Progressive Democrat Newsletter Issue 246

Since Feb 12 was Darwin's birthday and Lincoln's birthday, I am dedicating this newsletter to two of the most important people of the 19th century. But first, a bit of modern politics...

Bernie Sanders hit the nail on the head this week (I remember supporting him when he first ran for Congress):



And Rachel Maddow hit the nail on the head this week:



Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow (along with CurrentTV) remain some of the best out there on TV.

Turning to Healthcare reform, this comes from the New England Journal of Medicine:

Forging Ahead — Embracing the “Reconciliation” Option for Reform

The idea of using reconciliation has raised concern among some supporters of health care reform. They fear that reform opponents would consider the use of reconciliation high-handed. But in fact Congress created reconciliation procedures to deal with precisely this sort of situation — its failure to implement provisions of the previous budget resolution. The 2009 budget resolution instructed both houses of Congress to enact health care reform. The House and the Senate have passed similar but not identical bills. Since both houses have acted but some work remains to be done to align the two bills, using reconciliation to implement the instructions in the budget resolution follows established congressional procedure.

Furthermore, coming from Republicans, objections to the use of reconciliation on procedural grounds seem more than a little insincere. A Republican president and a Republican Congress used reconciliation procedures in 2001 to enact tax cuts that were supported by fewer than 60 senators. The then-majority Republicans could use reconciliation only because they misrepresented the tax cuts as temporary although everyone understood they were intended to be permanent — but permanent cuts would have required the support of 60 senators, which they did not have...

Health care reformers in the administration and Congress have a powerful case to make and, on an issue of such enormous importance, a duty to make it. In addition to reminding Americans that reform will protect, not jeopardize, coverage by preventing insurance companies from canceling coverage or jacking up premiums for the sick, reform advocates should remind them that the proposed legislation will bring coverage to tens of millions of currently uninsured Americans and protect it for scores of millions of others. Reform advocates should explain the legislation’s legitimate promise of cost control and quality improvement.

Come on Congress...let's get this done.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Happy Birthday Charles Darwin: Evolution Explained and Defended

Happy Birthday Abe Lincoln: Slavery, Secession and Civil War

Silicon Valley Area, CA Focus

San Diego, CA Focus

Orange County, CA Focus

California 11th District Focus: San Joaquin, Alameda and Santa Clara Counties

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

Brooklyn, NY Focus

Manhattan, NY Focus

Queens, NY Focus

Bronx, NY Focus

Suffolk County, NY Focus

Rochester, NY Focus

New York 19th District Focus: Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

Progressive Majority Texas

Austin/Travis County, TX Focus

Dallas County, TX Focus

Houston/Harris County, TX Focus

Texas 10th District Focus: Turn TX-10 Blue

Texas 21st District Focus: Turn TX-21 Blue

TEXAS FOCUS

Sussex County, NJ Focus

Passaic County, NJ Focus

Warren County, NJ Focus

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

Atlanta, GA Focus

Fayette County, GA Focus

Coweta County, GA Focus

GEORGIA FOCUS

Charlottesville/Albemarle County, VA Focus

Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania County, VA Focus

Hanover County, VA Focus

VIRGINIA FOCUS

ILLINOIS FOCUS

Lancaster Co. PA Focus

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

FLORIDA FOCUS

WASHINGTON STATE FOCUS

MICHIGAN FOCUS

WISCONSIN FOCUS

ARIZONA FOCUS

IOWA FOCUS

Renewable Energy Job Opportunities in Colorado

COLORADO FOCUS

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

MINNESOTA FOCUS

NEVADA FOCUS