A few observations since I last observed anything. The crazies came out in droves to the August "town hall" meetings and successfully prevented virtually any rational discussion of health care and health insurance issues at all. That loud and rude fringe of society drove the parameters of the discussion. I don't think I've ever been quite so happy that Congress was back in session. Gun-toting Texas secessionists who think President Obama is a Communist Nazi born in Kenya are now in charge of health insurance reform. Boy, am I relieved.

Republicans have two planks in their platform now solidified: prevent public health insurance for citizens and allow government torture of prisoners in the war against terror(I think we give them free medical care afterwards unless they die, of course). Isn't torture terror? Republicans are adamant that the government stay out of the health insurance business and just as adamant that government should be able to torture our adversaries. Democrats are not quite as adamant that government should not torture our adversaries and quite a bit less adamant that government should be a health insurance provider. To me, we pool our money to build highways, bridges, provide for national defense, and various safety nets for senior citizens, our veterans, poor children, and people who are disabled. Health insurance for Americans seems to be in the same "pool" to me. And we shouldn't torture anybody.

A significant group of senior citizens voiced opposition to Government brokered health insurance, but vehemently insisted that their Medicare not be reduced or changed, and for goodness sake, don't mess with Social Security. And the classic line of the summer by an angry senior citizen was "Keep government out of my Medicare!"

But common ground has been reached on at least a couple of issue: virtually everyone agrees that "death panels" should not be included in the legislation. Not that such a thing was every discussed, contemplated, thought about, considered, written, conceived of, proposed, or written. Nevertheless, common ground has been reached. And even though it was never proposed etc., etc., insurance for illegal immigrants will not happen. Injured or sick illegal immigrants will simply continue to show up at emergency rooms where they will be treated, and we will pick up the tab in other ways. But thank God, at least, they will not be insured.

Ex Alaska Governor Sarah Palin accused President Obama of wanting to force her child to appear before a "death panel," then a week later called for "civility" in the discussions about health insurance. Huh? And the nutballs were throwing around the Nazi comparisons again. I wonder how many of those accusing President Obama of being a Nazi drive Volkswagens? Most other industrialized Western nations provide for national health care for their citizens. They're not Nazis. The Nazi fetish of the protestors is disturbing. And it obscures the brutish evil of the real Nazis.

So there you go. Summer's nearly over, schools have started again, Congress is back in session, gun-toting protestors headed back to their home towns where they can tote their guns, and Texas is still in the union. Not that the latter is necessarily a good thing. But there you go.

Regards,
Bud C