I’m the type of person who doesn’t give up easily. When I was younger and playing a sporting event my team could be hopelessly behind and I would still be trying to “pull one out for the gipper.” Sometimes I look at it as perseverance and other times I look at it as a combination of naivete and/or stupidity. With that in mind, I’m going to keep writing about the sad state of affairs politically in America. There is so much to write about that I see as ridiculously WRONG that I’m struggling with the concept that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” This week for example, I’ve heard another “blast” from Republicans making racist accusations (this time aimed at Barack Obama), I’ve listened to the health care debate swallow up just about every other newsworthy item as far as the media is concerned, There’s been news about the wars that no one wants to talk about anymore, news about Don Siegelman that should make every American who believes in justice cringe, and – of course, even though it’s now made it to the fringe – there’s still news about the escapades of Dick Cheney and the former President Bush. (and more, but that’s plenty to think about for one evening)

The most disconcerting of all the things I listen to keep coming from the mouths of Republicans. OK, I do believe in the first amendment to the constitution, but these guys are such liars that, at some point, THEY’VE GOT TO BE CALLED ON THEIR LIES! I’ve listened to various Republicans talking about the so-called “health care debate” with unimaginable lies. These guys are so used to lying that they’ve got to the point where “if their lips are moving, they’re lying!” I’ve heard them say that if Obama’s health care bill passes some ungodly percent (I can’t remember it right on the spot) of Americans who presently are insured will lose their insurance. They claim that if there is a so-called “public option” it will put private insurers out of business. From my perspective, if the “public option” was available to everyone (which is the plan) then the only way it would put the private insurers out of business is if it was a much better choice – and people “flocked” in droves to sign up for it. The reality is that the “for profit” insurance companies are dictating how the health care industry works and their main objective isn’t health care – IT’S SHAREHOLDER PROFITS!

I can give you an example from my own experience. Several years ago it was determined that my hips were “shot,” using the doctors words. I was sent to a specialist who would have been able to “resurface” my exising hip to keep me from having a “total hip replacement.” The insurance company said, “NO!” They wouldn’t pay for it, I had to have the total hip. As it turned out, the total hip that the doctor “installed” was defective and three and a half years later I was back in to have another hip replacement. Had the insurance company allowed the original doctor to do the resurfacing – which HE SAID EMPHATICALLY was the best option for me, I would have been able to avoid the surgery which I’m recovering from as I write. Believe me, I know first hand that the doctors know what is best for the patients – NOT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES. And this same insurance company, from reports I’ve been given, spends about 10% of it’s premium income on preventing health care. They have all kinds of little ways to cheat patients and providers out of money – and they do it unabashedly.

And then there’s the Republicans still calling Sonia Sotomayor and now Barack Obama racists! I’m telling you that I for one can’t stand more than a few seconds of Rush Limbaugh at a time – although I’ve thought about listening a bit more just to get a grip on who his advertisers are so that I can contact them letting them know I’m now officially boycotting their products. Last night Obama called the Cambridge Mass. police department “stupid” because one of their officers arrested a Harvard Professor (who, naturally, was black) IN HIS OWN HOME for burglary. The guy is 58 years old, needs a cane to walk, and was cuffed and booked for breaking into his own house. Now, I don’t doubt that people like Limbaugh have a hard time identifying with that type of action, but I’ve got many Black friends and they just shake their heads and say “The more things change ……….” well, you know the rest. The sad truth is that the racist nature of MANY white Americans is rearing it’s ugly head because they are only comfortable with a continuance of the domination in our society by the WASP’s (White, Anglo, Saxon, Protestant – for all you young people) as leaders. I listened to Limbaugh for just a couple minutes today and he’s still on the Richey case regarding Sotomayor (ridiculous in it’s own right) as evidence of some racist attack on white males and now it’s Obama because he said the truth about an officer making a stupid mistake in Cambridge Mass. I’d like to see the evidence of how many white Americans were arrested in their own homes for burglarizing in the last week.

