http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/good_vs_bipartisan/?r_by=7864-2230382-LEau4Fx&rc=comment_paste

Here's an interesting petition that I decided to sign. I've been trying to be a little bit more centrist in my thinking and attitudes about politics (see my earlier post about how I think Obama should play the health care issue) but CREDO makes some good points. There's also this interesting piece by James Surowiecki where he describes how once we all agree that outrageous rate hikes and coverage denials for pre-existing conditions are wrong, health insurance ceases a good for-profit industry. Then we can decide between having a public instutution to administer health insurance, or, like Switzerland, make health insurance a non profit industry. If the later is a more acceptable solution to conservatives than the former, then I'm ready to embrace it. However, I think we have learned that having for profit companies administer health insurances is good for no one but shareholders and CEOs, and quite frankly, they can all go take a long walk off a short pier as far as I care. Everybody will still have jobs if health care is a non-profit industry, but their jobs will be to help people get the coverage they need at a price they can afford, rather than maximize their companies profits.

bi-partisanship

Well, I just read a headline on yahoo news stating that despite Obama's efforts at bi-partisanship, partisanship is alive and well. I think that the best thing that Obama and the Dems can do right now is to continue to try and be as bi-partisan as possible. Let's face it, they do not play well as the dominant party. They just split themselves up between liberals and blue dogs and kill any momentum that they gain in elections. Maybe they can be better as legislative mediators since they obvioulsy can't push any bills through on their own. The more they invite the republicans into the mix, them more the Republicans become responsible for governing. I can think of strong arguments against this course too, but they all seem like unobtainable ideals. They shouldn't have been unobtainable, but after watching the Dems squander a 60 vote majority, it's awfully hard to have faith in them to get anything done.