It seems that the woman responsible for the episode between the professor and the cop is pining for her own fifteen minutes of fame. After the release of the 9-1-1 tape in which she in fact did not refer to the alleged “burglars” as black, she used this as “evidence” to disprove the heartless attacks on her racially pure soul—which, frankly, I was unaware of until she mentioned them. She also whined for a seat at the get-together between the president, the professor and the cop, because she was just as much a “victim” of circumstances as they were.

I think we have heard more than we need to from her, except one or two other things. For instance, if she was a neighbor of Gates, why did she not recognize him? Was he just another scary black guy who look all the same to her? Surely she did know that a black man lived there, and that perhaps she had seen other blacks come on go. Did she not notice that the house had not been occupied for a spell, and the black man carrying the two suitcases was the very man she had seen going into the house regularly? Or was she completely unmindful of this unwanted neighbor, other than the fact he was black, and all black people were suspect to her?

I guess what I’m getting at is this: It is getting more difficult to ferret-out real racism because “plausible deniability” has been used as an instrument of denial. Actions that may be construed as racially-motivated can be denied merely because race-code words were not employed. People may have an instinctually negative reaction to a minority, yet never consciously formulate that reaction into words, or consciously avoid the words to escape censor, or they simply explain away their negativity by repeating commonly held stereotypes. In this way they can claim that they are not “racists.” This woman didn’t need to say that she saw two black men; it was enough for her to have seen two black men--or so she claims.

A couple of encouraging signs on healthcare reform over the last 24 hours:

1) Last night, Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) forced congress (particulary Republican and Blue Dog congressmen) to go on record to say whether they support Medicare and gov't.-funded military healthcare.

Today, Congressman Weiner will present a single-payer bill!:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908#32229379

On last night's "Countdown", Newsweek reporter Howard Fineman predicted a health insurance bill will be passed using reconciliation so that only 51 votes will be needed.

Tomorrow is the second anniversary of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, during which 13 people died and 145 were injured.

My husband uses that bridge every day.

The bridge tragedy, to me, is just one more reminder of corporate neglect of our country and its people.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=minneapolis+bridge+collapse&um=1...

From email I just received from Democrats.com:

One week ago, we eagerly anticipated a crucial vote on single-payer Medicare for All ( H.R.676 ) in the House Energy & Commerce Committee, sponsored by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). But then seven BlueDogs waged a highly-publicized war against a "robust public option" and the vote was delayed for a full week.

We just learned the vote will be tomorrow ( Friday ). Based on all of your calls, we have nine single-payer Democrats: Tammy Baldwin, Michael Doyle, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Gene Green, Edward Markey, Janice Schakowsky, Anthony Weiner, and Peter Welch.

Lean Yes
Diana DeGette CO01 202-225-4431
Jane Harman CA36 202-225-8220
Christopher Murphy CT05 202-225-4476
Frank Pallone NJ06 202-225-4671 @FrankPallone
Bobby Rush IL01 202-225-4372
Five more Democrats are leaning single-payer but still uncommitted. Please call each one and give them one crucial reason to support single-payer from our petition:
http://www.democrats.com/single-payer-petition?cid=ZGVtczE1NTU3MmRlbXM=
(Be sure to sign our petition and forward it if you haven't already.)

Be concise and practice in advance so you can speak quickly (or leave a voicemail) because they are getting swamped. Report the results of your calls here:
http://www.democrats.com/single-payer-committee-whip

Public Option Only (or Won't Say)
Rick Boucher VA09 202-225-3861
Bruce Braley IA01 202-225-2911
G.K. Butterfield NC01 202-225-3101
Lois Capps CA23 202-225-3601
Kathy Castor FL11 202-225-3376
John Dingell MI15 202-225-4071
Charles Gonzalez TX20 202-225-3236
Jay Inslee WA01 202-225-6311 @RepInsleeNews
Doris Matsui CA05 202-225-7163
Jerry McNerney CA11 202-225-1947
John Sarbanes MD03 202-225-4016
Bart Stupak MI01 202-225-4735
Betty Sutton OH13 202-225-3401
Henry Waxman (Chair) CA30 202-225-3976
If you have more time, these 14 Democrats support a "public option" at best. But that "public option" (a new government program to compete with private insurance) was disastrously weakened this week by the BlueDogs. They banned the use of Medicare pricing to reduce costs and thereby expand availability. Try to persuade these 14 to vote for single-payer instead of a worthless BlueDog "public option."

Don't let anyone tell you single-payer can't pass: the Kucinich Amendment for a single-payer "state option" passed by a shocking 25-19 bi-partisan majority in the House Education and Labor Committee on July 17. The Weiner Amendment will pass on Friday if enough Democrats vote for it!

A victory on the Weiner Amendment would make a huge difference. Please call as soon as you get this - night or day.

Thanks for all you do!

Bob Fertik

PART 2

Be concise and practice in advance so you can speak quickly (or leave a voicemail) because they are getting swamped. Report the results of your calls here:
http://www.democrats.com/single-payer-committee-whip

Public Option Only (or Won’t Say)
Rick Boucher VA09 202-225-3861
Bruce Braley IA01 202-225-2911
G.K. Butterfield NC01 202-225-3101
Lois Capps CA23 202-225-3601
Kathy Castor FL11 202-225-3376
John Dingell MI15 202-225-4071
Charles Gonzalez TX20 202-225-3236
Jay Inslee WA01 202-225-6311 @RepInsleeNews
Doris Matsui CA05 202-225-7163
Jerry McNerney CA11 202-225-1947
John Sarbanes MD03 202-225-4016
Bart Stupak MI01 202-225-4735
Betty Sutton OH13 202-225-3401
Henry Waxman (Chair) CA30 202-225-3976
If you have more time, these 14 Democrats support a “public option” at best. But that “public option” (a new government program to compete with private insurance) was disastrously weakened this week by the BlueDogs. They banned the use of Medicare pricing to reduce costs and thereby expand availability. Try to persuade these 14 to vote for single-payer instead of a worthless BlueDog “public option.”

