Recently, Mike Ross decided to pen an op-ed to roll call discussing health care reform. And, needless to say as this is Ross we’re talking about, the thing is so full of lies and misinformation that it’s only suitable as bird cage liner. Let’s take it apart piece by piece, shall we?

The health care reform process has been a never-ending odyssey of misunderstandings, miscalculations and misinterpretations. As a result, most Americans remain confused, scared, angry or all of the above. I believe the overwhelming disdain for incumbents we now see in this country is a resounding rejection of politics as usual, and, in particular, how both political parties have conducted themselves over the past year on this very important issue.

I suppose this includes his work to kill the public option, a piece of legislation far more popular than the bill as a whole? I suppose it includes his vote for the Stupak Amendment to limit the rights of women when it comes to reproductive health care while voting against the bill as a whole, right? Does that politics as usual bit include that illegal immigrant scare tactic he used after the vote, something that showed him to be nothing but a more subdued Joe Willson? Oh, it doesn’t? I see…

Every American understands that our health care system is broken on a fundamental level and needs change. In a capitalistic society, the universal principle of every business is profit. Without it, you don’t exist. Therefore, health insurance companies will do everything they can to make a profit. As a capitalist, my instinct is to defend a private company’s right to turn a profit and keep its doors open. However, when that profit comes at the expense of the lives and health of countless Americans, we are forced to evaluate the practical approach of pure ideology and conclude that it simply does not work in a debate about health care — and it never will.

One thing in this debate is clear: The status quo is simply not acceptable, nor is it sustainable. Next to making adequate health insurance coverage available for the uninsured and underinsured, the skyrocketing cost of health care in this country is the most pressing reason why we must act. We can never get our deficits under control or balance our budget again unless we can stop health care costs from rising at twice the rate of inflation. In the past eight years, premiums have grown four times faster than wages. And the first $900 those of us with insurance pay in premiums goes to cover the costs of treating the uninsured in emergency rooms across this country. Ensuring American citizens have quality health care and making it both affordable and accessible is key to the long-term strength of our economy.

He really is a shameless lying dog. Here he is saying we can’t allow the status quo to continue, but he’s fighting to preserve it. He lays out a list of indictments against our current system, but still fights reform tooth and nail. I’d call him a snake but it’d be an insult to snakes.

There are three ways we can fundamentally reform our health care system: insurance industry reforms, containing costs and affordability. First and foremost, we must reform the way the health insurance industry operates. Every family needs and deserves health insurance much like they require utilities to heat their homes, and our laws should regulate health insurance companies just as they regulate the utility companies today, including prohibitions on pre-existing conditions, canceling your coverage when you get sick and caps on the total amount they will pay for your health care expenses over a lifetime.

All of that is in this bill he’s voting against…

Secondly, we must explore every available cost-containment measure, and no proposal on Capitol Hill goes far enough in this arena. Every step possible must be taken to root out waste, fraud and abuse, and we need historic investments in preventive medicine, such as physical education in schools and early detection programs.

Actually, there is a proposal that would do great work to contain costs and would do so through that capitalist system of competition Ross so admires. It’s called the PUBLIC OPTION and he’s AGAINST IT.

Finally, we cannot and should not move from our current employer-based health care system, which is uniquely American. Instead, we must build on what we have, which most Americans like, and make it better. It should be more affordable for employers and more portable for employees. As a former small-business owner, I feel strongly that we must protect our small businesses — the backbone of the American economy. That is why I oppose employer mandates and why I support a “marketplace” that allows small businesses and the self-employed to come together as one big group, having greater leverage to bargain with the insurance companies for better prices and quality coverage. This is how large companies and government employees, including Members of Congress, have access to affordable insurance, and I believe every American should have access to the same coverage I do.

Small business-fine and dandy. But big businesses like Wal-Mart should take care of their employees. Oh, and by the way, it would be nice if we could get the excellent coverage these guys in Congress have. Maybe instead of fighting to kill health care reform so hard Ross should be working to get us some sort of arrangement like he currently enjoys.

I feel strongly that a majority of Americans are ideologically in the middle, as am I, and I believe the middle is from where we should legislate. If there is one thing my hardworking parents and my small-town values have taught me throughout my life, it is that common sense must always rule the day. However remote, I look forward to that day on Capitol Hill.

That’s it? No indictment of the bill you’re opposing? No reason for him standing in the way of reform now that his insurance company buddies got their way and seemingly killed the public option? (There’s still a chance to bring it back in the future.) Talk about pathetic.

