I like it (4.00 / 1)

I like the weekend format you have announced. It seems like it is nice for both readers and writers to have a target hour (or "deadline") for posting something they have been working on.

I am particularly looking forward to the interview with Adm. McGinn. The fact that he testified before the committee on public works makes me think of the levees that protect the road to my house. They are always a area of concern, but the likelihood of rising sea levels make me wonder if I will still be able to drive to my house by the time the mortgage is paid off.


ec=-8.50 soc=-8.41   (3,967 Watts)

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by: Mark Wallace @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 03:15:37 AM UTC

Damn! (4.00 / 4)

Imagine if you opened up your TV Guide (yeah, that dates me) and saw this list of programs on your network channels. And to think that Real Americans™ are still stuck with things like Press the Meat, and the Washington Weakly Review, starring David Broder's Interchangeable Rockettes.

Things are looking up.

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by: William Timberman @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 03:17:32 AM UTC

Speaking of reporting, here's an ongoing story (4.00 / 5)

Dollars and Sense:

In 11 cities across the country, hundreds of everyday Americans who want Medicare for All confronted the insurance companies and demanded that they redirect the money they're spending to control our democracy to pay for the care they deny to their members. Almost every company refused to even talk to us, and 37 people were arrested including doctor Matt Hendrickson at a Cigna office in Glendale, California. Dozens more - like the 30 people who blockaded the Blue Cross office in San Francisco for hours - sat in but weren't arrested. In Rhode Island, however, the protestors who joined cancer patient Robert Darling in occupying the UnitedHealthcare office won the first concessions of our campaign - a company representative agreed to give an answer to Robert about paying for his previous bone marrow transplant within 24 hours and to arrange a meeting for the group with the UnitedHealthcare CEO within a week! After 115 arrests in 18 cities, these companies are starting to feel the heat of our movement. And with more than 900 people now signed up to sit-in, this battle is just beginning.

Today, the Mobilization continued in Louisville, Kentucky and Baltimore, Maryland. The brave folks in Louisville are in the 9th hour of their sit-in inside the Humana headquarters as we send out this email. Humana is trying to wait them out, but may are prepared to stay overnight if they have to.

In Baltimore, four people were arrested at a CareFirst (Blue Cross) office including two doctors. One of those doctors, Margaret Flowers of the "Baucus 8," has withheld her name and is planning to stay in jail until the CEO of CareFirst, Chet Burrell, agrees to a public meeting with her.

Please call Mr. Burrell immediately and regularly at 410-528-2222 to demand that he agree to meet publicly with Margaret.

I'm sure Mobilization for Health Care would be willing to set up interviews.

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  

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by: lambert @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 04:22:35 AM UTC

maybe you should set one up (4.00 / 2)

Remarkable how you always know what other people should do, even though you never do those things yourself.

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by: Chris Bowers @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 05:47:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

he did (4.00 / 1)

corrente had liveblogs with single payer activists long before the larger blogs even noticed health care.

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by: hipparchia @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 06:33:54 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Strange views on policy, wrong on facts, wrong on values (4.00 / 1)

On OL editorial policy: The claim is that Open Left does "reporting" -- the word used in the post, and therefore the standard Open Left sets for itself. Surely a story involving activists who have been arrested for committing civil disobedience in support of Medicare for All is newsworthy? Under the heading of "reporting"?  Rather like civil disobedience for women's suffrage or civil rights was newsworthy. The moderator's news judgment differs, but surely that's a strange view for a "Left" (note capital) blog to take?* Of course, if OL is simply an advocacy blog, instead of a source of "reporting," then the question doesn't arise. So what's the editorial policy at Open Left? Advocacy or reporting? If reporting, why isn't this story newsworthy?

On the facts: I have done what you claim I did not do. After the White House live blogger censored a single payer question from PNHP activist Dr. Jess Federowicz, we interviewed him. Corrente has also done live blogs with other single payer activists (links on request).**

On values: If you wish to further support the record where "progressives" have joined with the White House to exclude, silence, and/or censor single advocates, then you have done an excellent job of it with your lll-informed response above. When the White House excluded, silenced, and censored the "little single payer advocates", it was clear that the administration could not be assumed to be operating in good faith on health care policy -- no more than Fred Hiatt (to return, for a moment, to the issue of editorial policy) could be assumed to be operating in good faith on Iraq when WaPo excluded and silenced the hippies on Iraq. In my view, exclusion, silencing, and censorship are incompatible with left values, and are not compatible with an assumption of good faith. Do you agree, or disagree?

NOTE * Note that the civil disobedience by the Baucus Eight in Max Baucus's hearing room was not newsworthy here. Heck, even the White House live blogger acting as a censor wasn't newsworthy!

NOTE ** I leave the issue of correction and retraction up to Open Left. If OL does reporting, such will follow; if OL does advocacy, it won't. Whatever. As you have been careful to point out, I have no power over you [can't find link with OL search function].

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  

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by: lambert @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 13:54:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's an absurd response, Chris (4.00 / 1)

Pointing to someone else's failure to do something (rightly or wrongly) has what to do with Open Left's exactly?

I don't run any blog, Chris, and it is perfectly legitimate for me (or anyone, really) to ask why Open Left-which is supposedly "a news, analysis and action website dedicated toward building a progressive governing majority in America"-isn't covering acts of civil disobedience in 11 cities calling for Medicare for All. That seems pretty newsy to me.

Aside from the health care policy issues, actually enacting Medicare for All would do far more to build and solidify a progressive majority, what Open Left says it's about, than passing any public option would, and certainly more than the current ones under consideration. So why isn't Open Left covering those people who are fighting (and risking arrest) for that?

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by: jeffweinberg @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 20:18:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

115 people isn't news (0.00 / 0)

otherwise the news would be covering the "wipe the Middle East off the map" protests, or the regular arrests in front of Planned Parenthood across the country which very often number more than 115 people nationwide.

The reason the news isn't covering it is that like the above mentioned protests, it's pathetic. Teabaggers can put 60,000 people on the National Mall and all single payer advocates can do is get 10 dozen people across the country to come out and conduct acts of civil disobedience?

Look, I'm not trying to minimlize you're efforts, but I'm floored you're shocked no one is covering or listening to a protest of 115 people.

If there is such wide support for single payer, why can't you guys put 60,000 people on the National Mall?  

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by: DTOzone @ Sun Nov 01, 2009 at 06:54:35 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

115 arrests in 18 cities? (0.00 / 0)

so an average of 10 people arrested per city...well, gee, I'm sure they're quivering in fear...DOZENS of people are protesting across the country, watch out now.

Seriously, the Falun Gong regularly puts more people on the West Side Highway. 115 people does not a revolution make.  

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by: DTOzone @ Sun Nov 01, 2009 at 06:50:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Kudos to Paul - period. n.t (4.00 / 2)

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by: dkmich @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 09:38:33 AM UTC