The back and forth over the public option is getting pretty exhausting. Anonymously sourced story after anonymously sourced story ends up in reclisted diaries with loads of speculation in them. Blood pressures are rising, people are genuinely upset. And they should be. I will be angry and disappointed if there is no public option in the final health care reform bill passed. And if I am forced to purchase an overpriced private insurance plan, then I will be quite angry.
But, may I make a simple suggestion? Take some time off from this blog, or any political blog, or Facebook, or MSNBC, or CNN, and especially Politico. Relax, and enjoy Labor Day weekend if you can. Spend it with family and friends, reflect back on the sacrifices made by the American labor movement over the past hundred or so years. We have so much to be thankful for.
Now I know that some people will say "No, I will not take time off. This is the most important piece of legislation this administration has the opportunity to pass. We shall never give up"
I'm not advocating anyone give up this fight. In fact, keep fighting, keep calling members of Congress and the White House. Make sure your voice is heard. But right now, I think it would be best to do these things offline without constantly having to read headline after contradicting headline. I suppose if we need updates over this week long break we could ask about the status of reform from a Congressional staffer while we call our Congressperson's office. I'm sure they'd be happy to tell us something.
Then we can come back after President Obama delivers his speech Wednesday night about the specific reforms he would like to see in the health care reform bill that gets sent to his desk. Then, when we know what his goals are (hopefully), and we can come back rejuvenated and ready to put pressure on Congress to get this dang thing passed (provided it includes the public option), so we can move on to ACES, DADT, etc. If the bill has no public option after it gets out of conference committee, then we pressure the President to veto it and demand a bill with the public option. But let's speculate on that when we get there...
I think this may be a good idea for some of us, if not many of us. What do you think?