I am going to school over the next few days. I have made a commitment to listen to all six hours of the recently televised one day Health Care “summit” meeting with prominent democrats and republicans with President Obama as the moderator. I have only seen some extended clips of this meeting.
Reasonable folks of many different political persuasions who have watched the entire meeting have thrown up their hands as to what it has accomplished but they all seem to agree that it was a demonstration of a real discussion, something which has not been evident in the hysterics of the unfolding of this legislative journey.
Based on my viewing of some of the clips, I know I am going to learn a few things about keeping my cool when folks fall in love with the sound of their vitriolic voice.
The last clip I saw focused on Senator John McCain going on and on about the unfairness of allowing Medicare Advantage for 200,000 Floridians but not anywhere else. His oxygen output was maximum to make his point.
President Obama’s oxygen was used up listening and when Senator McCain completed his rant I mean point, President Obama said, “Point well taken, John.”
Senator McCain kept on blustering until it registered that the President had just agreed with him to which he simply looked stunned and stammered a surprised “thank-you”.
I am going to the school of listening over the weekend and shall report back. My goal is to be able to listen to Rep. Boehner without acid reflux attacks.
©Pat Coakley 2010
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ooooooh, thanks. i think i’ll skip it and get the news here. that is a very funny take on McCain stammering a thank you. it seems like obama took the wind out of the mans sails. i mean, a rant is supposed to stimulate something, like an argument maybe, but certainly not expected to be politely accepted. i guess the president is a really good politician, one who finds a good way to move the subject around and about. love the colors too!
tipota, as I just admitted in my most recent post, I listened to not one word of the health care debate! So, you won’t be able to get your news here after all. But, I did go to the ICA’s new exhibit! Now, that was worth every second.
I find it absolutely amazing that such a rich country like the US can’t get it’s act together about universal health care. If other countries can do it and maintain a high standard of living, why not the States?
All the bull and bluster coming out of the right wing seems to me to be so indefensible as it all sounds like the rhetoric of the politics of selfishness.
You know Razz, it is absolutely amazing, also that we are fighting two wars and have been for almost nine years. Other countries don’t carry the military budgets of our country and pretty soon at the rate we are going, even we won’t be able to carry the military budget of our country or universal health care.
Nothing wrong with acid reflux from Boehner and his ilk, a natural reaction. I agree with razzbuffnik… the inability to improve health care in the US is all about greed, a lack of empathy, and a dangerous religion-based dogmatism that has taken root here.
Oi. Don, honestly, I did not listen to one word of the debate. Went to an art exhibit instead and bought the exhibit book because the artist is so articulate. I’d rather surround myself with her words than theirs.
“Other countries don’t carry the military budgets of our country”
So what does that tell you?
I think for many of us in the rest of the world, the US military is seen as a way for the US to not only protect their commercial interests abroad, but also a way to create jobs. It’s not known as the “military industrial complex” for nothing.
Razz, I’m busy creating jobs for a drone operator. The coordinates are near Sydney and they’ll be checking on our commercial interests in the Asia/Pacific area while there.
Other than that, I don’t know what you are talking about.