Comments on: Political Diagnosis: Senate Finance Committee Considers Health Care Reform Bill http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/09/senate-finance-committee-considers-health-care-reform-bill Daily dose of women's health news and media analysis Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Natalie http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/09/senate-finance-committee-considers-health-care-reform-bill/comment-page-1#comment-2767 Natalie Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:10:57 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=8989#comment-2767 Everyone is talking about the crazy right-wing anger out there -- and how it is making it impossible to have a rational discussion -- let alone legislation on health care. But what people aren't talking about is how the Democrats unwittingly stoke the fire at every turn. Abortion funding is a classic case study. Democrats -- even those clearly sympathetic to women's concerns, like Rockefeller and Obama -- refuse to articulate why including abortion funding is a simple matter of equity. In fact, they run away from a debate over it -- often in an overdetermined fashion (thanks, Christine, for emphasizing the emphasis -- that's amazing). How are we supposed to have a rational discussion -- as opposed to shout-downs at town halls -- if the potential leaders of that rational discussion abdicate their roles? Is it any surprise that reactionary forces come in to fill the void? And don't talk to me about the media as the problem. Sure, 24-hour news channels are pretty scary places, but as evidence by his media blitz the last couple of days, Obama and others can find a space for their message if they are willing to put it out there. Everyone is talking about the crazy right-wing anger out there — and how it is making it impossible to have a rational discussion — let alone legislation on health care.

But what people aren’t talking about is how the Democrats unwittingly stoke the fire at every turn.

Abortion funding is a classic case study. Democrats — even those clearly sympathetic to women’s concerns, like Rockefeller and Obama — refuse to articulate why including abortion funding is a simple matter of equity. In fact, they run away from a debate over it — often in an overdetermined fashion (thanks, Christine, for emphasizing the emphasis — that’s amazing).

How are we supposed to have a rational discussion — as opposed to shout-downs at town halls — if the potential leaders of that rational discussion abdicate their roles? Is it any surprise that reactionary forces come in to fill the void?

And don’t talk to me about the media as the problem. Sure, 24-hour news channels are pretty scary places, but as evidence by his media blitz the last couple of days, Obama and others can find a space for their message if they are willing to put it out there.

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