1. Nothing makes it out of Congress. DunselCare is dead, Jim. ODDS: 60/40

2. A flawed and limp bill (IE DunselCare) with no real reform and no public option makes it out of Congress and makes it to Obama's desk. ODDS: 50/50

3. A flawed and limp bill (IE DunselCare) with no real reform and a public option makes it out of of Congress and makes it to Obama's desk. ODDS: 20/80

4. A real reform package that revolutionizes Health Care makes it out of Congress, complete with full bi-partisan support and also solves the Israeli/Palestinian crisis, thwarts Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons (for their nuclear wessels :D) and immediately causes all terrorists all over the world to keel over dead. ODDS: .000000001/99.99999999

Place yer quatloos.... :D

Michale.....

So, what's silly for the goose is ALSO silly for the gander.

If the White House had come out about the school address issue as they are now, with what they have now, there would not have been any credible outcry. But you must admit, developing a lesson plan to ask school age children to "help" the President with his politics crosses the line. And the fact that the President tried to do an end run around parents is unconscionable.

Apparently, the White House feels the same, as they have dropped their "lesson plan" and will put the text of the address online on Monday night for parents to preview.

Had they taken these actions initially, as I said, there would not have been any credible outcry.

As far as it being "silly", let's apply the FAIR Factor.

Postulate a scenario where GW Bush's Patriot Act or MCA legislation was in great danger of failing. The Bush White House has this "great" idea to bypass parents and appeal directly to schoolchildren. The Bush Education Department develops a "lesson plan" for the kids that ask them to "help" President Bush pass the Patriot Act or the MCA.

Can you imagine the outcry from Democrats and the Hysterical Left?!? Would ya'all have wanted ya'all's children to see such an address? Would Obama have wanted HIS children to see such an address without being able to, at the VERY least, preview what was going to be said?

Of course not..

So, once one applies the "FAIR Factor" (an old process I just made up.. :D) it is clear that the outcry wasn't "silly" at all, but rather was completely justified.

And, as I said above, apparently the White House agrees with me as they have altered their plans for the school address.

Michale.....

Did you see Bill Moyers on Real Time last week? His point was that it was better to have a good bill fail and come back when the country gets angry enough to pass it, instead of passing some meaningless drivel that changes nothing. (whatever Bill Clinton says)

As a true progressive you should be behind MoveOn’s petition (although I don’t remember you claiming such)

http://pol.moveon.org/hcobama/index.html

It's sad to think this will die a slow painful death in order to appease a bunch inane, immoral obstructionists that would never vote for reform in the first place.