First, let's get something clear.

I'm not going to talk about the 1/3 of Americans who go without healthcare at some point.

I'm not going to talk about how healthcare is the no. 1 reason for bankruptcy



I'm not going to talk about how we spend more on a healthcare system that covers fewer people than pretty much every othercountry


I'm not going to talk about how Americans forgo healthcare when times are tough. (actually, I kind of will.)

I'm not going to talk about how Americans are still the least healthy people in the developed world.


I'm not going to talk about how a few


fringe


groups


have


endorsed


universal


healthcare.


I'm not going to talk about how the medical industry has let people die to save money

I'm going to talk about something else.

We pay a TON of money for health care. You do. I do. Everyone does. We pay, on average, around 40 percent more than other countries.

--- Slightly off topic

(And let's face it, the French will protest at the drop of a beret. But you don't see them demanding better care. I mean, conservatives, if they're socialistic commie pinko terrorist sympathizing cheese eaters whose only jobs are protesting and whining, as you love to describe them, why don't they protest for better care? Not private care, just better.)

Back on topic ---

So, we pay a lot more for health care. That's an undebatable fact. What does this mean?

It means that every other global competitor for American businesses doesn't pay anything beyond a tax. They don't have to pay partly for plans (which companies say are crippling them).

They don't pay for extra man hours to file the paperwork.

They don't have to waste time explaining options to employees.

They don't have to worry about anything at all. Just pay a small fee (especially compared to ours) and they got health care.

So, they have less overhead.

But even that doesn't do it justice. See, our GOVERNMENT, yes our GOVERNMENT, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, spends more per person on health care than each of the following developed countries, save France.

Don't believe me? Here's the World Health Organization:

Be my guest.

How much could it save? Well, in 2007, premiums for both businesses and employees rose by between 5.5 and 8 percent, depending on whom we're talking about.

Universal Health Care. Now.

Firstly, don't believe everything you hear from the right-wing talk radio. Some dems are in favor of stringent gun control, others are completely against it. I myself say that there are reasonable restrictions we could institute, but restrictions on the 2nd amendment, like on the 1st, should be done with the utmost care and be as unrestrictive as possible.

Generally however, we liberals want the same things that TRUE conservatives (not the current crop of neocons and fundamentalist Christians) want:

- An open and uncorrupt government.

- The government to interfere with our lives as little as possible.

- An efficient government.

- A strong, stable economy with enforced labor protections to safeguard employees' health and job security.

- Opportunity to get a job with a living wage and a good set of benefits.

- A foreign policy M.O. that puts our brave troops in harm's way only as a last resort.

- Aggressive counterterrorism operations that nevertheless stay within the bounds of the Constitution.

- The Constitution should remain the absolute final word on our laws.

- Laws that keep America's beautiful scenery as pristine as possible.

- Exceptional care and aid for our wounded veterans.

- Better security along the borders to prevent terrorists from entering the country.

- The rights of all Americans, including GLBT ones, to have their bedrooms left alone by the government.

- A balanced budget (Note: Deficits have gone down under Democratic Administrations, and gone up under Republican Administrations).

- Americans to be united as one people again.

- The chance to feel good about America again, and be the shining city on the hill to the rest of the world.

There's many more that I'm sure both sides can agree on.

We may not always agree, and this board is full of left-leaning moderates such as myself to far-left socialists -- and we do argue.

But I think we can all agree that such a platform would be acceptable to most Americans.

Oh, and there's one more thing we can agree on: We can't wait for Bush to leave office!

No, seriously. They are.

I was like many Democrats are now: disillusioned, disappointed, discombobulated and distressed. But I realized something. We are turning the tables on Rove.

No, seriously. We are.

Look at the recent issues in Congress. Stem Cell Research. Curbing Gas Price Hikes. The Minimum Wage Bill. The Attorney Scandal.

Yes, they did fail to end the Iraq war. But to those who say "IMPEACH CHIMPY!!!!111!", I say this:




Impeachment is off the table. Not because Nancy Pelosi said so, but because, numerically, we can't acheive it.

But that was the start of the Dems' plan. They knew they couldn't impeach W. They don't have the votes.

Instead, the Dems focused on destroying the Republicans' base. Each of the issues I mentioned are ones the vast majority of Americans agree with the Dems on.

AND ISSUES PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH HAS EMPHATICALLY OPPOSED.

Gee, that's strange.

Notice how gay marriage, abortion and religion have disappeared from the stage?

... but ... but ... what about immigration?

Ok, immigration. A subject you should know appeals to SOME liberal bases and revolts OTHER liberal bases.

But, and here's just my thoughts, maybe the Dems are, I don't know, SPENDING SOME POLITICAL CAPITAL.

You know, the kind George W. Bush (falsely) claimed he had after the 2004 election.

But, and this is important,

SOME LIBERALS FAVOR THIS,

and some oppose it.

But, Bush shares the "credit" for this decision too.

For conservatives?

THEY'RE ALL AGAINST IT.
Excluding the (tiny) minority of the rich, the Republicans HATE THE IDEA OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

Hell, they're the reason the bill failed

The Conservative base is abandoning Bush because the Democrats keep throwing good bills at George W. Bush that make him look bad.

Now, here's my idea:

MAYBE, just maybe, the Dems are intelligent enough to count.

And therefore they're able to count high enough that they, unlike the majority of their base,

REALIZE THAT IMPEACHMENT IS IMPOSSIBLE AT THIS POINT

Maybe, they're trying to do some good on issues they know they have a chance with, like STEM CELLS, which the vast majority of Americans support,

AND in the process make more and more republicans abandon the President.

AND, make a lot of Republicans more comfortable with compromises.

and,

now here's the kicker,

GARNER ENOUGH VOTES TO OVERRIDE HIS VETO, END THE WAR, AND IMPEACH PRESIDENT SHIT-FOR-BRAINS!

Just a thought ...