It was held at a VFW hall. It was a loud and boorish affair with the ranks full of people who get their talking points directly from Rush, Rove, or the Heritage Foundation. Oh, and a lot of teabaggers and Obama haters.

There were a lot of us, and Udall did his best. He did say very clearly that he would not vote for a bill that does not have a public option.

They bugged him about the overturn of Ricci, the bailout, socialized medicine, whether the Tacos would still have their jobs next January. (Tacos are a Kirtland AFB unit.) He said Sotomayor was the most highly experience jurist to have been nominated, a chorus of major booing on that.

It was dreadful. I hope he has a better reception at other venues in NM.

There are at least two other ways to see this: one is that the political center isn’t squarely between the Dems and Repubs, but where the president senses the public to be; the other is the intellectual center which is where the bill isn’t particularly partisan at all.

The public seems to be to the left of the Senate Dems and perhaps even of the president. But, to get a bill that far to the left would mean NOT getting it out of Congress.

The intellectual center is often going to be easier to get past the political filters since it isn’t going to be seen as a ‘victory’ or ‘defeat’ by those who focus too much on political fights. This center is one which considers the extremities of the features or overall impact of a bill and finds that they are balanced and not destructive in effect.

I think Pres. Obama’s initial goals were non-political and as such have been an excellent guide for legislators. But now, I think the political fight has changed. The Republicans have said they’re not going to vote for a public option. At least almost all of them have. I suppose there’s still the possibility they will come to their senses and realize the political danger of being so far outside the mainstream of the public’s thinking that it would be disaster to go against the tide. Naturally, as Sen. Snowe has indicated, they would still like Dems to give up something to move the bill toward them despite the fact they haven’t said they’ll give anything (like a vote) in return.

I think the intellectual center is less intrusion/help for private insurers and more gov’t activity (the public option) to help the public get insurance. The reason this isn’t a Lefty position is that it doesn’t act to harm private insurers or to overuse gov’t force the way a single-payer plan would. We were so far to the Right to begin with that any move toward the Center will naturally be seen as a Leftward shift.

America has conceded to the corporate Right and now we’re reclaiming the Center!

They need to Take the Pledge to vote against any bill that doesn’t have any health care bill if it doesn’t include a public plan

The sentence isn’t worded well.

Better is…

They need to Take the Pledge to vote against any health care bill which doesn’t include a public plan

“Pelosi and her top lieutenants would spend the next four hours whipping, cajoling, begging and browbeating undecided Democrats”

We liberals know Nancy by now. She did nothing but bribe, bribe, bribe. It has nothing to do with her “skill”. She’s so dirty I feel like taking a bath just looking at her. Honesty and morality, for her, is “off the table”.

I’m not listening to any of this crap anymore until people like you start telling the real truth and do a little work for a change. Tell us who got promised what or just go away.

Udall Town Hall

10:00 – 10:45 a.m. Boys and Girls Club, 330 W. Las Cruces Ave., Las Cruces

Udall Takes on Tobacco with Boys and Girls Club SMART Living Class

11:00 – 11:30 a.m. Boys and Girls Club, 330 W. Las Cruces Ave., Las Cruces