Trib bores, Health Care Turning Point?

Corruption in the county, City either out of money or Daley is sitting on billions to spend only for the Olympics (which is worse, imo, because he could be feeding millions into policing, education, transportation, etc), State budget is a joke... and what does the Trib editorial board lead off with? Quinn and U of I Clout. Shoot me in the head. Go away. Stop this story NOW.

But I've been thinking... between the Barney Frank video/town hall, the totally insane/nut job town hall anti-health care people, and Sen. Ted Kennedy's death... does health care have new life? [NOTE: I wrote this this morning and then saw this article this afternoon... oh well... it was an original thought at some point]. Never underrate these seemingly non-political moments when it comes to huge policy debates. Some times all it takes is a pitcher of beer at the Times to save a major bill.

Over the last 10 days, the health care debate has sort of shifted. Obama and company have stopped fucking it up. Congress isn't around to do or not do anything. And the TV images of idiots calling Obama a Nazi, Socialist, Muslim terrorist, dove ALL AT THE SAME TIME doesn't help the anti-health care cause. Now, with Kennedy's death, a rallying cry will/has been called to get health care done, "for Ted". I wouldn't underestimate that -- I mean, the irony of DC going out there to the win one from the Gipper is off the charts. And not totally insane when you think about it. "Let's get it done for Ted" is a rally around the flag moment for the Democrats -- this was Kennedy's last wish and something he has pushed for pretty much his entire Senate career. The question is, of course, will Obama continue to insist that they have to work with the GOP even though the GOP doesn't want to work with them?

PS I've been working on a health care manifesto... but it just gets longer and longer and longer so I'm going to have to break it down one of these days into about three posts.