TREADING WATER
Posted by: Pat Johnson on: September 16, 2009
Oil Painting - Eric Zener
We seem to be trolling within a vacuum of our own making, trying to make headway out of the mire the nation has found itself with little relief being offered. Sure, we can “debate”, if that is what they wish to call it, over the supposed reform measures that won’t take place for several years and congratulate ourselves that we are on the right side of the issue in calling for such. However, when viewed more closely, it is just another ploy on behalf of those special interests who have purchased access through campaign donations to remain in business while we flounder some more. The president has made a deal with the pharmas, congress is “playing footsie” with the insurance giants, the Right seems to be gaining a foothold with our anxieties, and the press is unwilling to do its job but acts as a scoreboard of whoever seems to have won the battle of the day.
In listening to Elizabeth Warren, a women who I had up until last night credited for calling out our leaders in non partisan terms, describe on the Rachel Maddow Show that we can look to Harry Reid, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, and Chris Dodd as leaders “who are looking out for us”, I felt my jaw drop to the floor! Surely she must be kidding! That Merry Band of Flip Floppers who have collectively brought this nation to its knees by providing cover to the special interests over the last 10 years? Holy moly! If this is what Elizabeth Warren is holding up as examples of those “who are looking out for us” than what in hell is waiting in the shadows? Given a few more minutes of airtime she may have offered up Charlie Rangel as an example of fiscal responsibility!
I may not be Phi Beta Kappa material but I know stupidity and ineffectiveness when I see it. I can credit myself with having some degree of ferreting out bullshit when I see it and right now, I am up to my hips in bullshit! There was never any effort to bring forth Universal Healthcare or the inclusion of the public option as an alternative. And to pile it up even further, they confused us with their day to day flipping seminar in the cries of it either being on the table, off the table, back on the table, possible, impossible passage. You need a scorecard to keep track of Who’s On First, What’s On Second to figure out the plays.
People are losing jobs with little encouragement that unemployment will end soon. Homes are still being foreclosed. Healthcare coverage is being lost. Credit card companies are raising rates. Afghanistan is heating up. The deficit is climbing into the stratosphere and today’s headlines are all about Kanye West, Joe Wilson, Serena Williams, and whether or not their apologies are sincere. Here is where our priorities, or lack thereof, percolate. The president wags his finger at the crooks in Wall Street and figures that is enough to bring them to their knees and tweak their consciences to do the right thing. Like that is about to happen.
The entire system is so corrupt and distanced from the rest of us bobbing and weaving in the ocean of debt, anxiety, and distrust, that it is almost impossible find safe harbor. The lack of leadership is breathtaking and to hear anyone suggest that Pelosi, Reid, Frank, or Dodd are those who are acting in our behalf is either naïve or just plain stupid to put it mildly. Do they hold us all in such complete contempt that whatever is uttered is passable these days? What is wrong is what these morons and those who abet them and what they espouse? Let us begin with the premise that they are all working on behalf of the same special interests and corporations who line their pockets and proceed from there. Attempting to play up these idiots as “working on our behalf” is senseless.
We are treading water. That is where we are at this juncture. There is enough blame to go around on both sides of the political spectrum and neither one holds the title on its own. Mediocrity reigns supreme when looking to these elected officials to right the wrongs that have led us down this path. They all seem to be cut from the same bolt of cloth in their desire to hold the power that assures their isolation from the day to day lives of those citizens they swore to represent.
I am hoping for someone to throw me a lifeline as I tread the waters of this less than stellar governing body of fools. The horizon I search is vacant so far as the water keeps rising to new levels. Like a “player to be named later” in a baseball trade, that person has yet to surface. I am exhausted from settling for less.
49 Responses to "TREADING WATER"
September 16, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Exactly. The business of the nation is just not theirs. Too busy looking at the next election cycle and filling their donation coffers with money from the special interests.
Business as usual from this crowd.
September 16, 2009 at 8:48 AM
Thanks Pat – succinct and true. I no longer “debate” as it was pre ordained by teh Oliness and group long time ago. That’s why and how teh Oliness was selected. But my rage smolders. Especially when another “teachable” incident happens with that “ism” to provide coverage. Come to think of it – that is their one true effort to cover any of their manure. Most are left as Donna B. did – steaming fragant piles – with a big “So?”
I appreciate your posts very much. I too am exhausted – seems everything I had hoped to get corrected by my governing party was sold out long ago and, once again, we have our pretend/make believe media hyped Prez – just like Bu$hit – only worse. The horizon is starkly vacant.
