I’m with her - now with some enthusiasm.

I’m with her - now with some enthusiasm. From the start of this election season, I was pretty lukewarm on both Hillary and Bernie. There were aspects I liked and disliked about both and those mainly balanced each other out. I became less positive as the campaign dragged on and the things I disliked about each, for me, came to the front. Honestly, I sat out the primary (very unusual for me) not doing anything for either candidate and not truly deciding how to cast my vote until in the voting booth. The general election stakes are much higher than the primary. There is more risk: much has been said about the risk of Trump as compared to even a Republican like Mitt Romney. What is less talked about are the rewards - if a Democract wins and wins big there will likely be many more Democrats in the house and senate and the potential end of tea-partyism. With the risks and rewards so high, I knew I’d support and work for whoever won, but more from a sense of obligation more than joy. Obligation alone doesn’t win elections. So as Hillary is now the nominee, I figured i would stake a step back and re-examine how I felt about her. For two years we’ve heard mostly bad things about Hillary. As the mostly likely nominee, the R’s amplified a 20 year effort to skewer her. And as the Sanders/Clinton battle become closer, Sanders and the left in general became nearly as vocal critics. Some of the criticism was legit - her hawkish tendencies and support of the Iran war, the tendency toward secrecy, her defensiveness, and her inability to paint a big picture for change or address the concerns of an angry voting public. Even more maddening is that many of the wounds were self-inflicted (emails and the slow, equivocal response even to this day!) But much of the criticism ranges from unfair, untrue, to just crazy. In general it seems that she gets blamed for everything people don’t like about her husband’s or Obama’s policies, without getting any credit for the good. What was left after this assault, as her husband pointed out, was a cartoon. Not a real person with real strengths and weaknesses. And there are real strengths. She’s no democratic socialist, but she has and continues to support raising the minimum wage, higher taxes on the wealthy to pay for social programs, paid leave, wall street reform, and universal healthcare. And she has policies that could actually work. Hillary has also championed women’s rights, reproductive rights, disability rights, civil rights for people of color, children’s rights, among others. Sometimes she was far ahead of the curve and others behind. But she has championed these causes nonetheless and making progress on them for decades. There are very few of us that can honestly say we’ve done as much. Without ignoring any of her faults or positions I don’t agree with (of which there are many), there are other personal strengths to admire. - Resilience. This is a term much researched and discussed in leadership these days to separate good leaders from great. As defined by research on emotional intelligence, resilience is not being stubborn. Instead it is a skill that allows someone to be determined with a moral purpose and a stake of equanimity in the face of setbacks. Hillary is resilient. No one has been more vilified over the years, and I can’t imagine the internal fortitude needed to keep going. The best example of this might be after 1990’s defeat of Hilliary’s single payer healthcare system. The bill was defeated on the backs of blistering personal attacks on Hillary. Any reasonable person would have given up or turned bitter. But Hillary did neither. She put herself back in the ring, worked with the very same people who demonized her, and help pass a children’s healthcare act that still helps millions of low income children. - She’s a good listener. Nearly everyone she works with, even opponents, are impressed with how well she listens. In case this just sounds nice, read the “Corner Office” interviews in the NY Times on Sundays. Nearly everyone sites becoming a good listener as a key to success. - She’s smart, studious, and sweats the details. Even when I don’t agree, I have to admire someone who is a policy wonk. Listen to this interview with Ezra Kline from the Weeds. () Her grasp of the issues and her detailed substantive knowledge are undeniable. How about electing the smart, serious, non-flashy one for a change. - She’s been the most honest candidate this election cycle. I know what you’re saying. But according to Politifact, Hillary’s statement have been the most truthful. Her true/mostly true rating is 52% compared with 51% for Bernie, 48% for Obama, 22% for Ted Cruz and 15% for Trump. OK, so the the 3 Dems score pretty well but Hillary still comes out on top and her “true” rating is noticeably hirer than others (e.g. 23% v. 13% for Bernie). Hillary simply has shaded the truth less than anyone else this season and she has avoided making undoable promises that sound good but are impossible to implement (yes - I’m talking to you Bernie). - Having a female president is a good thing. Not just because it breaks the glass ceiling, but because there is some decent research that female politicians do lead differently - more honest, compassionate, and creative. Amen to that. And it just seems fair that the women who gets the glory of being the first female prez had to put up 40 years of bias, stereotyping, and misogyny, and general B.S. (Watch 40 years of sexism in 3 minutes ) Yet, I found something more personal than just these facts. Frankly, I see a little of my own 70+ year old mom in Hillary. My mom who tireless works candidates, and after they lose (and they often do), goes on to support the next one. A person whose has taken a ton of shit for being one of the few liberals in a suburb that constantly votes Republican but keeps fighting anyway. Most of her victories are small. But they are victories, and they move the cause forward. Much the same can be said of Hillary, So I’m with both of them, and will be working for Hillary with real passion this fall.

I’m with her - now with some enthusiasm.

I’m with her - now with some enthusiasm. From the start of this election season, I was pretty lukewarm on both Hillary and Bernie. There were aspects I liked and disliked about both and those mainly balanced each other out. I became less positive as the campaign dragged on and the things I disliked about each, for me, came to the front. Honestly, I sat out the primary (very unusual for me) not doing anything for either candidate and not truly deciding how to cast my vote until in the voting booth.

The general election stakes are much higher than the primary. There is more risk: much has been said about the risk of Trump as compared to even a Republican like Mitt Romney. What is less talked about are the rewards - if a Democract wins and wins big there will likely be many more Democrats in the house and senate and the potential end of tea-partyism. With the risks and rewards so high, I knew I’d support and work for whoever won, but more from a sense of obligation more than joy. Obligation alone doesn’t win elections.

So as Hillary is now the nominee, I figured i would stake a step back and re-examine how I felt about her. For two years we’ve heard mostly bad things about Hillary. As the mostly likely nominee, the R’s amplified a 20 year effort to skewer her. And as the Sanders/Clinton battle become closer, Sanders and the left in general became nearly as vocal critics. Some of the criticism was legit - her hawkish tendencies and support of the Iran war, the tendency toward secrecy, her defensiveness, and her inability to paint a big picture for change or address the concerns of an angry voting public. Even more maddening is that many of the wounds were self-inflicted (emails and the slow, equivocal response even to this day!) But much of the criticism ranges from unfair, untrue, to just crazy. In general it seems that she gets blamed for everything people don’t like about her husband’s or Obama’s policies, without getting any credit for the good.

What was left after this assault, as her husband pointed out, was a cartoon. Not a real person with real strengths and weaknesses. And there are real strengths. She’s no democratic socialist, but she has and continues to support raising the minimum wage, higher taxes on the wealthy to pay for social programs, paid leave, expand voting rights, wall street reform, and universal healthcare. And she has policies that could actually work. Hillary has also championed women’s rights, reproductive rights, disability rights, civil rights for people of color, children’s rights, among others. Sometimes she was far ahead of the curve and others behind. But she has championed these causes nonetheless and making progress on them for decades. There are very few of us that can honestly say we’ve done as much.

Without ignoring any of her faults or positions I don’t agree with (of which there are many), there are other personal strengths to admire.
 - Resilience. This is a term much researched and discussed in leadership these days to separate good leaders from great. As defined by research on emotional intelligence, resilience is not being stubborn. Instead it is a skill that allows someone to be determined with a moral purpose and a stake of equanimity in the face of setbacks. Hillary is resilient. No one has been more vilified over the years, and I can’t imagine the internal fortitude needed to keep going. The best example of this might be after 1990’s defeat of Hilliary’s single payer healthcare system. The bill was defeated on the backs of blistering personal attacks on Hillary. Any reasonable person would have given up or turned bitter. But Hillary did neither. She put herself back in the ring, worked with the very same people who demonized her, and help pass a children’s healthcare act that still helps millions of low income children.

- She’s a good listener. Nearly everyone she works with, even opponents, are impressed with how well she listens. In case this just sounds nice, read the “Corner Office” interviews in the NY Times on Sundays. Nearly everyone sites becoming a good listener as a key to success.

- She’s smart, studious, and sweats the details. Even when I don’t agree, I have to admire someone who is a policy wonk. Listen to this interview with Ezra Kline from the Weeds. () Her grasp of the issues and her detailed substantive knowledge are undeniable. How about electing the smart, serious, non-flashy one for a change.

- She’s been the most honest candidate this election cycle. I know what you’re saying. But according to Politifact, Hillary’s statement have been the most truthful. Her true/mostly true rating is 52% compared with 51% for Bernie, 48% for Obama, 22% for Ted Cruz and 15% for Trump. OK, so the the 3 Dems score pretty well but Hillary still comes out on top and her “true” rating is noticeably hirer than others (e.g. 23% v. 13% for Bernie). Hillary simply has shaded the truth less than anyone else this season and she has avoided making undoable promises that sound good but are impossible to implement (yes - I’m talking to you Bernie).

- Having a female president is a good thing. Not just because it breaks the glass ceiling, but because there is some decent research that female politicians do lead differently - more honest, compassionate, and creative. Amen to that. And it just seems fair that the women who gets the glory of being the first female prez had to put up 40 years of bias, stereotyping, and misogyny, and general B.S. (Watch 40 years of sexism in 3 minutes )


Yet, I found something more personal than just these facts. Frankly, I see a little of my own 70+ year old mom in Hillary. My mom who tireless works candidates, and after they lose (and they often do), goes on to support the next one. A person whose has taken a ton of shit for being one of the few liberals in a suburb that constantly votes Republican but keeps fighting anyway. Most of her victories are small. But they are victories, and they move the cause forward. Much the same can be said of Hillary, So I’m with both of them, and will be working for Hillary with real passion this fall.

Moses and Superman - Turning the Eye Upward

Moses and Superman Superman was created by two nice Jewish boys Siegel and Shuster in 1938. While not particularly religious, as sons of immigrant Jews, they were steeped in the stories and customs of traditional Judaism. It’s not uprising that Siegel and Shuster’s most famous creation, “The Superman,” has so many connections to the Jewish experience, particularly the immigrant experience. The early stories, before Superman had many of the otherworldly powers we associate with him today (x-ray vision), sound like Golem tales with the lead character in colorful tights. Superman’s Krypton family name (“Kal-El” and his father “Jor-El”) references the “of God” suffix found in names such as Samuel, Gabriel, and of course Israel. Most powerfully, Superman has the ultimate reverse immigrant experience. Superman, from another, now dead, planet, is the irreversible stranger in a strange land. Yet, instead of being an oppressed stranger who was looked down upon the majority class, Superman was the champion of the oppression looked up to (literally) by others. I’ve always found the most interesting parallels are to Ur Jewish hero – Moses. Born Moses: Born a son under Pharaoh’s decree to kill all the males first born Superman: Last son of dying planet Escape Moses: Placed in a tiny boat and set adrift in the river Nile. Superman: By the Kents, two homespun Midwestern farms, the ultimate symbol of America Raised Moses: No official history but lots of after the fact legends (burned lips with coal) Superman: No official history but lots of after the fact legends (Superboy and Krypto the super dog) Moral Emphasis Moses: Don’t oppress the orphan and widow because you were strangers. Superman: (from Action Comic No. 1) “he must turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind, and so was created 'Superman', champion of the oppressed.” Iconic Image Moses: Moses on the mountain Superman: “Look up in the sky…..” It might be easy to dismiss the Moses story as a myth – no more real than Superman. (In truth, there is almost no historical evidence of the Exodus story although it’s likely the story has some factual basis like the Trojan war). Myth or not, the stories speak to the power of visions that raise our line of sight above their daily lives.