There’s really no room for doubt here. Mike Ross represents the worst in our politics, and not just because he’s a walking ethics issue or a poster child for why we need campaign finance reform. In this crap he’s peddling, he’s showing off a trait that is worse than any of that-his willingness to lie.

But there’s hope. Ross got off without a primary challenge this year, but there’s always the next cycle. That’s one of many reasons why it’s so important to hold Blanche Lincoln accountable and get Bill Halter elected. If that happens, it breaks open the gate and provides the first nail in the establishment’s coffin. Whenever I talk about that with regards to Ross I always get these shrugs and some remark about how entrenched he is. But there’s plenty of reason to take him on and, I’m convinced, a chance to replace him with a better Democrat.

If you were interested in this D.C. guy…don’t be.

D.C. Morrison – Daniel Cochran Morrison – describes himself as a conservative Democrat and claims he’s in the Senate race to “stop two big government liberals in one day” on the May 18th primary.

Yesterday as filing for office closed, Morrison made himself available to a small group of reporters including myself and content partner, Jason Tolbert. Fortunately, Tolbert had his handy-dandy flip-cam and recorded the interview.

Morrison, a Little Rock-based farm loan originator, is worried about the national debt and deficit spending. He doesn’t know Blanche Lincoln or Bill Halter personally, although he said he knows Blanche Lincoln’s father.

While he filed on the Democratic ticket, Morrison’s past voting record speaks to his conservative credentials.

He cited Ronald Reagan as his hero. He voted for Ron Paul in the last Presidential election. And, Asa Hutchinson earned his vote for Governor in 2006 although Morrison insists that Mike Beebe is “doing an excellent job.”

I see. Can’t wait to see this guy’s issue positions…

I think we’re seeing the value of a primary challenge here…or at least one value. Apparently, Halter’s got Lincoln running scared and considering changing her positions. So much for that “one tough lady” crap.

A moderate Democrat who had vowed to oppose any effort by party leaders to push a health care bill through the Senate with a simple majority vote is rethinking her position.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln said Tuesday that she wants to see what is in the companion bill before deciding.

I wish I could wean people off of calling corporate stooges like Lincoln moderates. Call them what they are-politicians sold to the highest bidder. But that aside, it’s apparent here that Lincoln is struggling to respond to Bill Halter’s challenge, moving away from her previous opposition to reconciliation now.

Mark my words though, this is no reason to vote for Lincoln. She’s changing her position now only to save her sorry hide and if she wins the primary she will revert back to her old ways in a flash.

There’s a clear choice for Arkansans now- A person who stands on principle and doesn’t back down from what he believes in or someone who changes her positions based on the way she thinks the wind is blowing (and if you haven’t figured it out yet, she’s not good at figuring out directions).

Update: Apparently Lincoln realized that her bit of waffling took away from her “one tough lady” image and released this “clarification”:

U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln today reiterated her opposition to altering the health insurance reform bill using budget reconciliation.

“Sen. Olympia Snowe and I have proposed a bipartisan way forward on health care and I still hope that my colleagues will consider it,” Lincoln said. “I have promised my constituents that I will not support income tax increases to pay for health care and I will seek bipartisan solutions. This takes budget reconciliation as an alternative means to pass health care reform off the table for me. I have fought for and ensured transparency throughout this process, and I believe we must get over this final hurdle using the regular rules of the Senate.”

Halter lays out his position on choice.  In the video, Halter does a good job of explaining his views on the divisive issue.  To sum it up, he wants to reduce the number of abortions, but he respects the right of others to choose.  And when asked pointedly if he supports Roe v. Wade he says yes.

On top of that, in the blogger’s conference I asked him about his views on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.  He said he agrees with the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the time has come to repeal it.  So, we can now update our record of Bill Halter’s issue positions:

Health care:
-supports a government run, medicare like public option that people can buy into
-wants to focus heavily on preventive medicine
-reduce costs through modern technology

Workers rights:
-supports the right of workers to unionize
-wants to crack down on workplace intimidation
-supports the Employee Free Choice Act and has hopes for the new, post card check compromise

Environment and energy:
-iffy on cap and trade
-does not support Murkowski-Lincoln effort to weaken CO2 regulation
-supports investment in clean energy

Taxes
-friendly to middle class tax reduction
-opposes elimination of the estate tax

Social Security
-opposes privatization of social security

LGBT issues
-opposed Act 1
-supports repealing DADT

Abortion
-supports keeping Roe v. Wade as law of the land
-personally against abortion but unwilling to infringe on the rights of others to choose
-for finding measures to reduce the number of abortions that both sides can agree upon

Education
-championed the lottery scholarships program
-strong supporter of pre-K programs

It’s been accepted as a truism that business is naturally opposed to the environment and those of us who care about it. That’s a load of crap. There are plenty of bad apples, to be sure, and we can all list a large number of offenders, but there are businesses that are doing the responsible and right thing by standing up for clean energy. What’s more, they’re uniting under the umbrella of a new organization, American Businesses For Clean Energy.

