Last evening I had the privilege of listening to Greg Mortenson, the author of “Three Cups of Tea” which is one of the more profound books I’ve read in the past few years.  The book depicts the ordeal Mortenson went through in the process of co-founding the Central Asia Institute which has to this date built about 130 schools in Pakistan and Afganistan and is now REQUIRED READING for ALL US military personell being dispatched to Afganistan.  There have been 300 MILLION copies sold worldwide and the book’s been on the NY Times “best seller” list for 149 straight weeks.  My intention was to write this evening about Afganistan, President Obama’s “gamble” in the “new surge,” and Mortenson’s perspective on the prospects for success in that desolate country.

However, there never seems to be a shortage of topics to write about regarding the internal politics in present day Washington DC.  I phrase it in that manner because I fully believe there are many beside myself who yearn for the day when the political climate changes in our nation’s capital away from politics via “stranglehold” from multi-national corporations.  And, the worst part of it all for me is the fact that many of these corporations who are BUYING our politicians – and EVERYONE knows that’s what’s happening – aren’t even US based corporations.  For example, Haliburton has moved their operations overseas in order to avoid paying US taxes and face US regulators.  If I was a professional journalist I would research how many of the corporations buying favors from our US Senators and Congressmen/women have tax “havens” in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere.  This, of course, was encouraged by the likes of Tom Delay and other Republican “leaders” when they had a stranglehold on power in our Congress – but, you don’t hear much complaint from Democrats – now that they are in “power” or the White House – about the HUGE amount of money that is being absconded by these corporations who don’t want to pay taxes BUT DON’T HESITATE TO PAY OFF OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS from their ever expanding profits.  And, they’re doing it right in front of our “noses,” as if to say FU to the American public!

This climate in Washington is creating a soap opera like scenario as the so-called “health care reform” legislation moves toward final “passage.”  This entire process HAS BEEN A BAD JOKE!  Arguably, the major focus of the public’s “ire” should be directed at the Republicans who have evolved into the most obstructionist political party I could have ever imagined.  They appear to me to be on the verge of blocking the health care legislation – OR WORSE YET watching something get passed which will be cause for celebration in the board rooms of every health insurance company in this nation.  Which brings me to my point – THE DEMOCRATS!

If you’ve spent any time at all on this site you know that I’m becoming MORE AND MORE disenchanted with the President and the Democrats in Congress – EVERY DAY!  My disappointment has more than one “angle.”  I won’t go into my feelings about the President I strongly supported in the last election in too much detail tonight.  Suffice it to say that I’m concerned that he is MORE THAN WILLING to accept ANYTHING he can get through the Senate and call it a “political victory” regarding health care (and other issues as well).  He’s being advised by the consumate politician in Rahm Emanuel who has “same old, same old” written all over him.  Not the “Change I can believe in.”

And, then there’s the Democrats in Congress.  With an 80 vote majority in the House and a 60 member caucus in the Senate you would think they could ACTUALLY DO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.  Even after over 500 MILLION DOLLARS was spent to buy off Congress and BRAINWASH the public the polls still show a huge majority of Americans favoring health care reform which – AT A MINIMUM – includes a “ROBUST” public option which I fully believe the average American understood to mean they would have the option of buying into – like a Medicare for all type option.  Of course, the REALITY is that this was NEVER an “option” and the “public option” was always going to be a minor part of this legislation – available only to a small number of uninsured people whom the insurance industry wanted no part of.

Even with that, the Democrats can’t come through for anyone but the very corporations who they’re supposed to be “reforming.”  What’s incredible to me is that as this whole scenario unfolds it has become clear that TRUE HEALTH CARE REFORM would be a single payer plan which would fulfill Senator Kennedy’s lifelong dream and the wishes of a large majority of Americans to insure health care as a right in America and not a privilege.  Paying someone 30+% to “stand between the patient and the doctor” MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE!  (don’t you just love it when Republicans claim that a government run health system would put the government between the patient and doctor?) This whole concept is the result of the Reagan “revolution” which has enabled UNBELIEVABLE corporate abuses since 1980, which has decimated the middle class in our nation, and which now threatens the economic viability of America going forward.  These Republicans are going to keep “pilfering” until there’s nothing left to “pilfer,” and apparently the Democrats – as presently constituted in Washington – are going to allow this to happen.

Which  brings me to my “MAIN RUB” of the evening.  JOE LIEBERMAN.  I pointed out before President Obama was inaugurated that it was a huge mistake to allow Lieberman a committee chairmanship in the Democratic caucus.  When Al Franken was sworn in and the Dems then had the “magical” 60th vote – I COULD SMELL SOMETHING “ROTTEN IN DENMARK!”  Lieberman must have lit up like a roman candle on the fourth of July – knowing how much his a#* was going to be “kissed”.  And, he’s been “playing” the Democrats ever since.  You have to keep in mind that I’m not the only “outsider” who’s feeling as if COURAGE is in SHORT SUPPLY in Washington DC.  Harry Reid’s been “kissing up” to Lieberman since the election – AS IF LIEBERMAN IS GOING TO “COME THROUGH” and actually be that 60th vote.

Well, Lieberman is coming through – for the Republicans who managed to get him elected in Connecticuit!  I REALLY WONDER if the voters of Connecticuit are having second thoughts about voting this THUG in – instead of Ned Lamont.  Had Lamont been elected whatever the Senate ultimately comes up with would BE MUCH BETTER than what they’re going to get snivelling after Lieberman’s vote.  Personally, I hope someone like Bernie Sanders or Russ Feingold votes against what they’re now proposing to KILL IT.  The Democrats are now on the spot as to whether or not they will continue to “kiss Lieberman’s a#*.”  If they do, THEY ALL DESERVE TO BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE!  Joe Lieberman is the MOST DESPICABLE politician in my lifetime!  There’s a lot of Republicans who turn my stomach – but Joe Lieberman wins the BENEDICT ARNOLD award as far as I’m concerned.  And, trust me, he’ll play his “60th vote” position TO THE HILT!

I still can’t get it out of my mind watching him CONSTANTLY standing behind John McCain and Sarah Palin during the last election with that “chesire cat” grin on his face.  One of the first “red flags” for me regarding President Obama was when he encouraged the Deomcrats to keep Lieberman in their caucus – I was like, “uh oh” that move had NO PRINCIPLE TO IT.  You know, anything to get that magic number of 60.  However, what they’ve proved is that the “filibuster proof” caucus MEANS NOTHING.  The Democrats are proving to be just as “bought” as the Republicans – they just put on a better “face” about it – but it’s getting close to the point where their – what I call in my 6th grade classroom – LAME EXCUSES won’t cut it anymore.  What are these people afraid of?  Obama won with a significant majority.  His popularity soared once in office.  upwards of 75% of the American public supported health care reform with a ROBUST public option (actually, the polls I saw showed that nearly 60% favored single payer).  So, in summary, we empowered Democrats to pass health care reform and emerged with Joe Lieberman holding them hostage. Michael Moore put it perfectly: SICKO!  Both major political parties are PROVING, during this health care debate,  that WE NEED A THIRD -AND MAYBE FOURTH – POLITICAL PARTY in the United States.