http://peoplesworld.org/health-care-victory/

Oh, no, it’s not socialism or anything. It’s just a coincidence that the Communist Party USA is super excited about the health care reform bill. You silly, racist conspiracy theorists and tea-baggers just need to pipe down and swallow it. It’s good for you. Really.

But seriously. Anybody who thinks this is a “mainstream” piece of legislation and a good idea founded in American values is a sucker. This is nothing more than a massive vector of attack for authoritarian control of your life.

We join with those who hail this legislation both as a measure that will save lives now and begin curbing the insurance industry, and as a giant first step to further reforms that will provide quality, affordable health care for every person in the United States.

Beyond that, its passage is a major defeat for the far right – the Republican Party, sections of Corporate America, and their fascist-like tea party shock troops. The enactment of this bill is an enormous victory for the broad progressive movement in our country. It will give energy and enthusiasm to that movement as it mobilizes and builds for the struggles ahead to advance a pro-worker, pro-people agenda.

The far right has been left glaringly isolated but perhaps even more dangerously aggressive. These racist hate-mongers fought viciously to block the bill on behalf of the nation’s insurance companies and now say they will continue their dirty campaign by trying to repeal it. But it’s clear that an energized people’s movement will not let that happen.

Even organizations and individuals critical of the bill (because of restrictions on women’s reproductive rights, or its exclusion of undocumented immigrants, or because it doesn’t go far enough) have acknowledged its importance and far-reaching implications.

The great majority of health care reform advocates, including those who call for a single-payer system, see the legislation as opening up space to further the struggle for Medicare for all. Many note the bill provides a number of immediate benefits.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called the bill’s passage a "momentous step toward comprehensive coverage" and vowed that labor will continue to advocate for health care that works for working families.

The new law reestablishes the role of government in providing a "safety net" to support ordinary folks against the most outrageous excesses of our health care system. As President Obama put it, "It enshrines the idea that everybody should have universal health care."

The fight isn’t over. The corporate-backed far right will continue to use racism, lies and anti-government conspiracy theories to try to scare and confuse people. We got some ugly glimpses of this just as Congress was on the eve of passing the health care bill.

Turns out March 23rd is a big day for progressives! In 1919, Mussolini founded his Fascist movement. In 1933, Germany passed the Enabling Act, which "effectively granted Adolf Hitler dictatorial legislative powers." Whew! I’m sure glad that today, on March 23rd, 2010, those old-fashioned ideas of authoritarian government control are a thing of the past.

Cough.

Behold, the pinnacle of leadership

Pelosi voiced confidence that Democrats will prevail over what she said was Republican obstructionism and win passage of landmark legislation that Obama will sign into law.

"What has happened in the last year, in the past year, in the United States Senate is a total obstruction by the Republican senators," Pelosi said.

Let’s consider the truth here, toots. You had a majority in the House and a Supermajority in the Senate. You didn’t need a SINGLE Republican vote to pass this thing. You had a filibuster-proof Democrat majority.

There were Democrats who obstructed until they got concessions they wanted. You had to bribe Democrats with special payoffs in order to get their votes. Yes, all but one Republican in the House and Senate voted against those bills, but you didn’t need any in order to pass them.

The obstructions you had and still have are a result of DEMOCRAT opposition to health care reform. We’re not idiots out here, you goofy twit.

http://weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-now-selling-appeals-court-judgeships-health-care-votes

Tonight, Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he’s obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah. The White House just sent out a press release announcing that today President Obama nominated Matheson’s brother Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Let’s see if Mr. Matheson rubs Barry’s back in return.

They don’t even care how it looks anymore. There’s either some kind of Democrat suicide pact in effect, or the fix is already in and voters won’t matter.

Sometimes I feel like I’m just waiting for Palpatine to dissolve the Senate, now.

This just in from the Canadian premier who came to the US to have heart surgery.

An unapologetic Danny Williams says he was aware his trip to the United States for heart surgery earlier this month would spark outcry, but he concluded his personal health trumped any public fallout over the controversial decision.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Williams said he went to Miami to have a "minimally invasive" surgery for an ailment first detected nearly a year ago, based on the advice of his doctors.

"This was my heart, my choice and my health," Williams said late Monday from his condominium in Sarasota, Fla.

"I did not sign away my right to get the best possible health care for myself when I entered politics."

OK, so Canada’s socialist health care system was unable to provide the level of care he wanted. So he came the USA to have the “best possible health care.” But WAIT, the hypocrisy gets even THICKER!!!

Williams said his decision to go to the U.S. did not reflect any lack of faith in his own province’s health care system.

"I have the utmost confidence in our own health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador, but we are just over half a million people," he said.

"We do whatever we can to provide the best possible health care that we can in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian health care system has a great reputation, but this is a very specialized piece of surgery that had to be done and I went to somebody who’s doing this three or four times a day, five, six days a week."

So while he has the utmost confidence in Canada’s shitty system, he didn’t want to be seen as jumping the line or one of Canadian health care’s famous “wait lists” so he paid out of his own pocket to come to America to get the “best possible health care.”

Williams also said he paid for the treatment, but added he would seek any refunds he would be eligible for in Canada.

"If I’m entitled to any reimbursement from any Canadian health care system or any provincial health care system, then obviously I will apply for that as anybody else would," he said.

Great, so Canada has a two-tiered health system: one tier for everybody who can afford to come to America to pay for it themselves (the American system), and one for those who can’t (the Canadian system). And this is the kind of subpar, ineffective system is what Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and EVERY SINGLE OTHER DEMOCRAT IN CONGRESS wants to implement here? No thanks. American health care may be expensive, but apparently it’s pretty damn good. As long as I’m paying ofr it anyway, I’ll take good over shitty any day.

If you’re a politician or a member of the favored aristocracy, you’ll still be able to get the health care you need. If you’re a regular person, take a number, Jack, they’ll get to you eventually.