyond disgusting to claim that health insurance is a right and then deny access to people that need it. The underlying racism and xenophobia behind this provision is a terrifying threat to the moral authority of this country and a stain on the conscience of each and every citizen.

And this is precisely why we must take action to pass health care reform. Because it is morally right to extend heath care access to anyone and everyone who needs it. And most importantly because it establishes a moral principle that health care is a fundamental human right. Once health care becomes a question of morality, it will be more difficult to justify the exclusion of people based on membership in any particular group. [Check out these immigrant-solidarity resources]

Crunch time has arrived. If we don’t push health care reform through now, we won’t have another chance for a long time.

So lets spread the word, call out the lies and get movin’ with the Final March For Reform!

You Fight, We’ll Fight

Monday, March 8th, 2010

I went to an Organizing for America 2010 Strategy Session yesterday and was psyched to learn about the “You Fight, We’ll Fight” campaign. From OFA’s website:

COMMIT YOUR TIME TO BACK UP CANDIDATES WHO FIGHT HARD FOR HEALTH REFORM

We must show every member of Congress that if they fight for real health reform now, we’ll be there to back them up this election season.

We’re shooting for 10,000,000 hours pledged to spread the word to fellow voters. And we’ll publish the total hours pledged in USA Today, so there will be no doubt that health reform is both good policy and good politics.

Wow. Voting. Not exactly a new idea, right? (In fact, its one that many people consider worthless in our current political climate.) But, its campaigns like this one that aim to increase the power of the political voices of everyday citizens and to pass ground-breaking social justice legislation that have the potential to change this political climate.

Sometimes its damn hard to tell Democrats and Republicans apart. As Talib Kweli says:

You try to vote and participate in the government
And the m**f** Democrats is actin’ like Republicans

If President Obama’s message of change has a chance of materializing into something worth the enormous struggles ahead of us, it will depend in large part upon Democratic politicians legitimately working in service of the people. And this means challenging the staggering influence that corporate lobbyists have on our politicians. We will never come close to outspending the bloodsucking insurance lobbyists, so we have to maximize the power of the tools we do have.

The You Fight, We’ll Fight approach inserts you and me into the equation by pre-emptively strengthening our bargaining power. By identifying ourselves as potential supporters, we are a force to be reckoned with and voters potentially to be lost instead of a disengaged, disempowered public. Plus, it sends a clear message to the Democrats that Health Insurance Reform in 2010 is a deal-breaker for their constituents.

In short, the You Fight, We’ll Fight campaign is one worthy of your consideration. Organizing for America has declared March 8 – March 14 the Week of Health Insurance Reform Action, so now is the perfect time to get involved. Check out Organizing for America to pledge your support and find an event near you. And check out the President’s message to his supporters below:

GOP Does Not Take National Security Seriously

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Anyone still holding onto the delusion that the Republican Party is genuinely concerned about national security need only look to the recent antics of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) to know the ugly truth.

DeMint is blocking the confirmation of a Transportation Security Administration Administrator because of a question about nominee Errol Southers’ position on collective-bargaining.

Let’s reflect. On Christmas Day, a flight bound for Detroit, Michigan was almost blown up with explosive chemicals and 300 lives were nearly lost. Our President is behaving respectfully and appropriately, admitting that it was a “systemic failure” and taking steps to assess and then fix the problem.

Republicans like DeMint, on the other hand, are using it as an opportunity to gain political ground by criticizing the President for his word choices and forcing the country to go without a director of the TSA – the agency responsible for flight safety and security.

Americans who are serious about the safety of this country support the ethical and efficient operation of the agencies designed to protect us and the leadership of a President who will take the situation – and our lives – seriously.