Saturday was easily one of the best days I’ve had in recent years, politically speaking, with maybe the exception of November 04, 2008. So what happened that made this day such a success in my eyes? An unusual alignment of the stars? No. The arrival of my dream girl? Sadly, no. Saturday was historic for numerous reasons, and here are just a few.
If you remember, a couple of weeks back a Kansas State Senator (Mary Pilcher-Cook) proposed an amendment to preemptively opt Kansas out of federal Health Care Reform. I say preemptively, because at the time no votes had been taken in the US Congress on any of the numerous proposed bills. A large mass of individuals on both sides of the issue gathered at the Shawnee’s City Hall to present their side interest.
Numerous progressive groups, not a single one with a paid member, organized the pro-Reform side. Johnson County’s MoveOn chapter, several writers here on ForwardKansas, both Kansas City and Kansas Young Democrats, Planned Parenthood, and Johnson County Democratic Women all took part – along with many other individuals whose names are too many, but help was much appreciated. And all for the cost of a couple paint pens, some poster board and a few hours of one’s time. All one is left to wonder, is how much the AFP – famous for sending 40 buses to DC for Bachmann’s Rally, and recipients of $12,906,712 from Wichita based Koch Industries – spent.
Either way that’s not really important, for long after I was thanking God that basketball begins Friday; the majority of Democrats (including our man Dennis Moore) joined a very brave man from New Orleans – to pass a historic measure, bi-partisan Health Care Reform including a Public Option. The very thing so many of us came out to defend earlier that morning. Several different news organizations captured the rally, and played it as their lead story on the news that evening.
Despite the tone of our local Fox affiliate, that morning never got ugly. Passions are high on both sides, but never did the event escalate over some shouting matches. A former Democratic candidate for the Kansas House, Sean Tevis of Olathe, brought two tables to allow each side to write down and express their reasoning behind being in attendance. One of my favorite video’s came from Earl F. (E.F.) Glynn at Kansas Watchdog.
This is sadly just the beginning; a lot of work must be done to stop Pilcher-Cook and American’s for Prosperity’s dreams of a Kansas without Health Care Reform. I am hopeful that Congress will pass a Health Care Reform bill which gives everyone the CHOICE of buying into a Public Insurance Plan, and I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to ensure Kansans everywhere are allowed to benefit from it. Unfortunately it is impossible to accomplish this while sitting on the sidelines – the moneyed interests have only began their work – if we’re to succeed, it’ll take us all.
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