Sierra Club: “Urge Sec. Salazar to Stop the Misguided Rush to Drill Virginia”
Please go to the Sierra Club’s petition and urge Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to facilitate offshore wind power development, not offshore oil drilling. Remind him that “[o]ur wind resources vastly exceed the energy potential of all the oil and gas thought to lie off our shores, without the huge risks to the environment, Navy and NASA operations that would accompany offshore drilling.” And, of course, let him know that “[o]ur precious Chesapeake Bay, our sensitive coastal wetlands, and our highly lucrative tourism and fishing industries are completely dependent on clean beaches and healthy ocean waters.” Thanks.
Thank Them For Voting Yes!
Yesterday, Democrats took a historic vote that was certainly the right thing to do, but which was difficult politically for many of them. Now, it’s time for us to tell them – as Adam B writes on Daily Kos – that “when Democrats act courageously in the interests of our country, progressives will have their backs and support them.” So, please give generously to the members on this list, particularly to Virginia’s own Tom Perriello. In addition, please call Tom and say “thank you!” at (202) 225-4711. To thank Gerry Connolly, call (202) 225-1492; to thank Bobby Scott, call (202) 225-8351, and to thank Jim Moran, call (202) 225-4376.
What Does Health Insurance Reform’s Passage Mean?
I spent all weekend reading about nothing but the politics & process of health insurance reform. And that seems to be all the morning papers are focused on, too. I know journalists are neck deep in this stuff, but can’t they pull themselves out of the muck for one morning and explain what this health insurance reform bill means for real people?
What if you’re at the office coffee maker this morning & a coworker asks “Well, what does this thing DO anyway?” What should you say? Let’s try to cut through the clutter:
- 40 million people who don’t have health insurance right now will get it thanks to this bill — 24 million through tax credits & new state-based exchanges and 16 million who earn less than 133% of the poverty line through their new Medicaid eligibility.
- You can keep your health insurance when you get sick. Let that sink in. Also, your insurer won’t be able to demand you get prior approval before you go to the emergency room.
- The bill will cut the deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years and include major cost savings through common sense steps, like Medicare changes intended to deliver care more efficiently and at a lower price.
What about the political implications? Again, let’s focus not on things like reconciliation that no one will remember a month from now, but on long-term impacts:
- Republicans gambled on being able to obstruct this bill, ignoring policy and focusing solely on dealing Democrats a defeat — and lost. Badly. As David Frum first pointed out and Josh Marshall echoed this morning, if voters ultimately like this bill, Democrats will get 100% of the credit, and Scott Brown’s election may look less like the tip of the iceberg than the continuance of the GOP’s Ice Age.
- It’s hard to overstate how much opposition Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid were able to overcome — not just from the Party of No, but from reluctant members of their own party, the right wing noise machine, and millions upon millions of dollars spent by groups like the Chamber of Commerce trying to kill reform.
- The lasting image of the Republican opposition will be John Boehner trembling with rage and someone shouting “baby killer” because anti-abortion language was insufficiently draconian, all while refusing to condemn Tea Partiers who hurled epithets at anyone different from them. Good luck selling all that to independent voters this fall.
There’s plenty more to do, especially in the Senate, which has lagged behind the House, particularly on clean energy & climate and financial reform bills. And there’s the public option and immigration reform and deficit reduction and more. But that’s for another day.
In a town where Democrats so regularly have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, this is a day to celebrate. You may live a long and full and happy life and never see a greater progressive victory. Enjoy it.
Whipple Clip Dozen: Monday Morning
Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Monday “Clips.”
1. CUCCINELLI SAYS VA. WILL SUE OVER HEALTH-CARE BILL
2. CUCCINELLI TO FILE SUIT ‘AS SOON AS THE INK IS DRY’ ON HEALTH-CARE SIGNATURE
3. GUNS IN BARS LAW DIVIDES POLICE
5. ON EVE OF HEALTH CARE VOTE, VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS URGED TO HAVE ‘NO FEAR’
6. U.S. REP GLENN NYE WILL VOTE NO ON HEALTH CARE BILL
7. BOUCHER STAYS A ‘NO’; PERRIELLO BACKS PARTY
14. REALITY DAWNS ON GOV. MCDONNELL’S TRANSPORTATION PIXIE DUST
17. VIRGINIA MAKES IT TOUGH ON JOBLESS
18. A DEFICIT BY ANY OTHER NAME
30. SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA TO FEEL STING OF STATE BUDGET CUTS
33. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS STIR UP THE ‘TEA PARTY’ CROWD
34. TENS OF THOUSANDS RALLY FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM
Huge Victory for President Obama, Democrats, America
UPDATE: Matthew Yglesias argues that, with the passage of health care reform, “Barack Obama will go down in history as one of America’s finest presidents” and that “he’s reshaped the policy landscape in a way that no progressive politician has done in decades.” So far, in a little over a year, President Obama has helped keep America from Great Depression Part II and has achieved a victory on health care reform that had eluded presidents, Republican and Democratic, for decades. Not too shabby, and there’s a lot more to come – clean energy, climate change, immigration, education, financial reform. If President Obama gets all of those done, he’d seriously be in the ranks of the greatest, most transformative U.S. Presidents.
UPDATE #2: Crazy Cooch chimes in.
On the Passage of Health Care Reform
Cross posted on Blue Commonwealth
The House of Representatives has just taken the historic step of passing comprehensive health care reform. I want to congratulate President Barack Obama and the members of our Virginia Congressional delegation who voted for the bill: Democratic Congressmen Jim Moran, Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, and Tom Perriello. Their strength and leadership has helped to preserve a better tomorrow for all Virginians. Joining these gentlemen in voting “yea” as your Congressman from the 10th District is the only way I could feel prouder to be a Virginia Democrat. The bill passed tonight will extend affordable coverage, fix our broken healthcare system, and lay the groundwork for long-term cost cutting.
By extending affordable coverage to 30,000,000 uninsured Americans we will bump the number of Americans with health insurance to 95%. No longer will parents have to make the gut wrenching decision of choosing between healthcare for themselves and healthcare for their kids because coverage was just too expensive for the whole family. No longer will people be stuck in dead-end jobs due to pre-existing conditions. No longer will small businesses and individuals pay more than big companies for healthcare. No longer will insurance companies cancel health coverage after a severe illness occurs.
Health care reform will have a positive impact on small businesses. I have spoken with small business owners all over the 10th District who tell me that the passage of this bill means they will be able to extend coverage to their employees. For-profit health insurance companies will no longer stifle the small business owner who is trying to compete in today’s challenging marketplace.
Finally, this bill takes the important step of cutting overall heath care costs. The United States currently spends 16% of our GDP on healthcare. That is twice the percentage of many of our global competitors. This bill lays the groundwork for cutting costs.
It is important to remember that today’s passage is an important and long overdue step-but the job is not done. We will need to constantly monitor our health care system to make sure these reforms actually produce their desired affects. If they do not, I will tell you immediately. When I am elected to Congress, I will work with my neighbors and colleagues on continuing to improve our health care system. We must continue to cut costs and work on effective implementation.
200,000 March for Immigration Reform
Not too bad, 200,000 people are reported at today’s “March for America” in support of comprehensive immigration reform. In comparison, the Washington, DC Fire Department estimated 60,000-70,000 people attended Glenn Beck’s “9/12” March last year. In other words, it appears that 3 times as many people marched for comprehensive immigration reform today than for…well, whatever it was Glenn Beck told them to march for (actually, against) last year.
UPDATE: According to Change.org, “it’s just been reported that local Fox News is counting immigration reform supporters in the national mall at half a million!”