Public Option

I was recently talking with a friend about Health Care reform, and he told me how disappointed he was that President Obama dropped his support for the public option so early. I've heard several versions of this charge, and figured it was time to put it to rest. I did about 30 minutes of research and found dozens of speeches where the President reiterated his support for and defended the public option. (I've listed just a sampling below). It is true that the President never said "I won't sign a bill unless it contains a public option." Whether this statement would have worked or not, nobody knows. It might have, or it might have put us in worse position (e.g., we have the same bill that we have, which the President would have have to sign, and thus make him look like a hypocrite or there would be no bill at all). Let's face it, looking back, the public option was effectively killed when the right wing showed up at town halls in early August and the left didn't. During the summer and fall, the President kept up his support for the public option, taking all the heat from left, right, and center. Before blaming the President, ask yourself "how many town halls did I attend." I'm ashamed to admit my answer is zero.


June 9 American Conference of Bishops. " I believe one of these options needs to be a public option "
June 16AMA Speech, Explains why his public option plan is not socialism.
June 24. ABC Prime Time. Explains how public option would benefit families.
July 7. Press Release "as I've said before, that one of the best ways to bring down costs, provide more choices, and assure quality is a public option that will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest. "
July 28, On-line town hall with AARP "And one of the options should be a public plan that would increase competition "
August 15, Town Hall Meeting in Denver. Mentions Public Option 25 in defending it against critics.
August 22. Weekly address. Defends public option against attacks
Sept 7, 2009. Labor Day Speech supporting public option.
Sept 9 Joint Session of Congress
Sept. 12 Rally at Target Center in MN. "I think one of the options should be a public insurance option"
Sept. 17. Town Hall Meeting in MD. ", I've also said that one of the options in the insurance exchange should be a public insurance option. (Applause.) "

Progressive Defeatists - Cut it Out

I'm always shocked how quickly progressives declare defeat in the midst of victory. I was attending holiday party for a local political action group with a liberal bent. There were many fine speeches and pep talks, but they all struck as being defeatist. The gist of the all the talks were as follows: "Gee, I know we've all been disappointed in the Obama administration but we still need to work hard because the Republicans are really horrible." Amazing! Less than one year in, and the left is back to the Gore/Kerry mantra of "I'm not thrilled with these guys but the others are worse."

This argument will not rev up the troops. The argument is foolish - and unnecessary. Despite being handed the great recession and two wars, President Obama has a list of achievements that you'd be proud of if they occurred over 3 years not one. Why we don't talk about these achievements is a mystery to me. (OK, I have some theories, but I leave that to another post. If you have theories, feel free to post). Here is a very short list of achievements progressives can and should be proud of. Let's get the people excited with these and save the defeatism for the other guys.

The Progressive Progress Report

A Very Short Re-Cap Of President Obama’s Progressive Achievements - 12/15/09

The following slides outline just a few of President Obama’s achievements promote the progressive agenda as of 12/15/09

Civil Rights

Progress

· Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act:

· Ensure that all Americans receive equal pay for equal work

· Civil Rights Lawsuits Increase Dramatically Compared With 2008

Health Care

Progress

· Pushed comprehensive healthcare reform further than President Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, or Clinton

· The Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act: Provides quality health care to 11 million kids – 4 million who were previously uninsured.

· Executive Order repealed the Bush-Era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.

The Environment

Progress

· EPA now regulates carbon omissions.

· Increased, for the first time in more than a decade, auto fuel economy standards.

· Department of Energy implements more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators.

· States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards.

· The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included more than $80 billion in clean energy investments

· $5 billion for low-income home weatherization projects.

· $4.5 billion to green federal buildings and cut our energy bill, saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

· $6.3 billion for state and local renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts.

· $600 million in green job training programs – $100 million to expand line worker training programs and $500 million for green workforce training.

· $2 billion in competitive grants to develop the next generation of batteries. to store energy.

Poverty

Progress

· Took office in the midst of a 2 year recession and took immediate action on numerous front. Recession ended less than 9 months into his watch.

· $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), funding for food banks and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

· $2 billion in new Neighborhood Stabilization Funds to help maintain ailing neighborhoods.

· Tax breaks to working families through the Make Work Pay and Child Tax Credits

Education

Progress

· The American Recovery Act Provides:

· $5 billion for early learning programs, including Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and programs for children with special needs.

· $5 billion in competitive funds to spur innovation and chart ambitious reform to close the achievement gap.

· $30 billion to address college affordability and improve access to higher education.

Urban Renewal

Progress

· Established the White House Office of Urban Affairs.

· American Recover Act Provides:

· $1 billion in increased funding for the Community Development Block Grant.

· $4 billion in increased public housing capital funds.

· $2 billion in payments to owners of project based rental assistance properties to keep them affordable.

· $2 billion in Neighborhood Stabilization Funds to purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed homes.

· $1.5 billion in Homelessness Prevention Funds to keep people in their homes

Public Service

Progress

· Signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act:

· Increase the size of AmeriCorps from 75,000 volunteers to 250,000 by 2017

· Created a Social Innovation Fund that will invest in ideas that are proven to improve outcomes and "what works" funds in federal agencies to promote effective and innovative programs.

· The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $201 million in funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service to support an expansion of AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps VISTA programs.