September 16, 2009 at 8:49 AM
Everything politicians do is IOU. “Vote for me and I’ll make this happen!” And then they say the same thing during the following election. And then the election after that. The line of credit is a bottomless pit and voters keep extending it. Look at our Congress. How many people in it have been there for more than two terms? And how many of them have done anything?
September 16, 2009 at 9:10 AM
DYB: Very true. All they spew are words which when push comes to shove, mean nothing. Sounds good but lack substance. The same group that brought us this mess is the same group being charged to correct it. Won’t happen. The circular argument is still in effect.
Boo: Nothing exceptional on the horizon but the same steady stream of gasbags from either side whose only wish is to have power. We are once again relegated to the antpile. It becomes more difficult each day to assume anything different will ever take place. Sorrowful.
September 16, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Term limits and campaign reform would be the order of the day – think Congress will legislate that? cough cough Now that the masks and gloves are completely off for the Dems, Harry Reid is facing problems with his constituency as well as other long term office holders, it would be heart warming to replace these “shadow puppets”. Even my cute little “blue dog” Congress critter may have problems in the future as this area is historically repressed and looking for relief.
Whiplash has gone back to supporting “public option” in his AFL-CIO
spiel last night in P’burg. But, that means nothing – words, just words. Sounds like we ae going to get the tri-fecta this Sunday.
I have noticed that Zogby has been doing polls every few days with the same questions just phrased a different way. Wonder if there is any correlation. Not that they will change course, just change the words – outcome will be the same. Cheery, huh.
September 16, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Pat – I would disagree with you, but after 2006 and 2008 and seeing how Obama is “governing,” I just cannot. When you’re right, you’re right.
That’s why I’m not interested in party activism any more. If I am going to do something other than vote, I am going to try to do it outside of the normal two-party system. For example, working with a group like NOW, which is standing up for women and standing against Obama’s giving away the store to the fundiegelicals.
Both parties are worse than useless; they are actively harming our nation. Look at Bush, then look at Obama. The worst things Bush did, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, Executive Privilege, etc., Obama is continuing with aplomb. In areas where Democrats normally are known for being superior to Repubs, such as the economy, Obama has simply followed the guidelines laid down by Bush, which lead to more disaster and pain for the poor and middle-class in America.
I think if we try to wait for someone to save us from either Party, we will be scrod. We have to do it ourselves. Hey, isn’t that what Obama is always telling us? We are the change we were waiting for? In other words, we’re on our own, folks. Let’s take him at his word.
September 16, 2009 at 9:47 AM
It is pretty difficult to make a difference when you are handed the choice of two candidates with one being slightly less odious than the other. The way the system is designed, the third choice usually is far worse than the first two! As long as corporations and special interest are allowed to tamper with the outcome, we are super stuck!
September 16, 2009 at 9:53 AM
“In other words, we’re on our own, folks. Let’s take him at his word.”
Done. Last year. Doesn’t take me long to hold a hot horse shoe. It was all too much. No debate left in me as to what the outcome is they are reaching for. Just want facts on real viable alternatives.
September 16, 2009 at 9:55 AM
That is certainly true, Pat. For any number of years now, with the exception of 1992-2000, I have been voting for the lesser of two evils, or just voting downticket.
September 16, 2009 at 10:06 AM
“In other words, we’re on our own, folks. Let’s take him at his word.”
Amen, Mb. Anything less is starting to sound like being trapped on a hamster wheel of railing against the same crap over and over while in the same breath saying nothing will change, something will change, nothing will change, something will change. Some skewed form of hope for change while railing against the lack of hope and change.
September 16, 2009 at 10:10 AM
If someone can figure out what I just said, please let me know. I think it was profound. LOL
September 16, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Damnitol…humm…not sure…but I am downloading Pink Floyd The Wall into my ipod as we speak. That could account for something, chat. LOL
September 16, 2009 at 10:54 AM
You knew something was really wrong when Reagan said, “Tear down this wall!” and Americans cheered “praise, yes, hope, change, tear down the wall” and you knew Reagan or none of them had never even watched Pink Floyd The Wall.
September 16, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Who hasn’t heard of Pink Floyd “The Wall?” Philistines! I spent my whole freshman year in college listening to it over and over again.
Yes, I was depressed. Why do you ask?
September 16, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Wow. My freshman year in college was 1966. The Beach Boys, The Stones, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Little Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding. For our depressive episodes we had Bob Dylan, Judi Collins and Joan Baez. I love them all to this day. “The Wall” was my mid-life crisis years, which I think I may be in the latter phases.
