Time to Fight

Not for nothing, but when did Cindy McCain become the Crypt Keeper?

She used to be such the hottie. Ah, well. (Image from Yahoo!)

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There's a new Facebook group: Sending Harry Reid a Pair of Balls. For every member, the group will send Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) a pair of (cotton) balls to symbolize widespread left-wing dissatisfaction with the senator's inability to stand up to Republicans (and many Democrats) who are obstructing healthcare reform legislation.

Sad to say, we think President Obama needs to man up, too.

Just once, we'd love to see a liberal-minded president--and we believe Obama is a liberal at heart--stand in front of a crowd and spell out a true liberal agenda: universal single-payer healthcare; living-wage legislation; increased funding for education; an end to ill-advised military adventurism. While we find it hard to believe anyone could oppose such things, we understand some people do. But an orator as gifted as Obama could make the majority of people understand these are good things. (We know we're in Fantasyland here--let us have our moment.)

The President should then DARE the Senate to block these things. You want to oppose universal healthcare? Get up and say it! You want to block funding for education? Get up and say it! You want to defend the rights of corporations to award multi-million dollar bonuses while people are being thrown out of their homes due to the bad decisions these bonus recipients made? Get up and say it!

We remember a time when in order to pass legislation, one needed to wrangle 51 votes in the Senate. Somewhere along the line, that became 60 votes. We know, we know: One ALWAYS needed 60 votes to block a filibuster. But we also seem to recall that, in the past, in order to filibuster, one actually had to, y'know, filibuster, a la "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Somewhere along the line, that requirement--that someone get up and speak--and keep on speaking--in order to prevent a vote from being taken--somewhere along the line that requirement went out the window. Now, all a minority party needs to do is threaten to filibuster in order to block a vote.

We say, MAKE the Republicans filibuster health care reform--and every other piece of legislation that they want to prevent from coming up for a vote. Shine the spotlight on the great lengths to which these people will go to prevent the government from functioning. If they have the courage of their convictions, if they truly feel that such progressive legislation will harm the country, let them go on record as not just opposing it (which their presumed "Nay" votes would signify), but as opposing it to such an extent that they will prevent duly elected representatives from passing it.

If they are right, and if some unseen, unheard majority agrees with their stand, then these representatives need fear no electoral consequences. Indeed, they will be hailed as the heroes they no doubt see themselves as. If they are wrong, they will be deservedly punished.

Come on, Mr. President! Stand up for what you've said you believe in! And force the other side to do the same. We believe most Americans will see things your way.