American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE) is an initiative to demonstrate large and small business support for Congressional enactment of clean energy and climate legislation that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ABCE’s goal is to create a single place on the web where individual companies and business organizations can register their support for Congressional action, and to demonstrate the depth and breadth of business support for this legislation. That’s why the companies listed on this site range from large companies to small, local to multi-national, and from all sectors of the economy.

***

ABCE has a purpose distinct from business coalitions. ABCE is the ‘big umbrella’ under which any business that supports clean energy and climate legislation should be listed, and it is easy to be listed on the site: all a business has to do is enter some basic information to be listed. There are no dues, no meetings, and no further obligations for firms that only want to be listed. ABCE does not develop or evaluate specific policy proposals, nor will ABCE lobby Congress; these roles are already well-served by the existing coalitions. ABCE supports other business networks by making it easy for businesses to list and link to any business network they participate in from the ABCE site.

What’s more, companies that want to do more can be directed to other organizations or network with other businesses through the umbrella site.

The people running these companies are getting involved for two big reasons.

First, they see that clean energy offers a boom for our country’s economy in the future. Secondly, they realize that environmental degradation isn’t good for business. It’s hard to make a profit when roads are flooded, crops are wiped out by drought, freak storms destroy massive amounts of infrastructure, and massive snowfalls shut down power and transportation.

And with this kind of backing from the business community, every “pro-business” politician needs to be asked how they can stand in the way of clean energy legislation.

Yesterday, I alluded to a personal observation that my partner, Roby, made as we were passing a sign for a particular candidate for office. The candidate in question was D.C. Morrison, the third candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and a political unknown. His signs were tacked up on a few trees as we drove back from Little Rock and through Tuckerman to get to Jonesboro and proclaimed proudly that Morrison is a “Conservative Democrat”.

Roby, who knows little about politics, looked at that and goes, “Isn’t that an oxymoron or is that like being bisexual or something?”

After I got through howling at the completely innocent question, I did my best to answer it, but realized that his observation is probably how most people here in Arkansas and around the country view that particular matter. Whether they like it or not, in the eyes of the majority of folks Democrats are the liberal party and Republicans are the conservative one. The Blue Dogs and some of the DLC folks try to claim that conservative mantle-some of that is probably sincere, but most of it is more likely to be a self serving matter. Still, no one’s buying into it, so the party might as well own that liberal or progressive label and run with it, laying out why it’s the better path for the people of Arkansas and America.

It’s either that, or be considered politically bisexual…I’m sure many of the Blue Dogs would love hearing that.

I had planned to have my Q&A session with Scott Pace up this morning.  Unfortunately, I’m having some technical issues and will therefor have to page the Tech Guy when he gets off work tonight. The video is still fine though and will be up soon enough. It was a good interview, and I think you guys will find it (and Scott’s candidacy) interesting.

The video won’t be the last one either. I’m already working on scheduling some time with other candidates for various offices. Hopefully, you guys will get a taste of it over the next few days, as I could have, besides the interview with Scott, a video with another candidate up this week.

Okay, I was planning several long and meaningful posts over what I’ve been doing over the weekend but you know how busy weekends can be.

First, I and jsamuel both got to participate in a local blogger conference call with Bill Halter.  Let me just say that Halter continues to impress me.  He’s running a very disciplined campaign, balancing his refreshing candor with his message discipline in a way I’ve never quite seen a politician pull off before.  He’s also very much aware of what it’s going to take to win this campaign against Lincoln, and he asked for all our help in doing so.  I also extended the invitation to Mr. Halter this weekend to join us here on Blue Arkansas sometime.  Hopefully he’ll take us up on it.

I also got some time to sit and do a video interview with Scott Pace, candidate for state representative.  I had a lot of fun with that I must admit, and I had intended to post that video tonight, but do to some scheduling issues and some annoying technical difficulties I’ll have to put it off just a little while.  The video will be up soon though, I promise-in the next day or so.

