For the most part, the health care "town meetings" staged by members of Congress are shams designed to deceive and disinform the public on the possibilities and progress of health care reform. Like a stopped clock that's briefly on time twice daily, right wing nutcases and those who order them about have grasped something that eludes many progressives. The town halls are theatre, and ought to be treated as such. Maybe, suggests Dave Lindorff, we ought to do the same.   Read more…

It's not the best piece of writing I've ever done. It's not even the best thing I did this week, and doesn't contain any ideas or insights you haven't seen here at the Mighty Corrente complex already.

What it is, is an attempt to spread some of those ideas you have here to a wider audience. That's why it's a top ten list, something that folks are used to seeing. People who don't even want to know what a "public option" is will read a top ten list. I dunno why, that's just the way it works. If I'd had more time I would have added five or ten more things you can do at the bottom, but what the hell?

Anyhow, here it is.   Read more…

God: the General Synod of the United Church of Christ (the President's denomination) has passed a resolution "Calling for the Support of H.R. 676 – Single Payer National Health Care Reform to Advance Health Equity for All and to Eliminate Health Disparities."

Guns: John Murtha (an opponent of gun control who represents one of those "redneck" rural Pennsylvania districts) has just agreed to cosponsor HR676!

Local single-payer activists are justly proud: