Keith Olbermann has been one of the most passionate and eloquent liberal voices in the media. I will miss seeing him on MSNBC and I think the network will be diminished without him.

I wish Keith good luck in his future endeavors. Hopefully he’ll be back on the air soon, fighting the good fight.

This is a scene that is repeated in big box retail stores, bookstores and even grocery stores across the country. Retailers always seem to have plenty of space for books written (or not) by the conservative author du jour. Untold feet of shelf space are given up to the likes of Beck, Limbaugh and other conservative ideologues. Meanwhile books by liberal commentators hidden in the back shelves or relegated to the discount bin after a few weeks.

Case in point, I went to a national chain book store a few days after Ed Schultz’s book came out last year. The best seller and new release shelf at the front of the store had plenty of books by conservative authors, which I expected. I searched the entire “Politics” section several times and could not find Ed’s book. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, I asked asked the staff to look the book up for me. They were able to find one copy of the book on the shelf, spine out. Hardly any way to display a new release, I would say. Just out of curiosity I asked the staff how many copies they had received for the book’s launch. They could only recall receiving a handful of copies.

Now I know that books by conservative authors are very popular. Figures like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh make millions of dollars each year selling their books. I understand that book stores are going to divert more shelf space and attention to books they think are going to sell. However, all I’m asking for is to give liberal and progressive books a fair shot. Publishers and bookstores might just be surprised that there is an audience for such authors.

• Extending coverage for children up to age 26 on their parent’s policies
• Coverage for preventive care in new insurance plans
• Prohibition against insurers dropping patients when they get sick (Recissions)
• Appeals process for insurance decisions
• Elimination of lifetime coverage limits
• Restrictions on annual coverage limits
• Prohibition against denying coverage to children based on pre-existing conditions
• Rebates for seniors affected by the “Donut hole” in Medicare drug coverage
• Increased transparency about insurance company expenditures
• Medicare expansion to

These changes will fundamentally alter the way Americans interact with their insurance companies. They will allow Americans to have greater control over their health care. Insurance companies will have fewer grounds to deny care and drop coverage. Right now insurance companies are desperately searching for loopholes that will allow them to skirt around the law, continue to deny care and increase their profit margins. This is just more of the same bad behavior from insurance companies that makes regulation necessary in the first place.

Let me be clear on this. I am not 100% happy with how the health care shouting match debate turned out. Much of the debate was hijacked by conservatives and their proxies. Lies and half truths were allowed to dominate the airwaves and the discussion. The Democratic leadership (including President Obama) did not do a very good job of putting out a coherent message. Part of that difficulty was the sheer number of proposals and bills being discussed. Another major factor was the president taking a hands off approach and allowing Congress to hash out the details. I wish that the president had been a more forceful presence in the debate. He could have put out a list of items that the finished bill must contain or even some specific proposals. I believe the president allowed Congress to have the dominant role in crafting the legislation to avoid the supposed pitfalls of health care reform efforts during the Clinton administration. Namely the White House being “too” involved and trying to dictate legislation to Congress.

I would have strongly preferred a public option of some sort. Eventually, I would like to see universal health care here in the USA. If we are truly the world’s last superpower (and I believe we are) then we owe this to our citizens. Nobody should have to choose between paying the rent and seeing the doctor. Nobody should have to choose between buying groceries or buying vital medication.

I have been lucky in my interactions with the health care system. I have always had employer based health insurance; either under my parents’ policy or my own. I have never had to pay full cost for doctor visits, procedures or medication. I have seen the explanation of benefits and I know how much medical care can cost. I have had access to every doctor, facility or specialist that I have ever needed. I know that I am lucky in this respect. But nobody should have to be lucky to have access to medical care in this country. Medical care and fair access to it are basic human rights, just like clean air and water.

While I am not completely happy with the Affordable Care Act, I am pragmatic enough to realize it was the best we could accomplish given the circumstances. Progressives and liberals shouldn’t view this bill as the result of a flawed process and give up. We can and should see it as a base to build upon in the future. I am confident that one day we will have universal health care for all Americans. It may take another 70 or 100 years, but it will happen if we are patient and persistent.

September 23rd is also the day that the GOP will unveil their “Pledge to America”, detailing their legislative priorities if they regain control of Congress. Personally, I don’t think their choice of an announcement date is a coincidence. Republicans have had several months to put together and announce a comprehensive plan, but have always chosen to delay. Clearly, they are using this opportunity to push health care reform from the head lines and announce more of their tired old ideas.

I have an early copy of the plan who doesn’t? and will read over it tonight. Expect another post tomorrow.

I’m in my early 30′s and have a full time job. I have a degree in history with a minor in political science. Being a student of history, I tend to take a nuanced view of people and events. At times it may seem indecisive, but I really do try to view things in context.

My goal here is to comment on current events and politics, primarily. I might also comment on other interests of mine such as aviation and space exploration, history and other subjects I will usually stick to a conversational tone. When I’m ready move on to academic formality, I’ll go to graduate school. I have been using Twitter as my bully pulpit for a while now, but it is difficult to really expand on ideas within 140 characters. As you can see, I have a copy of my twitter feed here. You can also follow me at @badger47.

I proudly consider myself a liberal. We have advanced the causes of freedom, democracy and toleration. I feel that being a liberal means considering other perspectives and ideas. It also means we must be honest with each other and with ourselves. Sometimes we let ourselves stray from these ideas. I feel we must also be mindful of our shortcomings.

It was liberal presidents such as FDR, Truman and Kennedy and Johnson that responded to some of the greatest challenges of our country has faced. They also helped redefine and build modern America.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt that responded to the challenges of the Great Depression by regulating the financial system and creating a social safety net that could provide assistance to the poor and elderly. FDR also lead the struggle against our totalitarian opponents Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. FDR and his administration did inter Japanese Americans, a move at odds with our purported values in fighting against totalitarianism. Truman continued the fight against totalitarianism by helping Europe rebuild after the Second World War. Truman cooperated with our allies, instead of dictating to them. He also desegregated the armed forces, a very unpopular strategy at the time. Johnson is perhaps the most conflicted of the liberal presidents I have chosen to profile here. Domestically he helped expand freedom and the social safety net with legislation such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. These acts brought new stability to the poor and elderly and important rights for minorities. Abroad Johnson increased our involvement in the Vietnam War.

I feel that John F. Kennedy explained Liberal beliefs best.

If by a “Liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “Liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “Liberal.”

-John F. Kennedy

Sorry for the tangent. I still have my ADD moments at times. I’ll try not to run off on too many tangents, but if I do give me some patience. Usually it will be worth the extra reading.

One of my pet projects here will be compiling a liberal reading list. For books that I have read (no small number) I will post my thoughts on the books here. I can’t claim credit for the original idea, that goes to @politicalgeek on Twitter. You can follow the list here or on Twitter under #liberalreadinglist. If you have any books to add, please feel free to contribute.

Feel free to comment. I’ll try to keep an eye on things and participate. I just ask that comments be roughly civil and somewhat edited. Give respect and you’ll get respect, I believe.