It’s a bitter pill to swallow. For us ideological Democrats who envisioned pushing America into the ranks of the other major industrialized nations by creating affordable, universal health care, the Senate bill is a brutal disappointment. Our President appears to have compromised his promises away. Republicans have defied reason by bending to the will of corporate insurance giants. Joseph Lieberman has proven to be motivated by pure spite. But it’s time for us Democrats to grow up and look at what we do have. For the first time since FDR’s New Deal, we have a serious (albeit less than ideal) proposal to expand the reach of affordable health care coverage to millions of Americans. Unlike Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster film, this would certainly not be a time to kill the bill. (more…)

For moderate conservatives, the Special Election in New York’s 23rd district has certainly been a harrowing experience. Dede Scozzafava, the decidedly moderate Republican candidate in the district, was pushed out of the race by the dominant arch-conservative wing of the party, led in this instance by the ex-Alaska Governor and politically “rogue” hockey mom who poisoned the 2008 Republican ticket, also known as Sarah Palin. They instead favored the “Conservative Party” candidate Doug Hoffman, who serves the more popular hard-line brand that has characterized the Republican Party, in which moderacy is no longer tolerated. (more…)

Many liberals, myself included, support a healthy minimum wage with enough purchasing power so that most people can buy the bare essentials on a full-time salary. A common way of maintaining this purchasing power is by tying the minimum wage to the prices of basic commodities — in short, adjusting it to inflation. But with consumer spending down across the board, the ever worrisome trend of deflation is leading Colorado to become the first state in the nation to lower its minimum wage. Public hearings are soon to follow.

Is it as bad as it seems, though? The law was meant to keep a balance between the purchasing power of the working poor and the ability of businesses to cope with the wage changes. If consumer prices are down, it’s because businesses can’t afford to charge normal prices and maintain their payroll. Forcing businesses to pay an artificially high (relative to recent deflation) minimum wage could end up meaning new layoffs. With the federal minimum wage ($7.25) as a safety net, states should feel free to tie wages to the consumer price index — regardless of the economic climate

With the National Equality March and Same-Sex Marriage Vote in DC on the horizon, it is hard not to find oneself pondering one of our Nation’s greatest ills: the existence of second class citizens. While several minorities in this country still have a ways to go before achieving de facto equality, the gays and lesbians are in a unique situation. Their country refuses to recognize them as human beings. Unfortunately, a large majority of our country finds delight in this legally sanctioned discrimination, offering inane arguments to justify their hate.

To examine the claims that homosexuals undermine familial and moral values would first involve recognizing that they are grounded in some iota of truth; thus, they are not even worthy of consideration. What has caught my attention, however, is the new cry among anti-gay groups, such as Stand4MariageDC, to “let the people vote.” This idea of holding a referendum may have some sway with moderates as our country holds the ideal of majority rule and believes in the sacred nature of the vote. Yet we must not forget the other fundamental principle grounded in our Constitution - that of the protection of the minority. (more…)

I’m afraid I have to disagree with my friend, Matt, below. There are two ways to look at President Obama’s winning of the Nobel Peace Prize — whether he deserves the award, and whether he is helped by it. On both counts I say he’d be better off politely declining to accept it.

Off the top of my head I can’t think of a person who was especially noteworthy in the peacemaking business for the last 12 months. Obama did set some peacemaking goals this year, such as the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons and a reinvigorated (if ham-fisted) effort to re-start the Arab-Israeli peace process. Not one of his major reconiciliation initiatives has panned out, though — partly because he conducted some of them poorly, but mostly because he simply hasn’t had enough time yet. There is a case to be made for “aspirational” peace prizes that encourage certain policies, but we should be clear that that’s what they are meant to be.

On the question of whether the award helps him, I think it’s a resounding “no.” People in this country have already been wary of Obama’s star power abroad, and I certainly detested foreigners saying that, ‘Yes they did.’ Uh, no — we did. There’s no question that increased respect abroad helps our foreign policy, but Obama risks falling into the trap of Israeli President Shimon Peres — a man loved abroad but not at home. It’s a fine formula for a secretary of state or an ambassador, but not POTUS. Plus, the GOP gets to throw out the Jimmy Carter epithet with ever greater authority.

P.S. Due respect to the Democratic National Committee, but I don’t appreciate being labeled on par with Hamas and the Taliban for questioning the day’s news:

In an e-mail to reporters, DNC press secretary Hari Sevugan suggested that Steele’s statement, which said Obama’s “star power” had overshadowed more deserving recipients, was similar to reactions from Hamas and the Taliban.

Have you ever noticed that after putting your iPod down for a second, when you pick it up the headphones are twisted into a complicated jumble that takes several minutes to untangle? It seems as though, all of the sudden, you have to spend more time fixing this issue than you had spent enjoying it and you can’t help but ask, “how did I get here?”

As a Democrat, I ask myself that question pretty often these days. It seems that we can’t put forth a policy or assert a position without it coming back tangled, twisted, and in a very different form than that which we had submitted.

Let’s look at the issue very much on the public agenda today: health care reform. This summer, the content of the Health Care Bill supported by Obama was made public. Elements such as required coverage for preventative care, lowered insurance costs, and a public option could be seen by Americans of all parties as our President’s attempt to provide our nation with equal health care. Discussion, debate, and contention are to be expected. But health care equality is not on the rocks because Republicans have asserted sound arguments rooted in evidence. Let’s follow the breadcrumb trail back to our first proposal for health care equality early in Summer 2009, shall we? We find the evil witch Sarah Palin jumbling up our quotes and getting her supporters tangled up in threats of “socialism” and “death panels.” Even when it seems like what Glenn Beck says can whisk the Republican Party out of its misery, come midnight, he turns out to be more of a pumpkin than a carriage. The Democratic Party put forth a plan to equip men and women of all income levels with health care, but is instead exhausting important discussion time reversing ludicrous claims asserted by Conservative news-generators like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. Instead of communicating a message of equality and accessible health care, we are countering men and women who shout in town halls that we plan to prematurely force old people to the grave. How did we get here?

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A recent topic of discussion is the prospect that the GOP could re-take the House of Representatives in the 2010 midterm elections. With today’s unfortunate report that the economy is still shedding jobs, and with the defeat of the public option in the Senate Finance Committee’s version of the health care bill, many Republicans no doubt believe they are on the offensive to a such a degree that they can take back the House. (more…)