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I’m annoyed. It seems like that’s becoming the norm for me rather than the exception these days. Every couple of weeks or so, my buddy Barack sends me an email like the one below. I say he’s my buddy only because he addresses me by my first name … so I guess it’s OK to address him by his.
The letters are all similar … they usually herald a non-accomplishment, and go on to ask for money so something can actually be accomplished. They don’t ask for much, usually they can get by on twenty-five bucks or so. There is always a sort of vague intimation that if I continue to give, eventually there will be some sort of favorable outcome. It’s the same feeling I get at the casino while watching the roulette wheel spin. Oh Fortuna!
To be honest, I’m getting tired of him coming around with his hand out asking if I’ve got change. All I can say of our elected officials is that never have so few taken so much from so many and given so little in return … my buddy Barack included in this number. As he approaches the first anniversary of his presidency, or one quarter of his term in office (and I’m convinced that’s all it will be), I’d like to note that thus far there has been very little “change”.
In spite of his term being 25% past, the Nation does not find itself even 1% better off than it was when he took office. We are still engaged in two wars on foreign soil; upwards of 30 million Americans are unemployed, underemployed, or have given up on finding work altogether; failed banks and failed businesses have been given billions of tax dollars in bailout funding; and this one initiative, healthcare, is a shipwreck waiting to happen. Our elected leadership has already sold us out. The insurance companies, are the only ones who will benefit from the current healthcare reform initiative, and our leaders know it.
Americans need to wake up and start pressing for real reform. We need strict term limits for all elected officials. We need strict prohibitions against corporate and special interest lobbying, and we need a Government that supports We the People, instead of the largest corporate donors.
Go for the red pill — you’ll see there really is no difference between a Republican and a Democrat as long as they are drinking from the same well. It is up to us to make real change happen. Nobody is coming to our rescue, and unlike Neo in The Matrix, my buddy Barack for all his good intentions, isn’t “The One”.
Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 12:58 AM
To: David Hester
Subject: Making history
David --
This evening, at 11:15 p.m., the House of Representatives voted to pass their health insurance reform bill. Despite countless attempts over nearly a century, no chamber of Congress has ever before passed comprehensive health reform. This is history.
But you and millions of your fellow Organizing for America supporters didn't just witness history tonight -- you helped make it. Each "yes" vote was a brave stand, backed up by countless hours of knocking on doors, outreach in town halls and town squares, millions of signatures, and hundreds of thousands of calls. You stood up. You spoke up. And you were heard.
So this is a night to celebrate -- but not to rest. Those who voted for reform deserve our thanks, and the next phase of this fight has already begun.
The final Senate bill hasn't even been released yet, but the insurance companies are already pressing hard for a filibuster to bury it. OFA has built a massive neighborhood-by-neighborhood operation to bring people's voices to Congress, and tonight we saw the results. But the coming days will put our efforts to the ultimate test. Winning will require each of us to give everything we can, starting right now.
Can you donate $25 or whatever you can afford so we can finish this fight?
Tonight's vote brought every American closer to the secure, affordable care we need. But it was also a watershed moment in how change is made.
Even after last year's election, many insider lobbyists and partisan operatives really thought that the old formula of scare tactics, D.C. back-scratching and special-interest money would still be enough to block any idea they didn't like. Now, they're desperate. Because, tonight, you made it crystal clear: the old rules are changing -- and the people will not be ignored.
In the final phases of last year's election, I often reminded folks, "Don't think for a minute that power concedes without a fight," and it's especially true today. But that's okay -- we're not afraid of a fight. And as you continue to prove, when all of us work together, we have what it takes to win.
Please donate to OFA's campaign to win this fight and ensure that real health reform reaches my desk by the end of this year:
https://donate.barackobama.com/History
Let's keep making history,
President Barack Obama
Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Monetary contributions to the Democratic National Committee are not tax-deductible.
The opinions expressed are entirely my own, and I take full responsibility for them. If you are offended or disagree with my opinions, thoughtful commentary or criticism are welcome. — David A. Hester
