Finally something from the White House.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/

I thought I’d provide a summary of my observations at the ShoWare Center town hall event in Kent, WA this past weekend. It didn’t take long for me to come to the conclusion that this really wasn’t my scene; while I was standing in line to enter the building, a couple of flunkies from the radio station were going down the line soliciting comments about why they were there. The person in front of me had a microphone poked in her face, as did the person behind me. I guessed they missed me, because I’m short—and “brown”—not a “real” American who had no right to have an opinion, let alone capable of one. If I wasn’t standing in line, these guys would be checking to see if their car doors were locked.

The show began with Kent’s Republican mayor Suzette Cooke pitching hockey to the assemblage, and a fair number of people in the crowd shouted their approval of an all-white sport where arbitrary violence is not only tolerated, but expected. Then they Arrived. Mike Malloy was his usual hammy self, and Stephanie Miller “performed” in front of Thom in a manner which I won’t describe, since this site is strictly PG. I thought things started a bit slow, until Ron Reagan started shouting into his mike.

One has to admit that the personalities of these folks made conversation somewhat awkward at first, as everyone tried to settle into their familiar routine. A woman sitting near me complained that Miller was joking about serious subjects, but that’s her shtick. Miller did make one interesting observation that seemed to go completely over most listeners’ heads, although Malloy tried to compensate by over-doing the laugh track: Rather than assassinating Hitler, someone should have bought his art. Hitler always saw himself as an “artist,” and perhaps if he had been convinced that his proper role in society was painting bad water colors before he joined the Nazi Party, then maybe 50 million people would not have died.

Thom initially seemed a fish-out-water, the “professor” trying to make the intellectual argument amidst the general hamming, yucking and loud exhortations, but eventually he succumbed. Thom “rose” to occasion when pointing out that people need to become the levers of power, and darkly hinting at an expected Supreme Court decision in the fall could lead to a Mussolini-like merger between government and corporations. Another great point was the mistake of not framing the public healthcare option as an extension of Medicare, although I still think that single-payer (perhaps framed as an extension of Medicare) should have been the first line option, and the public option as the back-up plan.

I appreciated Malloy pointing out the “holes” in the history being taught in school—and that includes college as well; people leave school with no knowledge of how bigotry, xenophobia, mass murder and other lesser human qualities of the past have shaped the present just as much as flag-waving and jingoism. One question from the moderator was bound to anger me, but Malloy made a brief comment about NAFTA before rightly detouring toward the country that has the U.S. by the nuts, China. The U.S. exports more goods to Mexico than to China, but imports four times the amount from China. It also should be pointed out that jobs that initially were “exported” to Mexico were soon re-exported to Asia, because labor costs are even cheaper there. Of course, if “renegotiating” NAFTA means the further destabilizing of Mexico, then I hope these progressives can keep their consciences clear.

I also could not help but feel that there was something that didn’t feel quite right, even as the proceedings became a little less chaotic: no one in the audience was allowed to ask questions directly (at least not up to 8:30, when I had to leave). Perhaps there were just too many people to accommodate, or perhaps the sponsors didn’t think people could ask cogent questions. Being afraid that people might ask “difficult” questionsshouldn’t have been an issue, since the group was fairly well-mannered. Perhaps I just don’t know how these functions are supposed to operate.

Overall I wasn’t disappointed by the show; at least I was able to see in the flesh the people I have been listening to (Bill Press not as much, and Malloy has to compete with Coast-to-Coast, although I must say he does hold his own up against UFOs, ghouls and Mothmen). But I couldn’t shake the feeling I didn’t belong there, not with these people; it has been my experience that only difference what these people think of my “group” is only different from right-wing racists is a matter of shading. I have to look after myself, within the group confines I have been placed. On Sunday, I was standing at a bus stop when a Kent cop drove very slowly past me, smirking; he assumed I was either an illegal alien or had an outstanding warrant, and thought it would be funny to see me act afraid. I gave him a “salute” as he passed by. I am under no illusions about the world I live in, and it is a world those people in the ShoWare Center help create for me. For me, life is a two-front war.

I read the editorial from Investor's Business Daily that was linked to in the newsletter. The writer (name not given) says, "People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless." The writer is apparently unaware that Stephen Hawking is English, and has lived in England all his life. This is as dumb as that senator (I forget who, exactly) saying, "If Ted Kennedy had government health care, he'd be allowed to die."

'Just announced within the last hour on CNBC/MSNBC:

"Chevy Volt to Get 230 Miles per Gallon in the City, GM Says"

http://www.cnbc.com/id/32370001

Only problem, how many Americans can afford $40,000 for a new car?

Not that I'm not paying attention to Quark, but it's like a drop of black die in a pool of water. You don't see any change.

Not that I'm paying any attention to Mark, but he works against his own best interest by writing people who try to listen off.

Mark,

I act. Do you?l

sebillah - AARP has to do a VERY careful job of straddling the fence on the Health Care issue. Seniors are their core market, so they need to SEEM to be on our side. On the other hand they make the bulk of their $$ selling insurance.

President Obama is a corporatist. This IS the bill he wants.

OMFG! Mark Moreno is farging insane. I mean Palin/Bachmann insane for pay.

Governor GW Bush instituted Death Panel in Texas

n 1999, Texas passed a bill which was signed by then Governor GW Bush that, in effect, set up a procedure that allowed hospitals to discontinue life support measure for terminally ill patients without the consent of the parents or guardians.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/10/764764/-Governor-GW-Bush-institu...

The "Death Panels" already exist.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-reardon/the-death-panel-already-e...

@ sebillah:

AARP wants ‘healthcare reform’ . . . They just don’t want a single-payer system or a strong public option. In short, AARP has gotta be able to profit from ‘healthcare reform’ and it looks like folk in the White House are willing and happy to comply with their desires. Thank you Rahm Emanuel & Kathleen Sebelius . . .

Thom, instead of getting rid of the child tax credit (which actually helps balance our tax structure in favor of the lower class) why not add a credit for getting steralized. . . . Say a $5,000 credit the first year and $1,000 every year after that? Totally elective, of course.

I think the best thing the Democrats could do now is to scrap all current health care reform plans and replace it with: 1) anyone can buy into Medicare 2) Allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Simple, familiar and much more trusted by the protesters.