September 16, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Chatblu, I was just a twinkle in my mom and dad’s eyes in 1966.
I did watch “The Wall” as well as listen to it, but I did not comply with the minimum requirements for doing so (i.e., I was not tripping on acid). As such, it did not have the same impact as the music for me.
September 16, 2009 at 11:33 AM
I find The Wall very encouraging. Very hopeful. Something about Pat’s piece triggered it and Mb’s comment that I resonated with: Accept The Wall is there. No need to keep proving it over and over again. All Walls are structured exactly the same. No matter what material they are made with. Don’t expect the masons who built the damn thing it to tear it down. Get on with the mission at hand. Find the freaking weakness in The Wall.
September 16, 2009 at 11:44 AM
I know, I know. I am truly one of the Ancients on this blog. But I would not have grown up in another time or place for the world. I have lived in interesting times.
September 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM
I love how people are from different generations here. I think it gives different perspectives on the issues.
September 16, 2009 at 12:01 PM
(P.S. LTD, I was not pooping yet. I was not even born! Although according to the fundies, I was a full-fledged human being with as many rights as my mom! LOL)
September 16, 2009 at 12:04 PM
Probably most of you are contemporaries of my daughter, a Gen-X’er with a social conscience who is has a degree in Nursing Informatics. She has no desire to leap head first into saving the world in public hospital ERs like her mother before her.
September 16, 2009 at 12:06 PM
I do think a lot of us are Gen-X, but among our regulars, we have SHV, Pat, you and Cinie who are not. I am not sure about others who may be younger – they seem to mostly have gone for Obama.
September 16, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Absolutely, Mad. I think that the blending of generations, religions, regions and ethnicity fosters understanding and appreciation of others. We Boomers are dwindling, but we did our best, I think, to make this a better place to be. I was amused in the early days of the second Gulf War to finding grey-haired potesters carrying signs “Get Out of Iraq Now”. By God, we are not dead yet.
September 16, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Well, as an X-er (in more ways than one), I think you boomers need to take a look at how you shaped our perceptions. Any reason why you folks came out with Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist around the time we started being born? Self-fulling prophecy on your part. Now take that, boomers.
September 16, 2009 at 12:29 PM
I do think a lot of us are Gen-X, but among our regulars, we have SHV,–
*********
War baby…..if my sister wasn’t a Obot we could add a Depression Era baby..
September 16, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Treading water?
I wonder how long my “Flintstones” inflatable vest and waders will last?
September 16, 2009 at 12:45 PM
I will end my morning blogging experience with: Can someone tell me why, “democrats in exile” are so thrilled with the prospect of Republicans taking ACORN down? Wouldn’t a “democrats in exile” time be better spent confronting ACORN to go back to it’s voter reregistration roots to help get more Democrats into the voting booths?
Or maybe, better yet, help create voter registration drives of your own to help those “democrats in exile” register to vote in future elections. A women’s voter registration drive? Oh, silly me, “ACORN bad. Obama can’t get elected without those ACORNS. That goooood.”
Oh, and while you are at it, “democrats in exile”, creating that “democrats in exile registration drive”, can you reflect on Bush firing all those US Attorney’s? Slips are showing in my snarky opinion here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dismissal_of_U.S._attorneys_controversy
September 16, 2009 at 1:06 PM
I’m getting really nervous here. I think Cinie has overdosed on Fuckitol. Not even la-t-da flirting with her at her blog is working. We might need to consider some kind of intervention here.
September 16, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Oh, silly me, “ACORN bad. Obama can’t get elected without those ACORNS. That goooood.”
*********
Assuming that they aren’t “concern Trolls”, people seem to be locked into a bi-polar political view point or the “enemy of my enemy is my friend”. This is what I see on my local “lefty” newspaper blog relating to health care. It’s all about Rethugs and Blue Dogs vs Obama; no consideration that “Health Insurance Reform”, in a saner political environment, is “Republican Legislation” and a total screw job for most of the people who support it.
September 16, 2009 at 2:16 PM
So, if no more bipartisanship, do we get our compromises canceled?
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/wheels-come-off-the-bipartisanship-wagon-the-irony-edition/
September 16, 2009 at 3:14 PM
Sadly, SHV, I think that you are correct. The latest health care version looks more and more like insurance company corporate welfare.
September 16, 2009 at 3:42 PM
Sadly, SHV, I think that you are correct. The latest health care version looks more and more like insurance company corporate welfare.
