Political Influence

dude...if all political activists looked like gigi ibrahim, i'd follow her revolution.

We Reach For The Stars

it's easy to blame...it's easy to complain...and it's easy to make excuses. it's hard to accept...it's hard to understand...and it's hard to take responsibility. but in light of the president's speech tonight, it is upon all of us to seek the humility and the humanity that we seemed to have lost.

except, in the wake of tragedies like the one this past saturday in tuscon, there are never any words to say or actions that can be taken that will ease the pain and suffering of the victims.

at these moments, we look to our leaders to guide us. and though sometimes i hope that aaron sorkin would come to the rescue and put his rhetorical magic into the mouths of our public speakers, i know jeb bartlett will only speak to the "streets of heaven being too crowded with angels" in the annals of television history.

but sometimes, reality surprises us. oratory, when given well, has the ability to move us like music and deliver us an emotion that we could not have conjured ourselves. and while the president's speech tonight touched on many issues: anger, acceptance, humility, hope, and remembrance of those loved and lost...i will focus on his foresight and desire to see what we can be in light of what we are. expectations...to ourselves and to each other...all summed up in the eyes of a nine year old girl, a role model for the innocence and optimism that our country and political arena are built on, that too often we forget.

"i want to live up to her expectations, i want our democracy to be as good as christina imagined it, i want american to be as good as she imagined it. all of us, we should do everything we can do to make sure this country lives up to our children's expectations"

E Pluribus Unum

in a flurry of activity and in record speeds, the congress passed both historic and necessary pieces of legislation during this lame-duck session. from hostage negotiating a tax extension to finally repealing "don't as don't tell" to ratifying a new START treaty to ensuring health care for our 9/11 heroes...the last few weeks have been a whirlwind by senatorial standards.

some will come out of this thinking that we've heeded the calls of the midterm elections, that bipartisanship is the new watchword of the future. and even the president seems to believe it, which his most stirring oratorical statement in a long while: "For we are not a nation that says, 'don't ask, don’t tell.' We are a nation that says, 'Out of many, we are one.'"

the optimist in me hopes that the sentiment is real...that it wasn't just a momentary glimpse into what the founders intended congress to be. but the realist in me knows that we're looking at a couple years of deadlock and partisanship.

but however we spend the next couple of years, the idealist in me continues to hope that each individual member comes to the table with a genuine desire to do good of the country, regardless of whether or not i believe in their positions or not. after all, it is in that love for country that brings all of us into one.

More Sane?

us on the left have definitely had a plethora of ironic, hypocritical, downright hilarious, and realistically dangerous material from the right wing, tea party base the past few years...and it's done for some good ratings for the daily show and the colbert report. but what is truly appreciated about those types of shows is the level of intelligence that the two respective hosts bring to the discourse...it's not about who's winning or who's the loudest. yes, they make a living calling out the crazies, but those who believe that is news are just as ironic, hypocritical, hilarious, and dangerous...and sadly, missed the whole point of the rally this past weekend.

we were supposed to rise above the noise, not succumb to sound bites and talking points, and truly engage ourselves in the process and make our own decisions.

sure we may not be as hateful or be as aggressively spiteful, but we need to be careful not to be as blindly led.

Election Season

as the owner of a big D-card, all this talk about republicans sweeping into power this year and the ineptitude of the democratic party has gotten me down and frustrated. yes...i agree that the economic outlook and the democrats complete lack of a message are big reasons why we're in the pickle that we're in. but at the same time, i'm seeing hypocrisy in action when talking about tax cuts and deficits...i'm seeing a republican party oppose any and everything for the sake of winning and the cost of the country...and sadly, i am seeing an insane amount of lies and deceit driving a less than informed electorate. but what really pisses me off (and this is a bipartisan finger pointing) are the people who take advantage of the electorate to make money under the guise of "restoring america".

i can respect policy differences...i can respect their position that government is too large and that tax dollars should be returned to those who make them. but when they take that argument and suggest that it will spur the economy because those dollars will simply be put back into the private sector, i urge them to bring me historical evidence. we need only look at this past decade to prove that that plan didn't work. with some of the largest tax cuts we've seen resulting in the largest deficits we've seen. at what point does perseverance become downright crazy?

but what's even more despicable with their tax policy is their continual raving about the deficit and pounding democrats for overspending. if the republican stuck by their by-as-you-go guns on everything else the democrats have tried to do these past two years, then i expect them to do so with the tax cuts. to offset the trillion dollars this is going to cost us, i want to hear them say they're raise the retirement age for social security, or list the benefits they would cut out of medicare, or limit the exorbitant defense budget. but they won't say any of those things. so they'll pound us for spending money on the poor, the needy, and the middle-income while they rake in cash from the uber wealthy and the large corporations.