Peace

Progress

· Won Nobel Prize For Peace.

· Set date for withdrawal for troops in Iraq.

· Banned torture. Set withdrawal date or Gitmo and is methodically making progress.

· Improved diplomatic relations with a host of countries from Russia to Cuba.

· Restarted the nuclear non-proliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection.

· Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years.

· infrastructure/protocols

Ethics and Open Government

Progress

· Ended media “blackout” on war casualties; reporting full information.

· The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of Information.

· Limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House and limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration.

Summary:
Your Elevator Bullet Points Answering the Question “What t Has Obama Really Done?”

Progressive Top 6

1. Saved the U.S. Economy from recession while promoting long term improvements in environment and education

2. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act

3. Increased, for the first time in more than a decade, auto fuel economy standards

4. The Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act: Provides quality health care to 11 million kids – 4 million who were previously uninsured.

5. $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), funding for food banks and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

6. Tripled the size of AmeriCorps

The A List - Obama: The Accomplishment President

 

Recently, comedians have been having a nice laugh over President Obama's supposed lack of accomplishments. SNL, Conan, even Jon Stewart have taken their licks.  His supporters can't be too thinned skinned after dishing jokes out to George Bush for so many years.  While we can have a laugh over the jokes, we must also remember that the digs have no merit.

I'm not sure how the "lack of accomplishments" impression got formed. Maybe it is because the President is faced with problems that simply can't be solved quickly. The economy is not going to turnaround quickly from a two year recession no matter what steps are taken. Similarly, peace in the the middle east and a reduction global warming are goals that will not, and cannot, be completed in a few months or even a few years. The very nature of the challenges the President has taken on are ones that can only be partially met 9 months into office. Maybe it was that the President dared to enunciate lofty goals, even when he knew they could not be easily achieved. Maybe opponents decried "he's done nothing" so many times that people just started believing it. 

Whatever the reason, the President deserves credit for tackling the major problems of our day and making real progress on many fronts. Below is a short list of accomplishments. Suffice to say, I could have gone on much longer but there are enough bullet points to show clearly and concisely that the guys done a lot.

Economy

Here's a simple summation– “He saved the economy from economic collapse.” How about a slightly longer one - “After a nearly a two year recession, and two years of total inaction, Obama steered the economy back to growth in only 9 months.” Here are the particulars:

· Developed and passed the  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act..  Even the Wall-Street Journal admits that the Recovery Act worked and independent audits suggest there is little or no fraud. Most Americans got a tax break. If you or know someone who is getting extended unemployment insurance or COBRA, you can thank this Act. See all that construction on the streets? Thank the Recover Act for that as well. You can debate how well the Act worked, but you can't debate that it did. You can debate how many jobs the Act created, buy you can't debate that it created or saved many, many jobs. As important is the fact that the projects funded by the Recovery Act will have a multiplier effect. For example, the investment in computerizing medical records creates jobs now and reduced medical costs long term.

·  The "Making Home Affordable" home refinancing plan allows people in trouble with their mortgage to refinance at lower payments and rates. 500,000 people have refinanced.

·  The President signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures, providing $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness , and helping to stabilize the housing market for everybody. 

·  The President launched a $15 billion plan to boost lending to small businesses.

 The President sighed the first time homeowner tax credit and cash for clunkers. 

·  The President signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act to protect Americans from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.

 

Civil Rights

• The President signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers.

Health Care

• Reform bills have passed every committee in both houses of Congress. No other President has pushed reform this far.
• The President signed the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which provides quality health care to 11 million kids – 4 million who were previously uninsured.
• The Recover Act:
• Protects health coverage for 7 million Americans who lose their jobs through a 65 percent COBRA subsidy to make coverage affordable.
• Invests $19 billion in computerized medical records that will help to reduce costs and improve quality while ensuring patients’ privacy.
• Provides $1 billion for prevention and wellness to improve America’s health and help to reduce health care costs;
• Provides $1.1 billion for research to give doctors tools to make the best treatment decisions for their patients by providing objective information on the relative benefits of treatments; and
• Provides $500 million for health workforce to help train the next generation of doctors and nurses.

 

Foreign Policy:

• Won the Nobel Peace Prize for putting diplomacy back on the table.
• First U.S. President to address the Muslim/Arab world directly
  
• Appointed Special Envoys for Climate Change, Southwest Asia, the Middle East, Sudan, and a Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Improved relationships with China and Russia
• Won commitments from Russia on tougher sanctions with Iran.
• Ended the expensive, ineffective and diplomatically disastrous missile program in Europe.
• Re-started nuclear non-proliferation talks
• Re-started talks between Israel and Palestine
• Had the U.S. join the U.N. Human Rights Commission
• Helped save the Turkey/Armenia peace agreement.
  

 

Hiring the Most Qualified Senior Staff that is Also the Most Diverse Group

Obama’s senior staff is generally acknowledged to be one of the most impressive, smartest, and qualified groups in presidential history. Here’s a fact – they are also the most diverse. He’s picked more women and minorities than any other president.    

Jerry Brown - Again

Early today I sent a glib Facebook update from a house party fundraiser for Attorney General Jerry Brown (not Gerry as I wrote in the post). So here are my thoughts on Jerry.

• The guy is really smart and has an incredible, detailed knowledge of the issues that face our state.
• He's thought a lot about these issues, and without downplaying the complexity of the problems, actually has some solutions. I left feeling somewhat optimistic about our state for the first time in a while. When he didn't have an solution, he'd tell you.
• Ideas get him excited.
• He came across as tough, funny, self-effacing, acerbic, smart, and genuine. I usually think the most genuine candidates wins.
• At 71, he looks great. Trim, athletic, and energetic
• Hasn't come up with an overarching idea or message for his campaign. OK, he hasn't announced yet, but an overarching idea of what his campaign is about and why he should be governor is crucial. Meg Whitman already has a theme.