Don’t let anyone tell you single-payer can’t pass: the Kucinich Amendment for a single-payer “state option” passed by a shocking 25-19 bi-partisan majority in the House Education and Labor Committee on July 17. The Weiner Amendment will pass on Friday if enough Democrats vote for it!

A victory on the Weiner Amendment would make a huge difference. Please call as soon as you get this - night or day.

Thanks for all you do!

Bob Fertik

Thom,

Listening to your "civil" discussions with so-called conservatives has made me wonder why I can't approach similar people the same way. I think I have too much anger at injustices (much of it due to my abuse as a child, my later rape as a young woman --- part of "me" died that day --- and other life "challenges.")

After 911, when Republicans refused to pass a bill supporting the hiring of more airport security people because they might become union members (the horror!), I had a complete emotional meltdown.

I ended up in the mental health ward of a local hospital. There, I had a "clarifying" experience. A pschologist asked me, " When was the last time you felt so angry and distraught ?"

Without even thinking, words just tumbled out, "when I was growing up. My parents were supposed to PROTECT me. Instead, I was physically and mentally abused and afraid all the time."

Somehow, my mind made this connection between an authoritarian Republican government and authoritarian Republican parents, both of whom SHOULD be there to look out for my interests but were, instead, abusive to me.

I was put on a powerful anitdepressant which I've taken for the last 7 years. Now I am taking myself off it slowly. Instead of relying on that chemical "lobotomy" (which I really needed) to dull the pain, I am going to work through the steps in your book Walking Your Blues Away.

I have thought through all this while listening to you and exchanging ideas with others on your blog.

Maybe, at the end of this, I will be able to talk with conservatives as well as you...

Bless you, Teacher.

Hi Bernie, I wonder where all the money from Iraqi oil is going. I' m sure it's all accounted for.

Quark, Thanks so much for the to do list today:-)

Here's a terrific column by Paul Krugman on the fact that the reason that insurance works at all today is precisely because of government intervention, medicare and medicaid that often covers the sickest and most needy populations. It's a wonderful, to the point, concise argument we can easily share.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/opinion/31krugman.html

lol ha 'Palinize' Cash for Clunkers reminds me of impaling a vampire. :)

Loretta,

Thanks so much for the link. (I missed Krugman's column --- 'haven'like reading the papers today.)

B Roll,

Thanks for your puns yesterday.

Though this isn't a pun, I think it's good:

"Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it."

John Lennon

All members of congress are owned by corporations. There are no exceptions, not one. They cry in public for the middle clas and the working poor, when in fact, they are in most cases the upper class. I consider any one single individual making over $100,000.00 fairly well off unless maybe you want to live in NY city down town. Have a lovely day all, and remember our political leaders first and formost want to be re-elected. There will be no real health reform in my life time or yours unless you're real young.

Well- okay- here is Barack's new video to fire us up Ahhhhh!!!!!! http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/reportback

From Jeremy Bird, Deputy Director, OFA

And here are five highlights that I wanted to share re Health Care Reform Campaign sign up at barackobama.com:

The newspaper in Exeter, NH is reporting that local supporters are canvassing everywhere to build support for reform: door-to-door, at farmers' markets, and at state fairs. The article quotes volunteer Dave Munsey as saying that 2008 "was probably the most important election of my lifetime. This is just an extension of that."
Supporters in Florida held simultaneous press conferences outside of nine local Senate offices with doctors, small-business owners, and others, all telling their personal health care stories about why reform is so important to them.
After a huge event in Wisconsin, hundreds of the participants headed to a nearby town hall event hosted by Republican Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner to share their stories and urge him to stand with voters in support of reform.
A host in Minnesota organized a barbeque for supporters to hear from speakers and write letters to their members of Congress. 1200 people joined in!
Volunteer community organizers have participated in trainings in more than 13 states -- and 17 more are scheduled for the upcoming weeks.

Here is a beautiful link picturing children of Gaza flying beuatiful homemade kites amidst the terror of Israeli destruction. They are going for the world record in kite flying! It's a lovely image.

http://current.com/items/90567149...
Return to: http://current.com/items/90567149...

I am interested in knowing if anyone is interested in becoming a progressive lobby group? My proposal is to set up an pledge account for the Democratic National Party. HOWEVER, they will only get the money (via your own pledge) if they will stop supporting any democratic who opposes SINGLE-PAYER health care. Maybe there aren't enough of us out there, but maybe there are! I will pledge $100 right now? Anyone else? If I even see a little response in the chat room; I will set up a website to facilitate the plan. I will also investigate other ways to bypass the big corporations to get what we need to survive, i.e. put your money into a credit union instead of a big bank.

Hi Greg-

Why re invent the wheel, there are plenty of groups out there- have you tried to convince them of your idea? IT is a good one- I am just thinking efficiency. Firedog, PDAmerica,, DFA many more are all good groups - However, too- I have learned that I sort of like just grabbing the ball sometimes event by event - Create an event on barackobama.com- they will let you do it there, too