UPDATE ii: Gosh, did I hit a nerve?

UPDATE: Still don't get it. From AHIP's point a view a viable public option is just as deadly to their business model as HR 676.

Chris Bowers

Looks like the defeatists at the SEIU (whose leadersheep have consistently ignored resolutions passed by their membership at their national convention) have mobilized their fan boiz in blogospehre.

Meteor Blades

All but its most delusional fans have known since well before November 4 that single-payer's near-term chances are - short of some fracture in the space-time continuum - a sliver above absolute zero.

We’ll see about that.

Edit - see comment.

Jane Hamsher's comment at Talk Left:

The reason the New York Times is around to do "earned" media is because they make revenues off of "paid" media. Everyone understands that, it's just how business works in a capitalist system. And if you look at an advertising campaign for Toyota or Dove or Marlboro, they devote an increasing percentage of each campaign to online advertising. So it's not like we're asking anyone to participate in a system that has no benefit to them as advertisers.

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David Waldman aka Kagro X reports on the negotiations over health care reform and the most significant thing he can find is that the Republicans are refusing to participate and therefore will have no input. The direction of the talks seem to hold no interest.

Compare his post to bmaz's insightful post about the corporate nature of the discussion and the contrast could not be greater.

The French Revolution metaphor is catching on.

How About We Take Health Care Off Their Books?

Whether it is an aging manufactuer, struggling entrepreneur, or small business, health care costs represent a crushing burden. Conyers' Medicare for All would free up millions of dollars for invesntment and save our country $350 BILLION a year.

Atrios has come out for this, Fire Dog Lake has come out for this, who will be the next high traffic blogger to embrace HR 676?

DeDurkheim

I assume, rather optimistically, that a large number of people, especially young people and people of color, were activated by the election campaign and that some of them are interested in continuing to be active even now that the election is over.

In this situation what can progressives do to advance the cause of fundamental reform in the U.S.?

I suggest trying to organize local activists to fight to move the Obama administration to the causes of people not corporations on specific issues: ...

...

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Misogyny? Nah! Never!

*Caution* that link is about as disgusting as you will ever see (click at own discretion) and was advertised through "Advertising Liberally" on Chris Bower's Openleft post where he cries about how the "netroots" don't get no respect.

Now why would that be?

H/T Big Tent Dem who explains why they "git no respect" a little differently" than by the above example.

Guest post by Skylanda: Fifteen days of blogging for health care reform

Health Care Reform Panel Discussion at Netroots Nation

d-day has an excellent run down of the health care discussion at Netroots Nation. It seems singly payer advocates were out in force.

Calling all Obama supporters, because health insurance isn't health care, a group of health care advocates are organizing on Obama's site.

SiCKO (Universal Health Care - HR 676)

Check it out if you are registered on the site.

Booman has a list of the politicians who attended Netroots Nation. A casual glance only turns up two supporters of HR 676. Not one of the 90 cosponsors bothered to show up.

That is surprising when you consider how many bloggers are uninsured or under insured.

It also tells us something about the politics of health care.

... Well, make up your own vivid simile. Check the commentary on this Netroots panel, whose ostensible subject matter was:

In this blogosphere-focused panel, moderator Chris Bowers will pose two questions—one about the Obama/Clinton conflict in the blogosphere community and the second looking at how blogs compare with other forms of social media.

MyDD: Help write the Netroots Political Platform!

you may have heard, this year's Netroots Nation marks the launch of a bold experiment in participatory democracy: together, the Netroots will craft our very own policy platform to be submitted to the DNC in advance of the Democratic Convention.

To ensure the final platform we submit to the DNC reflects the views of the entire Netroots community, we want this process to be as inclusive and democratic as possible - so we're not just limiting it to those who've made it to Austin.

MyDDers can join in the fun! Check out what we've started:

http://mixedink.com/netrootsplatform

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Seeking to participate vicariously in the Austin Netroots palooza, I went to ask Speaker Pelosi why she wasn't supporting HR 676, as DCBlogger suggests, and saw the site actually had a nifty little tool for uprating and downrating questions posed by the netroots. Here are the questions in the miscellaneous category that the netroots is downrating:

Nancy Pelosi is soliciting questions; ask her about HR 676.

So I can't tell you why, but let me pose it as a hypothetical, because someone I know is going to try it in real life soon. What, if anything, do you believe Little People like us, can do to pressure Obama to remain true to progressives Democratic values, right now? When I say "Little People," I mean all of us who 'only' have several dozen to thousands of readers, or dollars, or connections- in contrast with those of the big Playahs, who have millions of those things.

I know a lot of you have chosen not to vote for Obama in the fall. That's your right, for all that I don't agree such a choice is constructive. But pretend with me: if you could march up to him right now and say, "Stand up and fight, publically and proudly, for [fundamental progressive value/issue X] right now, or else!" what would the "else" part be? Beyond, "or you won't get my vote in the fall or contribution during the campaign."

Rochester Turning says this kind of corporations-over-people is unbelievable coming from a Democrat. The Albany Project wants to know what Schumer meant by that remark.

An important announcement from Dave Johnson:

Donating a dollar to a progressive infrastructure organization like Speak Out California and Commonweal Institute today is like giving ten dollars to EACH progressive candidate in every local, state and nation race this November, two years later, and every election following.

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John Morgan reminds to watch what politicians fund rather than listen to what they say; he also gives us the happy news that the Pennsylvania House has voted to expand access to healthcare. Susie tells us that universal health insurance is not the same thing as universial health care. Greg Palmer reports that religious leaders are supporting Rendell’s health plan.

West Virgina Blue quotes Kevin Drum on the case for single payer. Dancy Communications Network alerts us to a meeting on single payer that was held last December. The Bridge reports on the Single Payer movement in Kentucky. In Indiana they tried to establish a study commission to look into single payer, but don’t seem to be getting very far. Democracy for Monroe County tells us that their local Central Labor Council has endorsed Conyer’s bill.

So what do local bloggers think of the FISA sellouts?

South Texas Chisme cries shame. PrairiePundit says that Reyes Sivestro Reyes insults our intelligence on intelligence.

Check out the local bloggers in your area.

If you are unhappy with the Democrats, you can email your concerns to info [at] dccc [dot] org
note - it is necessary to be polite - no flames

Progressive Ohio thinks we all deserve Cheney Care. Ohio Daily Blog alerts us to a conference sponsored by Single-Payer Action Network Ohio. Racy Mind in Texas points to the public health implications of the under insured. Susie thinks we may be ready for single payer.