Jim Carrol - Now Among the People Who Died

My brother just told me that Jim Carrol died today. The Jim Carrol Band was my first club show in Boston. I drove my mothers car in with a friend from high-school who ended up dating Mellisa Gilbert years later. When we came out of the show, my mom's car was stolen. We had to take the bus back to Worcester and my parents had to pick us up. Now that's punk rock. It was a great show and some of those songs on Catholic Boy are still among my favorites.

Sen. Kennedy - Personal Reflections

In my last blog post, I wrote that healthcare reform "may be the last bill that Sen. Kennedy ever votes for before the ravages of cancer catch him." As you know by now, that projection turned to be optimistic. Growing up in Massachusetts, Sen. Kennedy dominated our political lives, and I met him many times. As a young boy, I campaigned for Ted Kennedy during his presidential run in 1980 -- one of my first political memories. I was at the Democratic National Convention (my mother was a delegate) when he made his concession speech. Although spoken in defeat, it may have been the Senator's finest moment of oration.

In that speech, the Senator asked us "to renew the commitment of the Democratic Party to economic justice." I recalled these words often and they have been a light to me whenever it seemed that the cause of justice was hidden in darkness.

That speach also contained an impassed plea for healthcare reform.

[W]e cannot have a fair prosperity in isolation from a fair society. So I will continue to stand for a national health insurance. We must -- We must not surrender -- We must not surrender to the relentless medical inflation that can bankrupt almost anyone and that may soon break the budgets of government at every level. Let us insist on real controls over what doctors and hospitals can charge, and let us resolve that the state of a family's health shall never depend on the size of a family's wealth.

These seem like dark times for the Senator's dream of healthcare reform, but "we must not surrender."
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/tedkennedy1980dnc.htm.

On the Verge of History

What do Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, JFK, LBJ, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton have in common? They all attempted to provide comprehensive health insurance for Americans but failed. Ted Kennedy is one the most effective Senators in modern history, having helped passed the Voting Rights Act and scores of other landmark legislation. However, even he has failed, despite having been promoting health insurance reform since the late '60s.

As Jews, our desire for comprehensive health care goes back quite a bit longer than the 1960s. Maimonides, the great rabbi, philosopher and codifier of Jewish law from the 1100s, listed health care first on his list of the 10 most important communal services that a city had to offer to its residents (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot IV: 23). The Reform Movement has brought Maimonides' spirit to the modern era, having endorsed comprehensive reform since the mid-'70s.

America is now on the verge of meeting this basic moral obligation and fulfilling the dreams of so many. Most major committees in the House and the Senate have passed a version of a national insurance act. Indeed, the act may be the last bill that Sen. Kennedy ever votes for before the ravages of cancer catch him. We are closer to comprehensive health care than we have ever been in the history of our nation.

Those who have supported health insurance reform for decades should be ecstatic and motivated. Instead, the passion and energy seems to be on the side of those opposing reform. I'm not just talking about the tea bagging crowd trying shout down discussion.

Polls show those opposing reform are following the health care debate more closely than those who support reform.

So why the enthusiasm deficit? There are several likely suspects. Reforming a full sixth of our economy is truly difficult, and crafting legislative solutions is messy. The process by necessity involves compromises that can sap our most idealistic aspirations.

Maybe the focus on political horse-trading and technical aspects of legislation has made us forget the very citizens we're suppose to be helping. Sure, we can trot out statistics - such as the fact that 46.6 million U.S. citizens don't have health insurance and that premiums for the insured have doubled in recent years - but have the images of the people behind those numbers faded with the increasingly rancorous debate?

Let's remember who the health care fight is for. Take a look at one of the many sites dedicated to telling the stories of those who the current system has failed. On MyAmericanHealthcareStory.org, for example, you can listen to John and Sara explain how their insurance failed to cover the swine flu test for their 4 year old. Or to Sookie tell the story of his 18-year-old daughter, who has to choose between college and paying off her medical bills. Or to Trisha tell how her brother was without insurance after he returned from Iraq, after 15 years of military service, because he was "only" a reservist. Or to Chi-Wei, the retired cancer researcher whose insurance covers only a fraction of his Parkinson's medication.

These are the stories that should not happen in a caring, just society. Yet happen every day to folks at nearly every socio-economic bracket of society.

We owe it to these people to put any partisan feelings about the proposed health insurance reforms aside and increase our devotion to the legislation's passage. Remember, every major step forward from The Bill of Rights to Social Security to the Civil Rights Act was criticized at the time for being too tepid. Yet these laws are now seen as the bedrock of our civil society. The current health insurance legislation is the next step in creating a more perfect union. Now is time for us to make history together. http://blogs.rj.org/rac/2009/08/on_the_verge_of_history_wheres.html

Contact Sen Feinstein About Reform

On Sunday’s CNN’s “State of the Union,” Senator Diane Feinstein stated that healthcare reform should wait until “President Obama’s efforts to repair the economy and overhaul the financial-regulatory system [can] be measured.” We can certainly engage in good faith arguments about the best way to achieve comprehensive health care reform. (Taxing certain benefits? Government competition?) Yet, the goal of achieving such reform this year should be non-negotiable: healthcare reform is necessary part of the economy’s recovery, not a burden on it. Passing reform will become harder, if not impossible, in upcoming years, as Senator Dole recently pointed out as part of his argument to pass reform now. Having such a prominent Democratic as Senator Feinstein urging that healthcare reform be delayed, is unacceptable. If a former Republican presidential candidate is behind immediate reform, then Senator Feinstein should be as well. Please contact Senator Feinstein and urge her to publicly support comprehensive healthcare reform this year.

