The Sunshine Empire

Here it is Friday and I’m out of political issues to talk about save for the health care debate. The Sonia Sotomayor hearings were when all said and done much sound and fury signifying nothing. Republicans after decrying harsh questioning of Judges Roberts and Alito while in control of the Senate, seemed to have only two words in their vocabulary this week, wise and Latina. As Republicans asked questions over and over again about the wise Latina remark but admitted openly that she would be confirmed, it was clear to all that they were simply posturing for the next Obama nomination. Sotomayor despite the hype is not a wild eyed liberal partisan but Obama will be under pressure to nominate one should Kennedy, Ginsberg or Stevens retire before 2012. Republicans feel they are laying the groundwork for that hearing, and hoping that they have a more even playing ground at that time.

But time seems to be of the essence when it comes to health care reform and I really view it like the stimulus. It may not be the perfect bill, but Republicans and conservatives have not one alternative to the plan. They continue to claim that we have the best health care system in the world when every major statistic says otherwise. They could win the health care argument if they stopped gorging on contributions from the health care industry and came up with an alternative plan. Or otherwise please give a full throated defense of the status quo if that is what you believe. Spending trillions to insure everyone may not be the answer but the “government takeover” and “Federal health bureaucrats” focus group tested commercials are highly dishonest. But let’s hope whatever is done is done right.

Well there is the return of the uprisings in the Iran elections.