On my way back from Little Rock, I actually passed a few signs near Tuckerman urging people to vote for the third Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, political unknown D.C. Morrison.  The signs said “Conservative Democrat”, to which my better half asked, “Is that like being bisexual or something?”   (More on that perspective later!)

Finally, I was on the Kudzu Vine radio program tonight talking about Arkansas politics.  You can listen to the archived show here.

I’ll be on the show tonight after 6.  Tune in here.

I’ve already apologized once for having supported Marion Berry in the past.  At the rate the retiring Congressman is headed though I’m going to have to donate a kidney to absolve myself of ever having supported the miserable old man.

It turns out he is among 11 conservative anti-abortion House Democrats who voted for the House bill in November only after Pelosi agreed, most grudgingly, to the “Stupak Amendment.” It provided that no health insurer providing federally subsidized coverage through new health insurance exchanges could cover abortions, even with private money separate from subsidized coverage.

The Senate toned that down, saying no federally subsidized coverage could extend to abortions, which is illegal already under the Hyde Amendment, but that insurance companies participating in the publicly subsidized exchange could otherwise sell private insurance paid entirely by private funds that would cover abortion.

“I think abortion’s wrong,” Berry told me Friday morning. “The problem is that I’ve lived too long. When they say they can keep this money separate, I just don’t believe it.”

Those other 10 Stupak-contingent votes also are leaning “no” this time. So, if you take 11 votes from 220, you have 209. That doesn’t pass the bill.

But Berry tells me, just as Ross told me the day before, that Pelosi will probably get her majority — which, owing to vacancies, is now 216.

How in the world could she do that? Well, they don’t know and can’t say. They just think Pelosi will get it done.

Berry is long on record extolling her legislative skills.

“You know, when this is over,” Berry says, “this whole thing is going to be something they’ll be studying for history for hundreds of years.”

And when historians discuss Berry’s role in this the line in the history books will read that he was one of a handful of ancient American politicians whose bizarre philosophy on life meant that you only cared about a human life until it popped out of the womb and after that all bets were off.  Seriously.  The Senate already has an abortion provision that reinforces federal law and denies federal funding for abortion.  The Stupak Amendment goes beyond federal law.

So basically Berry is wanting something in the bill that’s already in the bill, but because it’s not his buddy Bart’s far out legislation he’s willing to work to kill health care reform and somehow thinks the votes will line up by magic.  And what about the many people in Berry’s district who are in desperate need of health care reform?  They’re outside the womb so they can just hurry up and die now.  Guess the silver lining is that we’ll be rid of this goon after this year.

This is hillarious! (And truthful.)

I’ve long been saying that AR-03 is winnable. Yes, I’m probably crazy-but that’s for completely unrelated reasons. That aside though, if the Republican nominee is Steve Womack, then there’s plenty of things to take shots at. For example, the press release he put out on health care comes to mind:

Mayor Womack said he supports affordable and accessible healthcare for all through market based solutions that promote competition. “Putting politicians and bureaucrats in charge of healthcare through government takeovers will only make things worse,” Womack said.

Instead, Mayor Womack favors measures like allowing people to buy health insurance across state lines, increasing choices and lowering costs. He also supports medical liability reforms, easing the burdens on physicians and lowering costs.

Umm…Steve…those ideas are already in the health care bill you’re against.

What was even funnier was the tussle Womack and one of his many primary opponents, Gunner Delay, got into.

Womack:

Mayor Womack said his belief that every American should have access to healthy lifestyle choices, recreational opportunities and affordable care is exemplified by the Adult Wellness Center in Rogers. A nationally renowned senior wellness center, the Adult Wellness Center reflects Mayor Womack’s vision for the appropriate role government investment can play in the physical and social well being of a community and its population groups.

In Congress, Mayor Womack pledged to work to establish a national program to partner with local communities for the construction of regional wellness centers, like the one in Rogers, so that more Arkansans can enjoy the life changing benefits of Adult Wellness Centers.

Delay:

Today, 3rd District Congressional candidate, Gunner DeLay (R-Fort Smith) sharply criticized one of his opponents for proposing a “billion dollar boondoggle” in response to the nation’s healthcare issue. Yesterday, Rogers Mayor, Steve Womack, put out a press release stating that he believes “every American should have access to ….recreational opportunities…” Womack added his “pledge to establish a national program to partner with local government for the construction of regional wellness centers, like the one in Rogers.”