Contact Feinstein

Getting beyond old paradigms.

“[I]n the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground.” With these words former VP Dick Cheney laid out an uncompromising justification for using any means to stop potential acts against the U.S. While the left ridiculed his statement, progressives have shown their own brand of rigidity when responding to President Obama’s recent national security decisions. (See e.g., “The president wrapped himself in the Constitution and then proceeded to violate it.” (CCR President Michael Ratner; “The Obama administration [is] adopt[ing] … the stonewalling tactics and opaque policies of the Bush administration (ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romono)). Both Cheney and these progressive groups use a similar strategy – portray those who disagree with you in the most extreme terms and react to any variance in ideology as if it were a major betrayal.

Putting aside the merits on the arguments, both sides are showing that they are mired in the tradition left/right debate that has paralyzed American policies for decades. The major intellectual thrust of Obama’s presidency has been to transcend this standard divide. It is the idea behind his inauguration speech and The Audacity of Hope.

Obama himself seems to recognize that the real problem in the debate over national security is not finding the right policies but overcoming the rigid ideology that prevents us from agreeing upon pragmatic solutions, as the following quotes indicates:

“Now, over the last several weeks, we've seen a return of the politicization of these issues that have characterized the last several years. …

Both sides may be sincere in their views, but neither side is right. The American people are not absolutist, and they don't elect us to impose a rigid ideology on our problems. They know that we need not sacrifice our security for our values, nor sacrifice our values for our security, so long as we approach difficult questions with honesty and care and a dose of common sense. …. That's the challenge laid down by our Constitution. That has been the source of our strength through the ages.”

Focusing on solutions rather than ideology does not mean that we simply have to accept Obama at his word. (I disagree with several of the President’s positions.) But when disagreeing, we must do so without resorting to absolutes, without exaggeration, and without the labels that stigmatize the other side. Instead, we must use the same careful analysis that the President uses when he lays out his arguments. In short, we have to treat each other like adults.

As President Obama said “Now let me be blunt. There are no neat or easy answers here.” Both sides of the debate would do well to remember this.

First 100 Days

I hate to indulge the "first 100 days" silliness. FDR was sworn in on March 9, 1937 giving him 3 more months to prepare. Thus, any comparisons to FDR's first 100 are not apropos.

Yet, let's indulge ourselves just for fun. Obama has been remarkable. Let's say there's a legitimate argument about Obama's policy achievements (which have been many), it is unquestionable that he has shown all the traits of great leadership. Look at the 7 Hs of Highly Effective People (be proactive; know where you want to go; put first things first; think win-win; Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood; Synergize;Being Balanced). Obama is the poster child for these traits. In the most challenging times since the depression. Obama has dealt with ever issue with confidence. He has taken a commending presense on the U.S. and World stage while still listening and learning. He's allowed dissent and debate but then has showed resolve when making decisions.

All of this is made even more impressive when one remembers the primary knock on Obama during the election. Remember that Obama was supposed to be "too inexperienced" and not tough enough for the job. Can anyone - even those who disagree with his policies- say that now even after just 100 days? OK. Let's give him an A.

Inauguration Thoughts

Some rambling thoughts on my trip to the Inauguration
≠≠Sunday:
8:00pm – We get in from Miami about 1.5 hours late. Weird. Airport is mobbed so we rush for a cab expecting a huge wait. Nothing. We get in; zoom from Dulles to the heart of D.C. with zero traffic and in record time. Staying at the Holiday Inn. OK I’m a snob. But it is so in the heart of things. Everyone, from the staff to guests is just overjoyed. I’ve been in places that were happy (burning man, certain concerts, parties). But never a whole city with the same vibe. – Everyone is celebrating – guests, hotel clerks, bus drivers, people on the street.

10pm – We meet Eddie and a various SF people who have gathered in town. Lot’s of people who worked on the campaign or not. Regardless, people are swapping stories, sharing hopes for the future. Very festive. Lots of people on the town on Sunday in D.C., which I assume is rare.

1:30am. So it turns out that Metro closes at midnight not 2am as we were told at the hotel, so we have to walk back. Very cold but not horrible. Angela finds it invigorating, I find it, just cold.. We through the mall and see the Wash Momentum and Capital building shining at night. I never remember them being this bright. Angela and I jump around and feel the awe and splendor of the Capital.

8:00Am. We get up. Another night without sleep. Gather my mother her friends to go get our tickets. Most are 70 year plus and lifetime party activists. All Clinton supporters, but all jazzed. You think we’ve been waiting for a long time to be inspired? They’ve been waiting since Kennedy. They have more energy and commitment and a room full of Move.on activists. And they keeping the party do the hard work of keeping the party together through good and bad. . . They get good seats and ball tickets – and deserve it.

10AM. I’ve got a conference call with Europe. It’s goes an hour because we spend the first 30 minutes talking about Obama. These Europeans are just as excited as we are – talking about how they were crying on election night just like we were. We are the world? Get dressed and go for my Obama SF t-shirt. Turns out I grabbed my Red Sox World Series shirt instead. Exact same colors – I swear. This means that every Masshole in D.C. has to talk to me. Fucking sox.

11:00 – I walk over the to Capital where Angela mom and friends have secured out tickets. Angela’s been palling around with the one family friend who’s not 70. Turns out he knew my dad who helped him out of checking kiting scheme. Classic. Almost no lines. We meet at the Russell Senate Building. Short security line to get in. Take lots of pictures in the hall of the senate, then we head down to the basement to eat at the Senate cafeteria. Of course there is nothing special about the Senate cafeteria. But it feels special – everything feels special. When we leave, lines around the block.

