Crossposted from Hillbilly Report.

With the ever-encompassing debate over healthcare another Progressive initiative that is greatly needed has been overlooked in the last several months. The Employee Free Choice Act is still desperately needed to even the playing field for American workers, and the recent trouble in the economy despite what some will say has only deepened the need. As pointed out in one great piece, with the current crashed economy it seems as if once again the only ones who are feeling the pinch is the working American.

I hail from the red area of Western Kentucky as many know. This can have many frustrations in itself as we deal with not only Conservatives in our party who consistently vote Republican while registered Democrats, but we also are forced to deal with many in the national party ridiculing our unfunded efforts and writing us off as Democrats. I am sure many Democrats in other parts of the country feel the same way, ignored and powerless.

Crossposted from Hillbilly Report.

You know, one thing that led to so much disaster in the Bush White House was that Republicans refused to speak out when their leader was wrong. Instead of trying to change some of the mistakes he was making, they rubber-stamped every single wish of that President. That was particularly dangerous to our country when the Republican Party controlled both the Congress and the White House. That attitude caused many of the failed policies that got us into two wars incompetently, and crashed the economy.

Crossposted from Hillbilly Report.

One thing I keep seeing a lot about is how Democrats are going to lose in 2010. Everyone seems to be wandering what strategy they can come up with to hang onto the House and Senate. A lot of people want to predict doom and gloom for our party and they may be right. However, I believe the strategy they think we should impose misses the mark.

Crossposted from Hillbilly Report.

The legislation the Senate Finance Committee will vote on next week relies heavily on Co-ops to help cover the uninsured. It discards a robust public option, or any public option completely. It also mandates that uninsured Americans must buy insurance with subsidies to help them do it. Senators Baucus and Conrad are intent on including this model into law and voting against any more Progressives ideas such as a Public Option and single-payer.

Crossposted from Hillbilly Report.

You know, President Obama has disappointed me in a few regards. First, backtracking on single-payer and then placing mandates over a public option in the healthcare debate. His policies in Afghanistan also leave much to be desired for the Progressive activist who hopes to quit wasting lives and treasure in that country on a failed policy started by a failed President. However, there are instances in which we must also defend President Obama.

Crossposted from Hillbilly Report.

Today, there was a lot of news on the Healthcare front. It seems as if everyone is having some kind of problem or another with the way things are going. We have Corporate Democrats and Republicans who seemingly want no reform and are stalling for time, we have others calling for the states to take responsibility for a public option, and we have union middle-class workers crying foul for being expected to sacrifice even more as the drama rolls on.

Crossposted from Hillbilly Report.

You know, single-payer was taken off the table before the table was ever sat down at by anyone. Now, most of the focus on healthcare is centered around the Baucus bill which is equivilant to more Corporate Welfare and does not even include a public option. While some Democrats are showing disgust at some of us that are being critical of our party's leadership, I believe that at this time in this debate and to effect the debate on policies that will follow after the conclusion of the healthcare fight, critical voices are now needed more than ever. To me, it seems as if most of our leaders in our party are merely running around in circles trying to avoid the real solutions Americans need to solve our healthcare crisis.