DeLay said “if Womack followed through on his proposal it would cost taxpayers billions of dollars. If he is seriously believes that every American should have access to these kinds of regional work-out facilities he will have to substantially increase spending by both federal and local governments.”

So right away it’s easy to hit Womack as an up and coming pork lover and someone who will blow the deficit up even bigger than it already is.

Now there’s no guarantee that Womack is going to be the nominee. It could well be the bug man’s cousin or any of the others running for the seat. It’s also true that this is a long shot race, but David Whitaker is running the best campaign a Democrat has run in that district in years. If I were him, I’d be jotting down a list of every thing his many potential opponents have to say about themselves and each other. It’s bound to be a gold mine.

Halter may not have the support of the Democratic machine, but local African American politicians (who have long been left out of that machine to a great degree) are expressing great enthusiasm for his campaign.

This morning eleven key African American leaders from around Arkansas announced their support of Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter and his run for the United States Senate. Endorsers include State Representative Otis Davis of Earle in Crittenden County, Justice of the Peace Edward Carter of Helena in Phillips County, Justice of the Peace Jimmy Fisher Sr. of Pine Bluff, Alderman Bruce Hudson of Helena-West Helena, Justice of the Peace Edward Spears of Pine Bluff in Jefferson County, Mayor Lionel Johnson of Hampton, Mayor Leroy Wright of Anthonyville in Crittenden County, Mayor Abron Pitts of Widener in St. Francis County, Mayor Floyd Gray of Dermot in Drew County, Mayor Ronnie Conley of Cotton Plant, and Vice Mayor David “DJ” Johnson of Hope in Hempstead County.

“I am grateful for these support of these fine leaders,” said Halter, “It is time that Washington got back to working for the towns they represent here in Arkansas, instead of Wall Street.”

“I support Bill Halter because he gets things done,” said Justice of the Peace Jimmy Fisher Sr. “It seems that all Washington politicians do is talk. If we elect Bill, there’s no doubt he’ll fight for all of our families.”

Mayor Ronnie Conley of Cotton Plant said, “Bill Halter has earned my support. He saw that too many people couldn’t afford college and he helped fix the problem. He came up with the scholarship lottery and worked closely with us to get it passed.” Conley continued, “Now thousands more Arkansas families can afford higher education. Name me one other politician who has put five thousand dollars back in the pockets of regular Arkansas families. You can’t.”

Alderman Bruce Hudson of Helena-West Helena focused on health care as his reason for supporting Halter “There is only one person in the race for U. S. Senate who is willing to make sure we all have access to affordable healthcare and that is Lt. Governor Bill Halter. Bill is a get it done kind of guy. He brought a health clinic to Little Rock to help the uninsured and under-insured. We can count on him to fight for real health care reform in the Senate.”

Justice of the Peace Edward Carter of Helena recalled Halter’s work on Social Security, “Bill Halter fought against George Bush’s dangerous plans to privatize Social Security. Those are the priorities he will take to the Senate.”

Lincoln has taken the black vote in this state for granted. Now she seems to have lost it.

A terrorist shot up the Pentagon last night. He wasn’t from another country. He wasn’t brown or black. He wasn’t a Muslim. He was a disgruntled white guy rambling about property rights. Something tells me he won’t be water boarded.

So let’s see. So far, we’ve had a man upset about his taxes go the full 9/11 on an IRS building, a guy afraid the gub’munt and da’ Jews taking his guns away from him shot up the holocaust museum, and down in Texas a crazy Christian group is employing methods used by Hitler’s brown shirts to terrorize a local community. But again, they’re not brown or Muslim or anything like that, so they must all just be a bunch of concerned citizens. Oh, and it’s all Obama’s fault too.

This is encouraging. Buried in a piece listing the candidates that have filed across Arkansas so far is this little nugget:

Cook said the top issues of his campaign will be “the economy, balancing the budget and jobs — trying to get jobs back here to Arkansas.”

Health care also will be an important issue in the campaign, Cook said.
“I’d like to have a better look at a public option of some type,” he said.

This sounds promising. So far, Chad Causey has run from the public option and his boss’s vote on health care reform. Ben Ponder, while striking a nice populist tone, hasn’t exactly been rushing to embrace it, at least so far. I have no idea where the other guys-Wooldridge, Bryles, and whoever else are.

Now I’m still not picking my guy just yet, but I must admit, I’m narrowing it down a ways, and Cook, to this point just another name in the race, is now firmly on my radar.

Almost forgot:Credit goes to reader Arrow for pointing this out to me!