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Here is a summary of the key points of Health Insurance Lobby plan. When the Baucus/Obama plan is presented later today, compare the “bottom lines”, they should be identical.
“Insurers announce health reform proposals”
“WASHINGTON — The nation’s largest health insurance industry lobbying group announced a series of proposals for health reform this morning that they said would help achieve universal coverage, control costs and improve the quality of care.
(snip)
(my numbers)
1)”The heart of our proposal is a public-private partnership that builds on the employer-based coverage that 170 million Americans rely on today,
2)We want to make sure no one falls thorugh the cracks of our health care system because of age, health status or income.”
3)The ideas hinge on a proposal AHIP put forward last month: Insurers would agree to stop denying coverage to people because of pre-existing conditions as long as all individuals were required by law to buy insurance. That would prevent people from only buying insurance when they need it and force younger and healthier people to share the cost of care for older and sicker people.
4)The insurers also proposed that insurance regulations be revised so that basic, high-deductible health insurance plans with a streamlined set of benefits be available in all 50 states. The “essential benefits” plan would include coverage for wellness and disease management as well as chronic and acute care.(Junk Insurance)
5)To help make coverage affordable to middle class people, particularly the self-employed and those who work for small businesses, the government would give refundable tax credits on a sliding scale, according to income.
6)To help control health costs, the insurers said, Congress should set a goal of reducing the growth of health care costs by as much as 30 percent over five years, for a savings of $500 billion. (Mostly from Government money that isn’t first laundered through the Insurance Industry, ie Medicare, Medicaid and support for Public hospitals)
7)The payment structure for Medicare and Medicaid should also be revised so that doctors are compensated for better care, not more care.
The result of cutting spending by the govt on health care (budget “neutrality) and mandating “Junk” insurance will be trillions of dollars of additional revenue for the insurance companies; added to the Obama negotiated “lock in” of near doubling of drug prices over the next ten years.
September 16, 2009 at 3:47 PM
la-t-da said: Any reason why you folks came out with Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist around the time we started being born?
We were on too many drugs at the time. 
Why do you think we loved that phrase: “Better living thru chemicals” ?
September 16, 2009 at 3:51 PM
First of all, Miss La-t-da, I surface, and you don’t even come visit, so, what’s with the fussing?
Second, it’s thanks to us ‘Boomers and our parents who gave us Hula Hoops, Silly Putty, Slinkys, and later, Pet Rocks, Chia Pets, Ginzu Knives and Clappers, not to mention John Kennedy, that our current Pretendident could be elected-by-marketing and manufactured charisma alone. Therefore, a little gratitude is in order young lady, and all your whippersnapper friends, for without us earlier generations, what would you all have to bitch about?
You’re welcome.
September 16, 2009 at 3:53 PM
THERE SHE IS!
Cinie: did you send me mail yesterday? Or did I misread your post?
September 16, 2009 at 4:16 PM
I wandered over to your site and noticed your message but I didn’t recieve the mail..
Hello La-T-Da!
Thanks for stopping by my site the other day. I want to thank you all for visiting
September 16, 2009 at 4:40 PM
Okay, Red, I’ll re-send, but first, is the address you use to comment good?
September 16, 2009 at 10:42 PM
It’s really sad that Dr. Warren said that–she is one of our last great (real) hopes. She has been so tough! Watch her make Timmay squirm over AIG and Goldman bailouts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz7ruJw6byQ Timmay is one damned slippery snake. Please forgive her one misstep–I still believe she will root out much of the corruption in the TARP deal!
As for corruption among our representatives, I feel your pain, Pat! Maybe it is better to tread water at this point–better than having our reps feed their cronies and pat themselves on the back for heroically ‘doing something’ (even though it may be worse than doing nothing at this point).
How are we going to get honest people to represent us (no matter what letter they have next to their name–at this point I don’t care) in the future? We often have very little choice when it comes down to it in the voting booth, realistically.
September 17, 2009 at 1:59 AM
Hear! Hear! Pat. That’s exactly what I see. We’re not moving forward from the Bush era. With the exception of a few first rate cabinet members, the fundamental truth is about the Obama administration, according to Ian Welsh, “is that it is the Bush administration run by slightly less incompetent, marginally less evil people” and then he goes on to list why he says that.
It’s very disheartening to watch modern day Dems, with a 60 seat majority, piss away the legacy of FDR, Johnson and Clinton.
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September 16, 2009 at 8:42 AM
Treading water does leave one exhausted. Last week I took a break from reality and I’m thinking of taking another. Lets face it, our representatives just don’t give a crap about any of us. They got theirs……