Is Harry Reid Growing Some Cojones?

WARNING:  THIS BLOG MAY CONTAIN EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND/OR ADULT THEMES

Late yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, announced he would be supporting a new Health Care Reform bill that has a modified public option included, citing strong public opinion in favor of such an option.  Additionally, he said he would consider using “reconciliation” in order to only require a 50% majority, rather than the usual 60%, to pass the bill.

This is a huge gamble for the Nevada Democrat, but one he is apparently willing to back with the rarely invoked “reconciliation” which would give the one-finger-salute to any attempt at bipartisanship.  Since the exact details of his proposal have yet to be released, and will be reviewed by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, I won’t discuss the merits of it here …yet.  But, the bold move does deserve some examination.

Is Harry Reid getting “Mavricky” on us?  Suddenly grown a huge set of balls?  Or, just emboldened by the growing public opinion consensus?  I think the evidence points solidly towards the latter.  ”Public Option” wasn’t even part of his vocabulary when the Health Care debate began in earnest several months ago.  Then, when President Obama stated that he would prefer a bill with the PO, Reid pretty much poo-pooed it, saying he doubted he could get it passed.  Then, when Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) suggested a PO back-up plan if certain thresholds were not met over the next 5-7 years, Reid said it was a “pretty darn good idea”.  In other worlds, he has waffled more on this subject than breakfast at IHOP!

Regardless of his motivation for the sudden discovery of backbone, Reid’s daring move deserves some applause.  While his bill may not ending up being a full-fledged PO that drives real competition in an overweight, out-of-shape Health Care system, it is a start in the right direction that will certainly drive the debate truly needed on this issue.  Most of all, though it took some time, it’s refreshing to see some of our elected officials seemingly inclined to heed to the will of the majority of the American people.

It remains to be seen if the Majority Leader can stick to his guns and get a bill done that will jive well with what the Pelosi-led House has proposed.  My suggestion to Senator Reid is to add some extra starch to his shirts in order to stand erect during the heated battle that is sure to follow, because I’m not sure if that is a faux Public Option in his pants pocket, or truly a new set of cojones.

What … No “Thank You”?

Back in March of this year, the bell-weather Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted to a 12-year low of 6547. Many on Wall Street, and certainly most in the right-dominated financial news arena, criticized, and even attacked, Barak Obama as the cause of the stock market meltdown. (We could argue that the cause was actually initiated, perpetuated, and accentuated under the watchful eye of the Bush regime, but that is the subject for another post).
Yesterday, we finally closed back above the “magic” 10K level of the Dow, a whopping 70+% move in just seven short months. Certainly a cause for celebration and a proverbial slap on the back for our President, right? But, for some “odd reason” I didn’t see one mention, in broadcast or print, that lauded Obama or his financial team for getting the market back to this level in such short order.
So, where’s the “Atta boy!”, “Way to go!, or even “Thank you!”??? You’d think with all the “liberal controlled media” that they would be clamoring over one another like Russians in a one-loaf breadline to applaud the President. Well, unless you need the tax loss, don’t go buying futures and options on any type of positive recognition happening anytime soon. All one has to do is look at who owns the news networks, and therefore controls the messages delivered, to realize that there is very little liberal media in this country. Even CNN, which is often characterized in this way, is home to John King and Lou Dobbs – two of the most ardent conservative mouthpieces in broadcast. At least GE, parent company of the NBC family of networks, allows for some balance with the more liberal minded MSNBC vs. the conservative led CNBC.
But, control debates aside, fair is fair. If you are going to blame someone for a problem, then it is only reasonable to commend them when they fix the problem (or at least get things going in the right direction). When America was able to score quick and decisive victories in the early parts of the Afghanistan operation, I was one of the first to admit that my initial feelings about President Bush and his cohorts might have been wrong, and loudly praised the success. Unfortunately, those feelings were quickly dashed when it became clear that they would leave the job unfinished to begin a new, unnecessary war in Iraq.
I’ve heard so many conservatives say that Obama “doesn’t walk on water”. Apparently, it seems he may have to do something along those miraculous lines in order to get any sort of recognition from the right-wingers. Though, even if he does somehow traverse water, I’m sure many will find a way to discredit it.

Why did Obama Get the Peace Prize?

If you haven’t heard, President Barak Obama was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.  A great and nobel, if you will, accomplishment.  However, instead of reveling in the fact that a sitting American President won the coveted award, many of our fellow compatriot commentators are questioning, and even doubting, the choice by the Nobel committee.  Some are saying that he hasn’t accomplished anything deserving of such an honor.  Others are saying it is in recognition of what he intends to do. While still others are saying it is a slap in the face of George W. Bush and his war mongering, anti-social policies.

While none of those three assertions seem to carry any real validity, the latter appears the strongest argument.  Especially in light of the fact that neither Bush,nor anyone in his administration was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.  Afterall, starting a war that has been deemed unnecessary and unwarranted on any level doesn’t often afford you the opportunity to vie for such an acclamatory honor.

Similarly, should Obama be considered when he plans on ratcheting up the military efforts in Afghanistan?  In fact, on the very morning that he wins the award there are stories circulating that Mr. Obama plans on sending 40,000 additional troops into the conflict.  That doesn’t sound very peace-like.  So, why did Obama Get the Peace Prize?  Simply, because he got elected – which wasn’t so simple, at all.

Four years ago, if you were to ask, the majority of Americans would have been very doubtful that an African-American would have been elected to the highest office in the land during their lifetime.  While I have no problems electing anyone, of any race or religion, deserving of the post, I was among those that doubted that the American public could overcome it’s decades of fear, mistrust, and apprehension of putting someone other than a WASP into the job.  Heck, we’ve only managed to select one Catholic in the 200+ years this country has held presidential elections, no women, and certainly no one of color.  So, the odds of making a Black man President were, in my mind, slim and none.

Yet, Barak Obama was able to wade through centuries of racism and reluctance, overcome the fears and suspicions, and instill hope and faith in an American voting public longing for new and brighter directions.  He was able to draw votes from across the racial, political and economic boundaries that seem to separate and divide us most of the time.  He was able to secure more votes and a broader victory than even the most optimistic pollsters were predicting.   And, since taking office, he has opened dialogues with countries and leaders that haven’t even considered discourse with us in eight or more years.

True, he has yet to accomplish any major goals he has set out for his administration and our country.  He’s not perfect by any means, and is certainly not the “second coming”.  I have taken issue with some of what he has done and proposed in his first 10 months in office.  But, becoming the first minority elected President certainly deserves consideration considering the chasms and divides that he had to bridge and heal in this country in order to achieve such a lofty position.

No matter where you fall in the socio/political/economic spectrum you should feel proud today, and honored that the Nobel committee has recognized our President in such a positive way.  The fact that this will also give him (and as a result, us) so much political cache in international diplomacy and negotiating efforts doesn’t hurt either.  So, please, join me in saying, “Congratulations, Mr. President.  Use it well!”.