2:00pm: We head over to RFK stadium for a public service event. The walk from the Metro to the stadium is basically a flea market with only Obama stuff. I didn’t see Obama TP, but that’s all that’s missing. We are putting together 75,000 care packages for the troops. Nice idea – way too many people. Like an old public works project – dig a whole and then fill it in. Way more would have been done with 10% of the people. That being said, people recognize that they have to stay involved and as a symbol of their commitment it works well. I heard that overall the number of volunteers across the country was way up and the Peace core had its biggest recruitment day ever.

8:30. I meet with family, while Angela heads over to the NetRoots party. She sees half of san-francisco, including James girlfriend – who ends up crashing the most a-list party in town (Huffington). She comes home at 1 just having caught the last metro train, which still stops at midnight. (You can’t get a cab to our hotel – the whole area is blocked off)

Tuesday.

7AM. We get up. Not wake up – we’ve been up all night. THIS IS THE BIG DAY! We can barely stand it. I go down to the lobby to “grab a quick coffee.” No luck. Everyone in the world is in the lobby.
8:15 Angela, my mom, Mary and I head off. Total madness. There is almost no instructions on where to go. A few volunteers and security milling around, but nobody knows anything. We head off, fight through the crowd - f in the wrong direction. Then fight back in the right direction. People heading in every direction. Mary, it turns out, can move through a crowd, and leads the way.

8:45 We somehow get to the blue gate, which is designed to let people in incredibly slowly. The line is around the block. Mary makes an executive decision – we cut the line. I mean just blatantly cut. (Turns out there was a better way to cut that I’m mad I didn’t figure out until later). We wait and wait in the cold. We barely move – seriously. By 10:45 the gates have been open 3 hours, we’re been in line for 2, and we’ve only moved ½ the distance. Inauguration at 12, and I’m thinking we’re not getting there. I’ve got a radio, and all I hear what a great mood everyone’s in despite the lines. Frankly, people I’m with are getting pretty pissed. Shouts of “let us in” can be heard.

By the way, it is damn cold. My hands would be freezing off but for the hand warmer chemical cocktail that I bought at CVS. My feet are killing me and I wish I had put those hand warmers in my sneakers. I convince myself that that the fact that my toes hurt means that they’re not frost bitten.

11:30. As we get close to the gate, things move quickly and we get through. We run to capital and get there a few minutes later. Get pretty good place on some stairs and can see pretty well through our binoculars (at-least we can see the jumbotron well). Once you’re in, the good mood returns. Some guy on the wall in front is volunteering to take pictures. People are laughing, swapping stories. A genuine love in.

11:45: The important people are starting to arrive on the stage. The feeling is electric. People cheer (OK scream) when they walk out and when they’re announced. Pelosi, Feinstein, and Reid receive big pop. Clintons? People go nuts. Michele and girls – people loose it.
11:50 – We all know what’s next. People are fidgeting, crying. The expectation is over whelming. I keep hearing Ed Sullivan saying “Ladies and Gentleman - The Beatles!” Actually, the analogy is not far off. The Beatles succeeded based on phenomenal talent, but the nation was primed, ready to break with the past. What people lacked was a vision of what that next step looked like. Turns out, the future looked like the Beatles. Obama walks out the door and just stands there. It’s Kennedy and Beatles in one. People loose it. Obama’s announced – the future just walked on stage.
11:55. Warren gives his invocation. About as ecumenical as you’re going to get from an evangelical. Starts with a quote from the Hebrew scriptures – the SHMA no less (central tenant of Jewish practice). Talks about service, when he says Jesus (in many languages), he clearly prays for himself, not others.
12:04. the botched swearing in. I originally thought the sound system went out for a second.
12:15. The speech. A little hard to hear with all the different speakers echoing, plus cops tell us to move from the stairs – after being there for an hour. That being said, have you ever hear 1.5 million people shut up at once? The same crowd that booed Bush and Chaney and sang “nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, good bye” Obama holds everyone.

After the speech people start leaving. The Bush is leaving via helicopter. When people realize it they start cheering. The copter is right over our heads – and low. I swear I could have hit it with a baseball. If the copter broke down, it would fall right on top of us. My mother was at Clinton’s first and she says the only thing she remembers is Bush I taking off. Nice symmetry.


We make our way against the current to the senate Building for a reception with Kerry/Kennedy. There not there, as turns out, b/c of the whole seizure thing. Bored, Angela and I take off.

1:30. City’s still cut up so even walking home is a challenge. We go through a tunnel that cuts across the mall. Have to get out of the way, while ambulances go bye. Turns out it was Kennedy. We get various scenes of the parade. Inauguration

2:30 Finally get home. Our hotel is one of the closest to the parade and everyone wants to use the lobby. Only lucky guests of the holiday get in. Watch CNN/MSNBC non-stop. Watch the speech again. It’s brilliant. He ditched the teary eyed stuff. (Catch his Philly speech for that). What he presents is a clear eyed sustained critique of the political dialectic of the past 30 years. The choices we’ve been presented by the left and right were presented as false choices. (big gov v. small; free market v. government control; security v. freedom). With Bush there, it seemed like a critique of him. It was, but the left is equally as guilty of simplifying the world through it’s own prism. The arguments were ultimately childish distractions that kept us from getting the job done.

Where we will find the moral guidance once our false dichotomy is gone? From the values of our nation’s founding. Obama cited Washington not Lincoln, which surprised people. Obama was channeling Lincoln but just didn’t mention his name. Obama followed the structure and arguments Lincoln used in his first major anti slavery speech against Douglas. Clocking in at over 3 hours, Lincoln did not use narrow constitutional law or “higher law” as some did to attach slavery as others had done. Instead he called slavery as inconsistent with purpose of the founding. Yet, he refused to demonize, saying that if Northerners were born in the South they would support slavery as well. The speech, praised by supporters and opponents alike, set Lincoln on the course to the Presidency and healed a nation. What both Lincoln and Obama did was use the founder's words to transend the politics of the day.

