RaulEOchs's blog

It made me proud to be a supporter and fan to read Elaine Marshall's letter detailing her positions on a number of issues today in an article titled Electing a "Better Democrat" in North Carolina.

Elaine really shines, and shows what a huge benefit her election would be for the people of North Carolina and the nation.

According to a complaint noted in Blue Ridge Now, Schuler has been getting the benefits of cheap rent without reporting these as gifts.

If you sign the Credo petition, they'll send Bob Etheridge a coathanger. See http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/send_a_coathanger/

Also see the SFGate article on what Bob and his pals really voted for (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/13/EDAM1AJ8NV.D...)

Democratic Party Against Women

Me, I'm wondering why I should bother to vote again for my congressman, Brad Miller, who seems to be just another one of the "so-called progressive men [sic] telling us to calm down and look at the big picture." The big picture seems to be mandatory payments to the insurance companies who will be mandated to take our money.

But I'm thinking I don't need to worry. If I'm right, when young people and the less than well to do figure out that they will have to pay their hard earned money out for the Democratic Party's mandatory tributes to their health insurance campaign contributors, they won't be in power for too long.

According to Open Left, NC Dems who voted for the Stupak amendment to restrict women's rights:

Etheridge, Bob NC-2
McIntyre, Mike NC-7

I don't want mandated universal coverage with no public option to drive down prices, and no medicare price negotiations or competition from Canada and Europe for Big Phara.

I suppose that plan is great for getting the campaign coffers full. But it doesn't serve the needs of people.

According to the Daily Kos:

"As to the fate of a government option plan to compete with private insurance, Axelrod suggested the controversial concept is gone but not forgotten: 'The spirit that led him to support a public option is still very much at play here and so you know he wants competition. He wants choice.'"

Without a public option, I will have to support the OFA in 'spirit' only.

Just back from the rally. Maybe 50 rational people attended in support of a public health care option.

More than 50 attended who were opposed. I gathered from their signs and shouts that they were mostly of the tea bagging, anti-immigration, anti-tax, anti-socialism, anti-Obama, anti-welfare persuasion.

They were quite rude, loud, and filled with hate for so many things. Their command of language and simple reason cried out for more and better public education.

I met some very nice people as we stood on the public (socialist?) sidewalk and talked about the problems of people with no health care, and delivered our message to Hagan.

The opposition really had the flag thing going on. Lot's of flags, many quite large. But it was interesting to me that they displayed not one single American Flag. Oh, there were T.E.A. flags, and Don't Tread On Me flags, and others I could not recognize. But not Old Glory.

Perhaps they were secessionists. If so, I hope they succeed.

Kay Hagan is mentioned in the current issue of The Nation, but not as favorably as new Democrat Arlen Specter.

The article (subscription required) notes that Specter has spoken out for a public health care option, while Hagan has not.

Move On dot org is having a rally to show support for a public health insurance option. They are targeting conservative senators all over the country:

Sen. Kay Hagan's District Office
New Bern Avenue, Raleigh, NC
Thursday, 9 Jul 2009, 12:00 PM

Senator Hagan is becoming well known as an obstructionist on health care reform.

According to the Daily Kos,

Kay Hagan is turning out to be the obstructionist on the Senate HELP Committee on a public option. She's now stating her opposition to it publicly.

A pity. NC families need a public option that competes directly with insurance companies to lower cost and improve quality of care and access, that is similar to medicare, and that is not delayed or diluted with a 'trigger'.