I must admit that the progressive claims that “no bill is better than the current bill” had started to sway my opinion. Unfortunately, this argument is rarely accompanied by a list of the things that bill will do right. The critique tends to focus on the bills omissions rather than its’ inclusions. The gaping exception is of course the women’s right to choose. There are significant differences in the House and Senate bills on this issue, and it will be extremely interesting to see what shape the final bill is in.

The bill certainly isn’t a socialist takeover of medicine as we know it. The bill certainly is about health insurance reform, rather than the health care reform that we were promised.  Knowing all of that, 14 million more people will be able to go to the doctor. That strikes me as a step in the right direction. Governance in America hasn’t been about sweeping changes for 200 years (arguably aside from the last 8).

Enough of my thoughts, check out this site for a simple comparison of the 2 bills. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/19/us/politics/1119-plan-comparison.html#tab=0

James White

One of my favorite designers/visual artists, James White, is donating all the proceeds from his sales this week to the relief effort in Haiti. This is a great chance to pick up one of his pieces. This should be an example of how ordinary folks can continue to do their thing and make a positive impact.

Check out his site here: Signal Noise

Photo: Gerald Herbert / Associated Press

Take a few minutes to look through this photo essay presented by the Wall Street Journal. The photos express the scope and tragedy in a way that the newscasts do not.

See all the photos here: Link

Note the difference between these 2 web addresses: http://support.doctorswithoutborders.org & http://doctorswithoutborders.scamwebsite.org

Unicef
Doctors without Borders
Direct Relief
Oxfam
World Food Programme
International Medical Core
Yele Haiti
Mercy Corps
American Red Cross
Save the Children

The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity — our diplomacy and development assistance; the power of our military; and, most importantly, the compassion of our country.

Read the whole release here: Link