not to be a blind loyalist, i've got my beef with the democrats as well. i've said this before, and it holds even truer today. but one of the reasons why i am a democrat is because we are open to ideas and a rather welcoming tent...but at the same time, that leaves us vulnerable and divided on message. i understand that all politics is local and that members of congress are sent here to represent their constituents...and they can't influence the social good if they can't win at home. but for once, i wish the democrats would stand tall, face the dirt that's being thrown at them, and remove their veil of cowardice and punch back. be proud and say "yes, i voted for the health reform bill, climate change, and financial reform. i know you disagree. but here's why i did". but instead, they run and hide. and as they always do, they say "don't pick on me". show me that candidate and i'll vote for him/her any day.

but i don't see that candidate anywhere. and i do see millions of misinformed americans blindly following the tune of beck, palin, limbaugh. these working class americans who belief faith has been lost in this country, that the democrats have auctioned off the wealth...i want them to ask glen, sarah, and rush "how much money did you make scribbling on your blackboard this year? how much money did you make touring the country as the mama grizzly? how much money did you make spewing hate over the airwaves?" then see how much they'd give back to you in times of trouble.

so with that note...end of rant.

Sick

5 Stages of Grief

how the health care world ended up at this point is completely full of irony:

from the democrats sweeping into power and elect the first african-american president with the oratorical skills that could persuade the cynic of cynics, but couldn't find a cogent message to sell reform to the american people...

to ted kennedy's health getting into the way of his life's work and dream of health reform...

to the senate finance committee wasting months on end trying to negotiate with republicans only to be skewered by liberals for being too slow and lambasted by conservatives for jamming this down their throats...

to a nude, republican centerfold (way to go you uptight northerners) win over ted kennedy's long held seat in the bastion of democratic ideals...

to the democratic party not learning from past mistakes and ending their run a deja vu fashion by losing control of congress and still not having health reform.

this has been a complete crash of morale and my spirits have been dashed away. whatever hope i have that the house of representatives will pass the senate passed bill is flickering ever so slightly...as i hold my breath the next few days as i fear even the smallest whimper will extinguish it.

i find myself working through the 5 stages of grief as i try to compose myself and shake off this haze of uncertainty...

denial
there was just no way massachusetts would cede their democratic voice for that of a conservative republican. there was no way the democrats would nominate someone as inept at campaigning as martha coakley. there was no way the white house and the senate campaigning arm would take the race for granted. there was no way...until 8:30pm on tuesday night where that way was forged.
anger
why couldn't we have parted ways with the republicans sooner? why couldn't the house taken up the senate bill with modifications as opposed to relitigating every single policy? why didn't the white house not lay down the law? why can't the house just take the senate bill now?
bargaining
we can make the deal so that the house passes the senate bill now, maybe we can assuage their concerns with a rider or reconciliation bill later. (in fact...there are no more bargaining options after that if we can true health reform)
depression
seeing a year and a half worth of work, toil, sweat, and blood go into a product that is facing failure has rocked me to my core. it has made my physically sick and mentally defeated. the potential of complete and utter collapse is a massive body blow to my young professional career.
acceptance
hasn't happened yet.......

....this sucks

Viral?

there must be a lot more health policy junkies than i had previously imagined...or else the entire public policy bubble of dc united to make my boss a viral video (albeit still no where close to the hilarity of david after dentist).

but still...i find it hard to believe that somehow, this video of my boss proudly striking back at republicans for feigning bipartisanship made it onto any top ten list of viral videos on any website.

for what it's worth, this speech was awesome.

Final Pushes

its pretty obvious reading my blog these past few months that my life has been dominated by one subject...

...so it's not surprising to see this posted on here as well

The Day to Day

so the boss, senator baucus (democrat of montana), is taking lead on health care reform this year. luckily for me, as an eager and idealistic product of the obama generation and policy-ilk, i have been fortunate enough to be on the health team of the senate finance committee working on putting together the bill. the hard work and insane hours, piled upon school work, has definitely had its drain on me these days. but the end game is key...if we pass this, i will have been a part of the largest health reform legislation in 40+ years. that would be a milestone and huge career achievement.

but the real reason why i put up with it isn't for the inspiration to lead or to participate in the process or to give back for the public good...no, it was a vanity exercise to see how many times i can get caught picking my nose during hearings or how many magazine articles i can make it into.

if you're bored enough to catch some of the finance committee hearings on cspan, you probably haven't had a chance to see me beyond this brief moment in a press conference, since i don't usually sit behind the senator during the hearings. and if you're REALLY bored, you can catch me behind senator rockefeller during one of the health subcommittee hearings (its the 3-18-09 one).

but beyond that, you probably won't notice me too much...until last week's edition of the national journal where they did a nice big profile on the boss and his plan for health reform. in the lead intro photo to the piece, you get to see yours truly splashed across the fold.

so there it is folks...i've made it to national journal fame, with a circulation of over 12,000 and who knows how many online readers (though no images of me will be seen there). they say decisions are made by those at the table...and look where i'm sitting...

...though of course i'm not really making any of the decisions, but no one really needs to know that.

*and yes, i do realize my hand position looks odd...but i was flipping through my briefing book!

