"Simplify, simplify!"----Hank Thoreau

[Atticus]

Too many simple truths have gotten overlooked, embroidered, subdivided, abandoned and, in some cases, lied about in the months-too-long ordeal known as "Health Care Reform".

Nothing has been said about health care in the past---what, 8 or 9 months?---that was not known and could not have been thoroughly discussed and debated within the first 60 to 90 days after the "project" was announced. The rest has been posturing, mindless repetition and plain old-fashioned bought and paid for delay for the sake of delay.

Health care reform, including the POPULAR public option, could be made the law of the land just 51 votes in the US Senate. The "filibuster" rule requiring 60 votes to close debate has been expanded the the obstructionist GOP to simply and routinely kill ANY legislation proposed by a Democrat. During the Bush administration, smug Republicans were fond of saying "Elections have consequences." We should demonstrate how correct they were and use what they called the "nuclear option" to move unapologetically past the artificial roadblock they have made of the filibuster. End it and don't look back.

We don't need Joe Lieberman. Never have. Ending his chairmanship and other privileges would BEGIN to remove the stain on our integrity he has become.

A straight-forward, articulable, explainable healthcare bill containing a public option, a ban on refusing to insure pre-existing conditions, and a lifting of the anti-trust exemption enjoyed by Big Insurance THAT WAS EXPEDITIOUSLY MOVED TO A VOTE IN BOTH HOUSES(forget the filibuster, as above) would force the Republicans to either support it or go naked in public. They have the advantage ONLY so long as we are willing to keep talking and trying to find new ways to kiss their asses.

This last one is as unpopular as it is true: faced with a choice of doing what is right for the American people or getting re-elected shouldn't be a tough decision. Vote your conscience(look it up) and start pricing movers.