Getting back to the topic of health care: the thing I don’t like about this health care debate is that it’s allowed President Obama to get away with looking the other way in the face of mounting evidence regarding the crimes of the Bush administration. Here’s where my never say die attitude comes in. I’m still hoping that investigations will be opened and there will be prosecutions where appropriate regarding the Bush/Cheney abuses of power. It’s not totally too late, but I really don’t see it happening because Obama doesn’t want to get people’s minds off of health care. To me THAT’S A BIG MISTAKE. I believe he would have a much better chance to pass health care with the investigations. As it stands, these Republicans feel like they can do and/or say anything and they’re immune from any consequences from the spineless Democrats. And, as much as I hate to agree with Republicans on anything, I’ve got to give it to them on this one. They’re right, the Democrats are spineless! I don’t disagree that the health care debate is huge – but it’s not as huge as Obama is making it. He’s the one who put the artificial timelines on the process. He’s the one who is putting his prestige on the line over this health care reform. And, I don’t disagree that it’s VERY IMPORTANT (there is no doubt that we would have to face up to this either this year or in the near future). The problem is that, as I see it, Obama’s risking allowing Republicans back into power the way he’s going about things. And, look at it this way, if Obama loses the health care debate and an acceptable bill isn’t produced – we could be facing Republicans in power SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. And, if they get back into power, all of these abuses that need to be “put to rest” will still be on the “books” and we all could be going through another GW Bush nightmare (in fact, mark my words, there’s another Bush waiting in the wings for the right opening to get another “thug” back into the White House. That might sound stupid to you, but I believe it’s a distinct possibility – which is why I’m so upset with Obama for “looking the other way” as far as all the crimes are concerned.

Oh yes, then there’s the wars nobody’s talking about: yesterday, President Obama said the US is still on track to pull all of our “combat” forces out of Iraq by the end of August of next year – of course that means the 50,0000 that are left behind would be non-combat! If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you. So far, we still have the “pre-surge” level of troops in Iraq and I hope he can get them out, but I haven’t seen a lot of determination on that front from anyone lately. And, this month has been the “deadliest” as far as the number of American troops killed in Afganistan since the original invasion. If President Obama is going to truly be “transparent” then he needs to tell the American people what our purpose in Afganistan is. Are we “nation building?” Are we fighting the Taliban? Are we propping up Hamed Karsai – corrupt to the core from every report I’ve read? Or are we truly trying to capture or kill Osama bin Laden? (I did hear that bin Laden’s son was killed) I, for one, would like to see our troops home and see our government try to “refresh” our military. With people having served as many as 6 terms of duty in Iraq or Afganistan it appears to me that our leaders have stretched our military beyond any reasonable state. If these wars are so important there should be a draft or something along those lines to spread the responsibility around – and that would be a draft that sons and daughters of wealthy people would be unable to avoid.

Feel comfortable with a Justice department which believes in selective prosecutions? Tonight I heard more news about Don Siegelman. If you’re not familiar with him, you should be. He was the Democratic Governor of Alabama and Karl Rove had him jailed on trumped up charges through associates that were “loyal” to the Bush administration. Siegelman was even moved from one prison to another for up to nine months before he finally was released on appeal. He’s still fighting the original charge (and, of course, Rove is still “scot free,” becaue Eric Holder seems to have a lack of courage in facing up to Republicans – just like President Obama) and tonight it was reported that the government’s main witness was coerced by the government prosecutors and even coached on his testimony before testifying against Siegelman. Well, why would someone do this? I thought you’d never ask – the government reduced this witnesses own sentence in exchange for his testifying (actually perjuring himself) against Siegelman. They did the same thing to a woman (Democrat) in Minnesota as well, and, in neither case, HAS ANYTHING EVER BEEN DONE ABOUT IT!

Finally, we’re all depending on a bunch of Democratic Senators who are taking money by the truckful from the health care industry to fashion a bill that would cause the health care industry to possibly become a “not for profit” industry. When I was a child (many years ago) all hospitals were not for profit. I remember in the 80’s (I always called it the decade of greed) when Reagan took over at the White House – the whole attitude of our government changed. Instead of businesses that were loyal to their workers they became fiercely loyal to their shareholders (and these businesses’ greed was supported by politicians who removed regulations on their businesses). There has been one get rich quick scheme after another since those days. Hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, and others are all making huge profits off of the American system of health care. And, it’s about the 37th best system in the world despite spending far more per patient than any other nation on the planet. We have a higher infant mortality rate than CUBA! Right now you have a Republican party that feels empowered by the lack of courage coming from our President and Congress in calling them on their “misdeeds” (the proper term would be crimes) standing in the way of EVERYTHING including health care. They are openly trying to defeat health care because they feel they will have then defeated President Obama. I’ll say it again, because it’s really not too late, Hold these Republicans accountable for their crimes and then it will be a lot easier to get legislation passed that the people support. The last thing the American public wants is a bunch of whimps running the government! (the Republicans understand this and they’re doing everything in their power to prove the Democrats are whimps)