Health care reform--myth vs. fact

The amount of misinformation and disinformation flying about the internet regarding the proposed health care reform bill is simply astounding to me. I've begun a collection of sites/links to help dispel the myths and rumors.

First, here's an excellent breakdown of the issues and terminology of health care reform from About.com. (This page includes links to many related articles and frequently asked questions.)

The White House directly addresses several of the more popular and persistent rumors here.

Are you wondering if Tom Daschle could have actually said that seniors should have to suffer through "the conditions that come with age"? Read what he really said here.

Forced euthanasia? Not so much.

This is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg. We need to be informed, and we need to demand open, honest debate about the issues. Sure, it might take a bit more effort to do a little research into these things than to just believe what the forwarded chain letter email said, but we'll all be better for it.

www.politifact.com
factcheck.org
snopes.com

"Oh, I would probably have raised more hell."

Former Gov. Ann Richards, the witty and flamboyant Democrat who went from homemaker to national political celebrity, died Wednesday night after a battle with cancer, a family spokeswoman said. She was 73.

She died at home surrounded by her family, the spokeswoman said. Richards was found to have esophageal cancer in March and underwent chemotherapy treatments.

The silver-haired, silver-tongued Richards said she entered politics to help others -- especially women and minorities who were often ignored by Texas' male-dominated establishment.

"I did not want my tombstone to read, 'She kept a really clean house.' I think I'd like them to remember me by saying, 'She opened government to everyone,' " Richards said shortly before leaving office in January 1995.

She grabbed the national spotlight with her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention when she was the Texas state treasurer. Richards won cheers from delegates when she reminded them that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, "only backwards and in high heels."

Richards sealed her partisan reputation with a blast at George H. W. Bush, a fellow Texan who was vice president at the time: "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."

Asked once what she might have done differently had she known she was going to be a one-term governor, Richards grinned.

"Oh, I would probably have raised more hell."

A note about John Murtha

I live in Murtha's district, same as I did in high school. Many organizations are asking for money on Murtha's behalf, to run a "counter-campaign" against his opponent. Murtha usually runs unopposed.

There are no Murtha attack ads (that I've seen) and I watch the local channels for the evening news, the prime time for political ads. Morever, Murtha's campaign is not running any ads. Why should he waste the money? He's running as he always has: on his record of what he's done for the area over his years of service. He supported me in a problem I was having in high school (it's a long story but one that a politican would love) and I know he's personally and generally helped just about all of his constituents and that's what people here pay attention to.

So if you're approached for a donation to help support Jack Murtha in his campaign against an upstart no one in his district has ever heard of, put your money elsewhere.

Someone who is running ads in our area? Bob Casey, who is running against Rick Santorum. Now that's an interesting pair of campaigns.

Save the Internet

Congress is pushing a law that would abandon the Internet's First Amendment -- a principle called Network Neutrality that prevents companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from deciding which Web sites work best for you -- based on what site pays them the most. If the public doesn't speak up now, our elected officials will cave to a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign.

Click here to find out more.

Some cheery news

Rep. Harris: Church-state separation 'a lie'

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris told a religious journal that separation of church and state is "a lie" and God and the nation's founding fathers did not intend the country be "a nation of secular laws."

The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate also said that if Christians are not elected, politicians will "legislate sin," including abortion and gay marriage.

I don't even know where to begin...

Send Bill Clinton a birthday card

Bill turns 60 on August 19th.

Send him a birthday e-card via The Clinton Foundation.

Do-it-yourself voter reform

I decided a while back that I was going to throw all my energy into making sure we had some small chance at an honest election.

Why?

Well, this video is one reason. Watch it. Pass it along to ALL your friends and relatives, of ALL political stripes.


What can you do to protect the vote?

What I did: I've joined a local ballot integrity group that is trying to get our state to move back to hand-counted paper ballots. I'm working on them with outreach, using the skills I have to write and design fliers that will alert the maximum number of people about this issue. Like most of you, I don't have that much time, I have a job, I have a family. But I make the time for this group as I can, because some things are that important. I'm using what I've got. The main thing I'm working on is to mobilize people who have more time, money, and influence than I do.

Here's a handy-dandy "How-to" kit you can download that will help you find one thing you can do to help take back our vote, courtesy of Black Box Voting:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-auth.cgi?file=/1954/36341.html

Just one action from enough individuals can turn the tide in this fight.