10:00. With no ball tickets (a drag), we meet Eddie for dinner and Adams’ Morgan. Really dead, but by the time we leave ball goers are returning home. We get home at 1pm for our nightly 4 hours of sleep. Really wish I was more aggressive on the ball ticket. Why I’m not sure. But I think we all new the real world was right around the corner and wanted to stay in the warmth of the Obama bubble that much longer.

Wed. 5AM. We’re up again and off to the airport. Way earlier than we need to be but who knew.

6Am dulles. I notice someone staring at us. Actually laughing at Angela with matching Obama hat and scarf. I call out – “you like the hat?” We start chatting with the woman – It’s Jamie Lee Curtis. She’s chatty and trying to be normal but doesn’t actually seem to know how to go through the airport. No worries, the TSA does everything for her. (yes this is a strange ending).

8AM - Flying into Canada. For years, I’ve always thought of Canada as kinder gentler U.S. Maybe it’s a true (or not) as ever. But it doesn’t feel that way that way now. Can a country change in 24 hours?

11Am Watching Canadian news from Toronto. Not quite the all Obama fest of CNN but O’s the lead the story. If you didn’t know better you’d think he’d was Prime Minster.
10:30. Sleep.

Thursday
Dinner with Canadian colleges. For the first time in years, I don’t have to apologize for being an American. They want a new America as much as we do. For once, we get what we want.

1.23.08 David
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Christmas, Hanukkah, and the Audacity of Hope

Why Christmas Matters This Year

Christmas matters this year. This is an odd statement coming from a practicing Jew, so I’ll say Hanukkah matters as well.

Most years I don’t think about Christmas but for the nicety of holiday revelers and the extra time off. But the joy is missing. I work downtown, and normally holiday crowds are cheerful. This year, there are no crowds and people don’t look happy. Even loaded with gifts, bought at ridiculously low prices, shoppers seem more worried and less joyful as if they know that this buying spree may be the last form of lightness before even darker times. The time off is not comforting either. The days off and easy work schedule seem less like a relief than a harbinger of slow business to come. The world actually seems darker – not just spiritually, but physically as well. The night looks blank.


And so this is Christmas in 2008? With the normal joy gone, why does the holiday seem more poignant? Because the essential message about an improbable rebirth in a time of darkness is a message needed more than ever. At the darkest time of the year, the most lifeless, the salvation of humanity appears. It appears in the form of someone helpless (a baby) born to people not only of humble means but homeless who are on the run for evading taxes. The rebirth comes not through the power of armies or the uprising of the proletariat but through a message of peace – a command not only to love thy neighbor but thy enemy. Clearly this is not a salvation of armies but of the mind and spirit.

Hanukkah is a rebirth story of different kind, although the message is not so obvious. I was studying Hanukkah with Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe last week in the Mission over tocas. We were discussing why Hanukkah mattered at all. It is the only major historical holiday for which there is no biblical book or reference (the book of Maccabees upon which the story is based does not appear in the Hebrew scriptures). The story itself is not simple tale of joy with its bloody description of civil war between Jews and guerilla warfare against the Greeks. The time of year is not considered sacred and there is no prohibition against work. (Greenberg “The Jewish Way”). Yet, the holiday’s customs are much discussed in the Talmud, which also includes many stories not found in the book of Macabees. The Talmudic telling of Hanukkah focuses less on the celebration of a military victory but on rebirth of a nation and a people in a time of darkness. The rebirth, unlike Christmas, is practical, social, and political. It is complicated and wrought by men not God. (There are no miracles or even a mention of God’s activities in the book of Macabbees and the 8 days of oil was first discussed 500 years later).

With there different emphases, Christmas (spiritual) and Hanukkah (practical) provide a complete model for rebirth in times of darkness. Both have another aspect in common; the rebirth that these holidays seek is not the restoration of the natural order but radical change in the natural order. We know that the Christmas holiday was based on a various pagan, winter solstice holidays. The pagan sun god Mithra’s birthday was 12/25 as and the Roman holiday Saturnalia began a week before 12/25 and featured gift giving and wreaths to name but two examples. The purpose of these holidays was to reassure people that the natural order would continue – light and plants would return in the spring. This purpose is similar to the other winter holiday on the Jewish calendar, Tu BiSh'vat. Celebrated in January when the first signs of almond sprouts appear in Jerusalem, the holiday puts Jews on notice that nature will once again bring fourth the bounty to which we are accustomed.

Christmas and Hanukah implore us to reach not for a rebirth that that is expected but onis e that impossible. A poor man from a homeless family on the run from the taxman is not a paradigm hero (let alone savior). And a small band of guerrilla warriors simply do not successfully rebel against the world’s premier power of the time (the Greeks). There is no empirical reason to believe such things are possible. But these holidays provide us stories that remind us that we can transcend the ordinary and expected; that the way things are now or the way things are naturally is not the way they have they have to be or should be.

The stories are finally about the audacity of hope. Which brings me back, as so many things do for me this year, to Barrack Obama. His improbably victory (did anyone ever think a mixed race black man would be president in our lifetime) reminds us that the impossible can happen. As importantly we don’t have to settle for what were told “has to be.”

My wife Angela recently told me that this Christmas seems very small. She’s right. In good times, the “rebirth in darkness stories” are easy to ignore. Not now. As odd as it is for this Jew to admit it, we need Christmas this year.