Mencken's obit of William Jennings Bryan - always timeless, and insightful of their mendacious motivations:

"So I came to this conclusion: that what really moved him was a lust for revenge. The men of the cities had destroyed him and made a mock of him; now he would lead the yokels against them. Various facts clicked into the theory, and I hold it still. The hatred in the old man's burning eyes was not for the enemies of God; it was for the enemies of Bryan.

...Thus he fought his last fight, eager only for blood. It quickly became frenzied and preposterous, and after that pathetic. All sense departed from him. He bit right and left, like a dog with rabies. He descended to demagogy so dreadful that his very associates blushed. His one yearning was to keep his yokels heated up -- to lead his forlorn mob against the foe. That foe, alas, refused to be alarmed. It insisted upon seeing the battle as a comedy. Even Darrow, who knew better, occasionally yielded to the prevailing spirit.

I doubt these disruptors are under age 65. They are made up mostly of those on Medicare, retired with Social Security and pensions, with an "I've got mine, you won't get any" attitude.

Bryan at least had progressive qualities.

They're pushing the meme that health care reform is losing steam because the August deadline was not met. I think that now Obama probably sees the error of pushing that so hard himself, though I agree that a deadline had to be set otherwise we wouldn't have the progress we have now. But over the last week I actually feel like the White House and the House have actually ratcheted up the campaign. We're hearing more comments from Pelosi, surprising even me, that sound more and more progressive and less afraid of the industry or the Bluedogs. She's vocally supporting a strong public option and condemning the industry for it's immorality. It's a bit weak, but I think she'll strengthen that stance as August rolls on. I'd love to see her on the Steph sometime soon.

I think you're right that the wingnuts are seizing the opportunity to advance idea that it is slowing down and close to death, but I think that finally, the Democrats are countering a lot harder than they used to. I think they have a little fight left in them, due mainly to support from people like us that let them know almost hour by hour what we think of what they're doing.

The weakness they're trying to exploit doesn't exist. This is their last gasp, their last moment to effect the outcome of the bill and all they have left is human noise grenades. I feel that actually our position is very very strong. They are fighting back wildly, organized yes, but if it comes to the point where you send out the troops to just catch bullets and slow the advance of the "enemy", you're pretty much admitting defeat. Disruption, obfuscation, loud noises, coercion will be their weapons and we're on to them.

Our greatest enemy right now is the Blue Dog Caucus and the Senate. The wingnuts are loud and noisy and will scare only them, so we have to keep the pressure on them.

Nano, I think you've fairly summed up my own feelings on this. The sight of the Teabag Terror disrupting town halls actually fills me with delight because it's all they have left.

I don't see Pelosi moving forward. Maybe I'm misreading it when she pulled a Medicare for all option so that a "public option" could be voted on.

I'll take Medicare for all any day.

Our greatest enemy is actually the insurance companies themselves. How come a new health insurance company can't be formed, one that rewards good choices and operates like Medicare? Medicare is run by a private company - how come they simply can't expand that program? How come they can't just inject competition right now without these twisted little fuckers pumping money into lobbyists hands and congress?

Randi Rhoades had a good idea- check ID's to make sure the folks attending the townhalls are actual constituents of the person holding it.

But what pisses me off the most is AS USUAL the dems are a not getting ahead of this. Now, because they couldn't get this thing through before the recess we have to put up with this crap for a month. Their lies and mis information. And even scarier is these tea baggers are very well organized nationwide. And what are we doing? Well WE'VE been told to write call and email.

okey dokey. That'll work.

Ecuse the attitude but I am pissed.

It is curious when we were all out protesting the War- nada, nothing..no film footage, no coverage...my point- the MSM is feeding the teabagger movement and fueling their fire and hellbent anger...which is unfortunate...because there are lives at stake...millions...52 Million and counting....President Obama said we have an Empathy Deficit...look at the footage on MSNBC today...and that is what I see....and I also see people who still can not accept we have a black man in the Whitehouse....it is Not just about healthcare....it is an seething anger that is rooted in that...If they truly don't want their friends and neighbors to have healthcare and dying in the street.....then we as a Country have much bigger problems to overcome...

I have a question: Where do all the federal employees get their health insurance? From the FBI, Post Office, clerks at the Smithsonian, secretaries at the State Dept, all the millions of folks are paid by the US Govt. Does the Fed buy insurance from private companies? Why?

I believe what you have to acknowledge is the fact that there are a great deal of average Americans who are fearful of Healthcare Reform. Most Americans who have insurance are satisfied with their insurance that they have now. I can certainly understand the passion on behalf of people wanting to have insurance that do not have it now. Very understandable. But, people must also understand the passion of people who have insurance and are happy with it now. It's only natural for people to fear what they don't know. The tactic of trying to rush a bill through when nobody has read it, especially on Healthcare scares the hell out of people.

Most everyone wants reform, which means fixing what is wrong with what we have now. It doesn't follow that everyone wants to have government run the whole operation. One doesn't necessarily follow the other.

If everyone wants the opposition to be still, then the details of how this effects them needs to be understood by them. It is not now. The feeling of having this "reform" jammed down your throat whether you want it or not, is very real in the minds of people. Where are the details? If you are 70 and need a pacemaker are you going to get it? What about heart bypass surgery? What if you're on dialysis and need a kidney transplant, can you get it? What if you're overweight and smoke, do you still get heart surgery? What if your a drug user? What about AIDS patients? Etc. etc. etc. People have real conserns.

In the absense of this kind of information, how can the majority of people with insurance who are happy with it now, favor this reform? People fear what they don't know. Especially if it's done in a rush, and their representatives don't even read the bill to know what's in it.

"Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know."

If you have to choose between a familiar but unpleasant situation and an unfamiliar situation, choose the familiar one because the unfamiliar situation may turn out to be worse.

That is exactly what is happening here.

yeah...the Federal Employees do indeed get a choice of WHICH program and plan they want to sign up for...from Social Security Employees to Secretaries...to WHO else ( Congressmen and Senators...)..they have a Choice and they have Healthcare...

that none of us have ever been offered...and yes, if they have a pre-existing condition....they still get Care...

I see all this ending in me blogging from Canada.

Good game, America!

Jack G. said:

"Most Americans who have insurance are satisfied with their insurance that they have now."

Probably because the insurance most Americans have they've only used for the most basic care. Check-ups, and the like. Once you have to make use of your coverage for anything more complicated or expensive, it becomes a whole 'nother ball game.

And it's only natural for people to fear what they don't know when they've been conditioned to not recognize what they already know. The government runs lots of things, quietly and in the background, that people seem to have forgotten about. Drive a car down the highway? Government did that. Drink a glass of water from the tap today that didn't give you dysentery? Government cleaned that water for you. Eat out at a restaurant and didn't get sick or die from food that had been improperly stored at the wrong temperature? Government made sure that didn't happen.

In fact, the government has done a lot of things in the interest of the health and well being of it's citizens that time and time again industry and conservatives have fought tooth and nail to prevent. Because doing so cost them money. Profit.

People aren't afraid. They're uninformed, and being misinformed by people that think they're too stupid to know the difference.

Nice try though, Jack.

Nanotyrannus-

Why do you automatically assume that the resistance comes from not wanting the government to run the program? That misses the point. They don't know what the goddamn program is. Is that so hard to understand? You expect people to just fall all over themselves to get something they know little about? It wouldn't matter who runs it, they want to know more details.

My initial reaction to this is to get a group of counter protesters at the town halls to "keep the peace." The second some douchebag disrupts the proceedings for no reason other than to make a mockery of the event, one of these people goes up to the disrupter and clocks him square in the nose, maybe chops him in the mouth and makes him lose a couple of teeth. That way, it'll show the moron how valuable healthcare is.

Yeah, that's right. I will resort to physical violence if an honest debate is not the goal of these knuckledraggers. If they want to act like hoodlums, then I'll treat them like hoodlums.

And this bullshit about no one knowing what's in the bill because no one's READ IT?! Well what the fuck are they waiting for? You get the excuse that no one's read it and then before you know it, you get a viral smear e-mail lying about the first 500 pages! So which is it?

Jack G.,

Unfortunately, those who are genuinely concerned because their questions about health care reform have not been answered may not have the chance to get that information, or to voice their opinion directly to their representatives.

Consider the fact that this teabagger movement is explicitly aiming to keep information from the American people. They do not debate. They do not share ideas, for they have none to share. Their entire plan is to obstruct the democratic process. And yet they think of themselves as patriots.

This kind of disruptive behavior is less about health care than it is about their personal fears about Barack Obama. Claiming that these folks are genuinely advancing policy position with regards to health care is disingenuous at worst and naive at best.

I am also seriously concerned with the wingnuts, mostly because I think congress is looking for a reason to pass. And, like you Bob, I truly fear that if real reform doesn't pass, I will be without healthcare. I am not looking for a handout or free healthcare. I am looking for healthcare that does not cost me more than $800 a month just for me, a 47 year old woman with hypertension, allergies and a history that includes 2 hand injuries in the past 5 years. I am a former VP of a medical education company, I understand marketing practices used by pharma, and when I quit my job to care for a dying family member I truly expected to be able to just go purchase my own healthcare. WRONG. I am now at the mercy of the insurance mafia, who basically controls my life. If reform fails, I am bitter enough to hope that all those who glibbly felt they were not vulnerable find themselves in my shoes.

Jack
I'm sure some of the opposition falls under the category you're talking about. This would cause some big changes for a lot of people. But I have no sympathy for people who obviously have access to the internet(after all that's where these people are organizing) but who refuse to look into the facts. And it isn't all about THEM either. How about making changes for the greater good, helping our fellow man the way Jesus supposedly would've done? How much time did they spend planning and attending these town halls? In 30 minutes they could've done some real independent research into this whole health care reform issue.

Ignorance isn't an excuse. My gut reaction was to oppose the Iraq War but when I heard arguments being made by the neocons, I did my own research and discovered that we were being lied to. I mean geez, 75% of the country got behind that with almost no evidence whatsoever.

"Sure we can bomb foreigners, sacrifice our soldiers and run up hundreds of billions of dollars for the defense industry but I can't be bothered to look into the merits of reforming health care."

Jack is repeating the wingnut talking points. To wit:

Americans are happy with their private coverage.

Americans want reform, but don't want government to be running health care.

No on knows what's in the plan.

The bill is being rushed through and nobody has read it.

It's being jammed down our throats.

Again, nice try Jack.

I have health insurance and I'm pretty happy with my plan. However, effective August 1st, all sorts of small increases in co-pays and prescription costs went into place. And in 2011, our hours to keep us qualified will go up, too. Clearly, the wingnuts can't see that cost increases will keep happening to help pay for all those who are uninsured and/or can't afford it!

THE SANE, REASONED, LOGICAL AND MATURE = 0

THE SCARY WINGNUTTY KOOKS AND CREEPS = 25

They may be nutty --- and they are insanely so! --- but their methods WORK and are difficult to counteract!

All they know is:

Defiance

Disruption

Obstruct

Delay

Interrupt

But……….when it comes to the bottom line, they move up several notches with their goals.