Chi! Chi! Chi! Le! Le! Le!

What wonderful news to wake to... "We are all Chileans today."

We feed on good news, and this miraculous rescue... what a story. Everyone coming together -- it's not just the technology, it's the ability of all these groups to come together to work effectively and put these lives first.

I know American technology and NASA contributed greatly here. But I confess to my doubts: had this happened here in America, had our miners managed to find a pocket and hold out during those early days of rationing food, when there was no assurance they'd be found anytime soon... would American groups -- could they? -- get their acts together quickly enough to unite for life like this?

After Katrina and the questionable handling of the oil spill, one wonders.

Divided, we're falling...


Which brings me to today's NYT editorial opining on Russ Feingold's senatorial career here in Wisconsin. James ("it's the economy, stupid.") Carville had his moment, but this NOvember? It's the unwanted healthcare bill, stupid.

Many people are uniting against -- I think before last December's vote, the representatives were warned that they would be tracked on whether or not they represented their constituent's wishes. But they didn't listen.

Take your medicine, they told us.

We know best, they reassure us as we watch more and more of the economic experts who "sold" this thing head for the exits, tempted by better paychecks and all the beneficial allures of the private sector for those with public experience skills and contacts to sell.

The Tea Party movement last Spring and this summer began awakening our representatives to the fact: amnesia is not a side effect/ people haven't forgotten nor accepted what the administration twisted through...

At their typical Town Hall meetings and listening sessions, the "Yes" voters got an earful. We don't want it. We can't afford it. There are better ways -- more efficient, less overreaching -- of covering our poor and needy without remaking the system to affect us all negatively. (Everything government eventually touches turns to rot.)

Cut the costs first. Tame the out-of-control entitlements ... not by promising more and more to those who maybe never even asked. (Did every middle-class family who would benefit by keeping a young adult covered on a personal plan agree to the tradeoffs involved in financing such perks? Or was that a Rahm Emmanuel -- "throw it in for political advantage" -- miscalculation, as I hear surprise in the voices of these candidates when they don't hear simultaneous crowd applause when they list these perks, including the promise of "unlimited, uncapped coverage for pre-existing conditions, no questions asked, what's not to like???" Thing is, it's not enough. All the promises in the world are a bit like those coupla hundred dollar rebate checks the Republicans sent us all; nice and we'll take 'em maybe, but do you think those perks if they affect us personally will buy our votes?)

The sad thing is ... it didn't have to be like this.

If only the administration had ears out here in the Real World (and no, I'm not pulling a Palin): it really wasn't hard to see this justifiable anger and there was (still is?) an opportunity to change course.

Let me share this:
Every Republican I know of who voted candidate Obama,-- fringe voting independents too -- did NOT do so over the healthcare bill. They wanted us out of George Bush's foreign wars ... enough, according to the conservative hawks who like to see America getting the benefit for our bucks, instead of spending a lot of money to make our foreign policy standing in the world ... falter.

(Have we polled the people on the need for taking the fight into Pakistan? Do you think anybody besides committed bald armchair militants backs the increased, not-so-much-improved reliance on targeted drone killings? ... Listening ears, people.)

They might have been voting against John McCain's flipfloppedness. Is he for true immigration reform and securing our border -- helping build a strong defense here at home -- or is he playing politics on these issues? People rejected him, and took a chance with Obama.

He listened to his experts, not his voters. Instead of asking where the anger was coming from, why there was such passionate pushback on this particular issue, He stroked the media, this new Media that believe they are paid not to ask questions but to employ their expertise to convince us to ... take our medicine.

(Remember, the Ezra Klein/Paul Krugman liberal group JournoList was in full force both at electiontime and in the selling of this healthcare bill, over the strong objections of the American people. They were busy concluding this anger came from ... racism. As if.)

Now, it's reckoning time. (Think: "the bill's come due" because despite the promises of the finance guys heading for greener pastures, people can independently calculate the price tag of these pretty promises.)

I agree with today's editorial in that I feel a bit sorry for Feingold.

Though warned, I don't think he saw this credible challenge coming, because he's always been busy playing Democratic counterpart to John McCain's Republican Maverick. Most times, going against Washington wars or voting against pork and ill-thought-out social issues was enough. He didn't need to poll us, because that's what enough of us preferred to.

But now? He stopped listening to the people he was chosen to represent, and while some might give him points for voting with his heart, he got this one wrong big time. Anyone who saw businessman Ron Johnson absolutely clean Russ Feingold's clock in that first debate couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Feingold, busy pandering that he was us. He was independent, and bipartisan, and held the sole dissenting vote many many times: what's not to like?

He gambled on this particular bill which doesn't reform or remake the healthcare delievery system so much as it cost shifts... taking from those who have good health and no pre-existing conditions; affecting those who have worked for years at a particular job, perhaps solely for the healthcare plan which they might have made personal calculations was worth the tradeoff in salary dollars; costing more for the payers-in who are increasingly resentful of politicians making promises they personally never have to cover.

Feingold is not up against a witch or a Nazi this frightening election season -- there's no evidence that it was a blue-eyed conspiracy to bring Johnson into the political mix.

It's the healthcare bill, stupid.

Feingold said he would try to stop the deficit by ending earmarks and push for giving the president line-item veto power. Feingold also suggested that his plan to cut items out of the budget would save half a trillion dollars over the next 10 years.

On health care, Feingold defended his vote for the law and challenged Johnson on his statement that the law was the greatest single assault on freedom in his lifetime.

"Does it really invade his freedom to make sure that over a million Wisconsinites don't get denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition?" Feingold asked.

But Johnson said the law was an incredibly expensive overreach that would threaten what he called the finest health care system in the world.

After the debate, Johnson told reporters that he would prefer the bill be replaced in small increments rather than a full repeal, as he once advocated, largely because a Democratic president would likely veto such legislation.

"I would suggest we would replace, then repeal," he said.

He said that if the Republican Party takes over Congress, bill writers "should start writing replacement bills from day one."

"The difference I think is that Republicans would write the bills," he said.

or,
Can You Hear Me Now?

From the Times editorial public comments section:

"Mr. Feingold’s independent mind, and his refusal to follow the big-money line on issues like trade, campaign finance and Wall Street reform, should have endeared him to Tea Party members and other independents who are angry at Washington conformists. If they had taken the time to listen."

I'm a Wisconsin voter and your description is 180 degrees from reality.

If only Feingold had listened. I attended three of Feingold's listening sessions in Racine and Kenosha counties this past winter when the health care debate was raging. At every meeting Feingold was urged by attendees to vote against the bill but he arrogantly decided that he knew better. So he's now reaping what he sowed.

jan1215 Racine, WI October 13th, 2010 7:42 am

"How will it play in Peoria" becomes "How will it play in Racine?" That's who Sen. Feingold needed to listen to, not the Times editorial board that no doubt means well, but isn't invested in our people here and doesn't understand their priorities and needs.

Nobody wanted this healthcare bill, except the politicians who were convinced they had a good crisis on their hands and so it was time to take advantage and "sell" the public on the need for major change.

No thank you, the people are politely saying. If only we would listen...