Yes We Did

we stood in the face of history this election, and with the support of over 63 million Americans, we took one giant leap forward. this greatness of this election was not how barack obama was going to solve the problems of the economy, of health care, of energy, or the wars...but it was about the resurrection of the American spirit that has been drowned out by years of disappointment, corruption, and failures. but now, there is new hope, new energy, new passion flowing downward from the white house and into the fingertips of all Americans...we have found the change that we seek.

for me, it was simple to understand the moment and impact of this election and what it will mean for me and the rest of the world, but for those who were unsure, here's a great reason why we voted for this man.

watching the results with my fellow hopefuls across an array of televisions, it was an unbelievable feeling to see state after state turn blue, to see that check mark next to barack's name. and after pennsylvania and new hampshire got called, we were on the cusp of making history, only needed one of the many previously red states to turn blue...and with one quick flicker on the television screen, a riotous cheer, high fives and hugs to friends and strangers alike, we saw ohio turn blue and the race was over. and the rest was history...a phrase never more befitting the moment.

i was truly in shock as we returned to my place to watch the final push, the west coast numbers...where my homestate of california put him over the top and cnn, msnbc, and even foxnews had to call it...Barack Obama declared the next president of the United States.

i will never forget this moment in my life, where i was, who i was with...as i'm sure neither will any of you.

november 4th, 2008

Hope

"That’s what hope is—that thing inside that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that there are better days ahead."
- Barack Obama

now...how you apply that is up to you

17 More Days

as election day speeds toward us, it is imperative that we understand what is at stake and why we're voting.


Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

One Month Left

just do it...it's your future, it's your life. do something about it....

The Real Straight Talk

Great Ad

Hypocrites

how can anyone listen to these idiots and pass their words off as truth?

Universal Healthcare

i know...i know...no one wants to come to this blog to hear about my stance or work i've done in this particular field. they come here to read about the meager existence, the musing about pictures and videos found on the internet, or to try to decipher the often cryptic messages that form a cacophony of noise in my incoherent mind. however, there are times when an issue or thought drives its way through the muddled noise and is unique in my head...it is the rare and often elusive, coherent mind.

usually this is sparked by a random inspiration, a narrowing of thought forcibly obtained after hours of studying, or in this case...a chapter in fareed zakaria's book "the post-american world". the essence of the book is not to declare the future dominance of the emerging markets and the effects of globalization, but to stress the concern that while america has spent the better part of this past century pushing the rest of the world to globalize, we have forgotten to do so ourselves.

how does this all tie back into an universal healthcare debate? well, it can easily be said that our working class and middle class employees are often job-locked because of fear of losing their benefits. because of this, we lose potential new ideas that can form new companies that can be new IPOs that can be new global investments that can be new jobs for new americans. we've losing our competitive edge because major companies, hell even the small ones, have to mark up costs and lower wages to cover the benefits of its employees. thus forcing many companies to simply outsource these jobs to locales where benefits are guaranteed...universal.

our familiarity with the word 'outsource' has always been relegated to old-industry jobs...disturbingly referred to as sweatshop labor. but we fail to see our new-industry jobs slipping away because our industries must shell out large portions of their capital to provide benefits for its employees, leaving a lower growth rate. either that or cutting benefits or not providing any at all...like the older airlines or wal-mart.

so for those who don't agree with the idea of universal healthcare because we shouldn't be paying for the lack of personal responsibility of others, i understand that. but there are both micro and macro implications.

on a macro level, having a universal healthcare system may increase individual taxes a little, but it provides a blanket of security to the national workforce which would now be free to explore and be the entrepreneurs america is known for. it will allow car companies and airlines and small business to grow their profit margins, allowing them to reinvest in new technologies and efficiencies and grow our global economy. products would be cheaper for the average consumer, meaning more consumption or more savings. either way, though we might feel an individual pinch, the whole will grow and that benefits us all.

i know that's a lofty statement and coming from a democrat, seems rather characteristic. however, if we must look at it from an individualistic point of view, the benefits are already clear. beyond the fact that goods will be cheaper, most likely the amount paid into a universal system from your taxes will be less than what you forfeit to a private insurer. lets assume (and reminder, this has no scientific or actual practical knowledge behind it) that you make $60,000 a year, you're average health insurance premium would be around $4000...or roughly 7% of your income. now lets say you're paying an increase of about 5% (which is high) due to taxes for a universal system, that would only be about $3000...still less than that premium your paying. so now you're saving money on health insurance, not to mention the money saved by the fact that things will cost less.

so when it comes down to it, which one keeps more money in your pocket...private insurance or universal systems? i'm not advocating eliminating private insurers, they're a major sector of the economy and cannot be disregarded. but when it comes to choosing between a premium and a tax, the only real question should be...which one is cheaper?

Smart Politics

this is why i love obama...

"What I don't want is for the best to be the enemy of the good here."

this is the way politics should be done...not in a 51% manner, but in an overarching, unifying approach. if he is not the next president of the united states, i will seriously consider my faith in the american people

The Next President?

now obviously this is from the daily show, and satirical news is just that, but after weeks of listening to missteps, flip-flops, attack ads, and clumsy choices of pop culture references, how can anyone look at mccain and think he knows what he's talking about?