Saturday, September 12, 2009

Sore loser Republicans (follow) sore loser Democrats

I'm surprised that Democrats, liberals, and progressives are so shocked, shocked that Republicans booed parts of Obama's speech or that one called him a liar ... There are clips online of the Democrats doing the same thing during W's State of the Union speeches, including 2005, after Kerry lost the presidency and they were still out of power! Oh, but our boos were appropriate and theirs are not ...
Does anyone really believe that all of a sudden, since the Dems took control of Congress and the Senate, and Obama won the presidency, that the opposition was just going to lie down and take it? If you believe that, you're a ding-a-ling.
And frankly, I don't trust these people on this issue. The issue isn't about "healthcare reform" ... it is about "health insurance reform" ... there isn't much insurance reform in this bill, that I have seen, and everyone is expecting that those items will taken out of the final bill. It's too radical to have single-payer ... it's too radical to put insurance companies that are already rationing care now out of business ... it's too radical to limit the pay of CEOs who run these companies ... all that stuff is too radical ...

It reminds me of the lyrics from the Phil Ochs song from 1966, "Love me, I'm a liberal" ...

I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every colored boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door

So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name

So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I read New republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue

So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I vote for the democratic party
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along

So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Or, the Jello Biafra version, which is just as relevant.

I cried when they shot John Lennon
Tears ran down my spine
And I cried when I saw "JFK"
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X and Ice-T had it coming
They got what they asked for this time

So love me, love me, love me
I'm a liberal

I go to pro-choice rallies
Recycle my cans and jars
I'll honk if you love the Dead
Hope those funny grunge bands become stars
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far

So love me, love me, love me
I'm a liberal

I cheered when Clinton was chosen
My faith in the system reborn
I'll do anything to save our schools
If my taxes ain't too much more

And I love blacks and gays and Latinos
As long as they don't move next door

So love me, love me, love me
I'm a liberal

Rush Limbaugh and the L.A.P.D.
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand where they're at
Arsenio should set them straight
But if Neigborhood Watch doesn't know you
I hope the cops take your name

So love me, love me, love me
I'm a liberal

Yeh, I read the New Republic(an)
Rolling Stone and Mother Jones too
If I vote it's a Democrat
With a sensible economy view
But when it comes to terrorist Arabs
There's no one more red, white and blue

So love me, love me, love me
I'm a liberal

Once I was young and had an attitude
Stickers covered the car I drove in
Even went on some direct actions
When there weren't rent-a-cops to be seen
Ah, but now I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in

3 comments:

Jeremy said...

There isn't any reform in the bill. Mandating insurance for everyone and fining them if they don't buy it isn't reform. Reform might involve allowing people to buy the insurance they want, wherever they want to buy it. Or changing the rules to insurance covers major injuries and health problems instead of every. Limiting vast lawsuits would probably help (too bad there are so many lawyers in congress). I've read the supreme law of the land, and it doesn't mention anywhere that the Federal Government has the ability to mandage health insurance. Read Article 10. Of course, the Federal Government does what ever it want's regardless of the supreme law of the land.

Tony said...

That's right Jeremy! And, if you look at what happened in Massachusetts with MassHealth, and this bill is an extension of that law, there was price fixing by a few of the major insurance companies who met in secret and set the price; there was forced enrollment unless you could prove that you were rich and could pay for your own care out of pocket; etc.
The program is essentially bankrupt. The cost overruns are huge and the state barely balanced its budget this year - cutting local aid to schools and towns and raising the sales tax to 6.5 percent ...
I'm hearing rumors about longer waiting periods for initial doctor visits too, although I don't have that confirmed.
Lastly, when Mitt Romney runs for president in 2012, he will tout his public-private partnership work such as MassHealth. But folks should remember that the program is bankrupt, it didn't contain costs, Obamacare is just an extension of MassHealth, no matter what Romney says ...

Jeremy said...

I agree, we don't really need Romney-care on a national level. We need REFORM. There is no reform in forcing people to purchase health insurance.