Take one for the Team!

In the current debate over health care reform, our elected officials need to do the peoples work. The people spoke out in the 2008 election and demanded a change. The President and the Democratic Party took total power for good reason. The election was only the first part, now comes the hard work. For 8 years, the Republican Party ran rough shot over the Democratic Party and imposed their will even if the people were not for the agenda. The Democrats were not allowed to be involved in anyway. Even a threat of debate was meet with cries of obstructionist and threats of changing the law to not allow filibusters at all. Now, the Democrats need to follow the mandate that was given to them and push through the reforms and changes that they were elected to do. Now is not the time to be afraid of the noise machine and the fear factories. This is the time for bold action. Why are you negotiating with Republicans that will not vote with you on real reform? What are you afraid of? The Democratic leaders need to be more fearful of their own party if they cave in than of the Republican Party that is a scorpion with no stinger. No matter if you are a Liberal Democrat from New York or a Conservative Democrat from Tennessee, you have a duty to bind together and provide the health care reform including an exchange that would allow the public to participate in your health care options. By the way, if you are in congress, you are already on Government Health Care and a public option. In sports, it is sometimes necessary to take one for the team….taking a walk for the winning run instead of trying to pound out a hit or letting that close pitch hit you in order to get on base. It is now time for the Democrats, especially the ones that are wavering, to take one for the team. This is not about getting re elected or raising monies from the big corporations. At the minimum, these Democrats should vote to kill any filibusters on the health care bills, and then you can vote your gut on the final roll call. Even if it meant paying a price in the upcoming elections, the legacy would be greater because you did the right thing. History would be kind to you. I truly believe that when the Democrats stand together and achieve the greater good of the people, they will be amazed at the ground swell of support. I also believe that the Republicans are fighting so hard because they know that if the Democrats can pass this reform bill, with a Public Option, the American people will know that the Republicans were on the wrong side of change again, just like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and Civil Rights. This one issue could relegate the Republican Party to the Southern States and the Religious base and could ensure a Democratic majority for years to come. What price are you willing to pay for the greater good? What price would you pay to know that you did the right thing? Get in the game Democrats. Be bold and be leaders and lay it on the line for the American people, the masses that elected you need you now. Pursue greatness and don’t back down even if it means “taking one for the team”.