Kay Bailey Hutchison holds Bogus “town hall meeting” conference call

The phone rang while I was in the middle of fixing dinner, and offered a town hall style phone meeting. I’ve heard these before, our Congresswoman Kay Granger holds them occasionally. I pushed “O” to get into the queue to ask Hutchison a question, and then was treated to 30 minutes of Republican party propaganda and scare tactics, with softball questions lobbed her way by party members with down-home local accents, posting concerned questions about the end of Health Care As We Know It. Heaven forbid that women have the choice or coverage for abortion services, or that a public option be considered. And that precious “doctor/patient relationship” – you know, the one that your insurance company dictates with an iron fist – that was at risk.

It didn’t take long to figure out Democrats weren’t going to get to talk on this call. While at first I figured they must have dialed my phone by accident, after listening to the production values of the “meeting,” I am more convinced that it was a devious plan to try to make me listen to their political nonsense and be swayed by it. The only thing missing at the end was “This political ad was paid for by the elect Hutchinson for Governor campaign.”

What production values? The same ones that come into play on talk radio programs. I am familiar with those on KERA-FM, public radio. If I’m waiting to speak, I’m listening to the conversation seven seconds old. That delay is so if someone totally inappropriate comes on, they can zap it before it ever gets onto the air. Each of Kay’s “callers” was confused as to whether they were being spoken to because, it seems, they were listening to the delayed conversation, and the voice breaking in 7 seconds before the previous call ended was confusing.

But this could be a tactic also, to make it sound real. Because I’m convinced it wasn’t. I think it was a staged program in which Democrats were called but not allowed to talk. It is my hunch that the Hutchison campaign hoped to run their party line past the listening Democrats, trying to scare them with the “don’t let government take over health care” claims, and the suggestion that Canada and the United Kingdom have terrible health care. They don’t–it is actually quite good. And if you think those countries have “rationing,” just look at what American insurance companies are doing. They’re practicing medicine without a license, and they’re rationing, based upon what they will or won’t pay for.

What was I going to ask? I wanted to tell her to listen to this constituent–I want her to vote for this health care reform plan, not drag her feet to prevent progress. And I wanted to suggest she sit down in a one-on-one conversation with Dennis Kucinich and really learn what the issues are.

So I think she needs to come clean. Mrs. Hutchison, that wasn’t REALLY a town hall meeting, was it? That was a prolonged political trick to try to scare rational people into thinking Republicans have been shut out of the process (you walked away from it of your own free will, M’am) and that the reforms being proposed will end life as we know it.

Yes, I hope indeed that it does. And when 30 million additional people in America finally get health coverage, and the rest of us get fair coverage, and small businesses suddenly can compete on a more level playing field because in one way or another everyone will have health insurance, I think we’ll see a lot of other things improve for everyone. Too bad you chose not to be a part of it, Kay.

Obama folks, pay attention, please!

Mr. Obama, I am a Democrat, I voted for you. I’m behind you and I’m patient, but enough is enough! Listen up!

The Bush/Cheney/Rove Republicans don’t like you. They’re not playing your game, even though you invited them to play and made them welcome. You’re acting like the ball is still in play. Can’t you see them carrying instead of dribbling? They’re committing personal fouls on your administration and the Americans who support you. If allowed, they will Swift Boat every single one of you. They tell lies, barely trying to make them sound plausible. The Neocons are spoiling the game because you’re letting them. They are Cheney and Rove Republicans who represent special interests and wing-nut media talking heads who all need a time out. You were elected, and you don’t need their permission to do many of the things you need to do, for all of us.

Remember what Bush was like? He was a bully, a singularly unprepared ideologue who ignored people he didn’t agree with; he created “signing statements” so he could ignore the house and senate wishes and do what he wanted. He trampled Americans’ privacy and subjected us to world ridicule and derision. You’re not like that, we know this. But you’re trying too hard to try to bring cheaters into the game, expecting them to play fair. Your honorable behavior isn’t rubbing off on your opposition.

They’re trying for the easy pickings first, to knock off your cabinet and supporters. Van Jones was Swift Boated and he folded so not to cause a distraction in your administration. You need to stand up with him and the rest of your folks and move forward with the congressional majority you have now. By the time the next congressional election comes around you won’t be able to move any further and at this rate, you’ll lose seats.

This isn’t rocket science. There are right-wing politicians and supporters who will tell every lie they think they can get away with. They know that, sadly, there is a segment of the American population that doesn’t think deeply, that doesn’t have a global view or understanding of the benefit to themselves if generous, thoughtful reforms are enacted. Those Americans operate without the facts and want to be led; they’re hearing a siren song from the right wing media who prey on this group because they know they can. This protects Republican special interests, to have fearful, knee-jerk Americans follow the lead of overzealous pundits, many who are apparently accountable to no one but their sponsors.

Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Reid, pull up your socks. Spit in the eyes of those whose only hope during this administration is to cheat and lie and weigh you down. Do what you need to do. Pass true health care reform, on a fast track. We can’t wait for this to come into play 5 or 10 years from now as Nurse Ratched supervises the tender ministrations of our for-profit insurance industry.  Allow gays to serve openly in the military. Get us out of Iran immediately; the world and many Americans are offended that this ever happened. Get us out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. Don’t try to cross every t and dot every i there; it isn’t ever going to happen.

Do the job we asked you to do. Please help prove the old saying that “cheaters never prosper.” Right now they’re carrying away the entire game and have fouled the field. If you want to continue to listen to a Republican opinion, then turn on Bill Moyers every Friday. But don’t let the rest of them run away with the game.