You know that the US political system has "jumped the shark" when...

...neither side in the health care reform "debate" is reacting appropriately to the death threats and other acts being perpetrated by nut jobs.

Too many on the right are simply saying "Well, this is wrong, of course, but people are angry," and too many on the left just want to use the pictures and other coverage of the actions to raise money for their campaigns.

Both sides should stand up together (dare I say bipartisanly?) and shout from the Senate and House floors:

"STOP NOW. Whether you agree or disagree with recent legislation, the way to make your voice heard is through the ballot box, and may the people with the better ideas win in November and beyond. And, as governmental officials sworn to support the constitution, we'll actively support the prosecution of anyone or any group -- of either party, from any constituency -- who acts violently or calls for violence."

President Obama's Afghanistan Time Frame

From today's New York Times:

"However officials said that Mr. Obama in his speech will give a time frame — something Mr. Bush did not do —for when the United States will start pulling the reinforcements out and begin turning over security responsibilities to Afghan forces one province at a time."

I believe what he'll say in his speech tonight is :

We'll be pulling out of Afghanistan as soon as it has universal health care!

If Obama's health care plan can cure America...

...of Grey's Anatomy, I'm on-board big time!

If this plague will continue unabated under the new system, I see no point in passing anything.

Where have you gone, Joe Gannon?

It's All Up to Us

Last week I gave a talk about Frank Sinatra to the local Senior Club and had U.S. Representative Chris Murphy as my opening act.

There's a reason why Sinatra had comedians as lead-ins and not congressmen (although Frank would frequently introduce Sen. Jack Kennedy in the audience at his concerts in Vegas): congressional representatives talk about things that matter to people, but they tend not to please anyone with their answers -- especially when they're talking about Medicare Part D.

He was engaging, informative, knowledgeable, and sincerely interested in fixing the system, all the qualities one wants in a representative, but short of saying he had just completely abolished the administrative red tape associated with signing up for or switching specific plans, he wasn't telling them much they really wanted to know.

Talk about a tough audience...and thanks for the warm up, Chris!

His speaking that day did give me the chance to mention to his aide that, if health insurance reform is on the way, I had the song for him. It was written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, donated to the Good Health Association of North Carolina, and recorded by Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore on 11/7/46.

Entitled "It's All Up To You (To Make North Carolina Number One in Good Health)," the song is an excellent example of what health care reform needs in the US (and something that the Clinton Health Care Reform attempt in the early 1990s simply lacked): catchy lyrics to summarize succinctly why it'd be good for ALL of us.

Consider this:

..if we do this, we will be the state
where the weak grow strong
and the strong grow great.