It's no surprise that those who are opposed to real health system reform are doing what opponents of reform have always tried to do: marginalize proponents as extreme, unrealistic and unreasonable.
We are being branded. We are "Angry". We are "The Far Left".
Last night, Chris Matthews played Bill Clinton's recent clip "offering advice to the left". Here's Bill, wagging his famous finger:
I'm just telling you we need to pass a bill that needs to be the best bill we can possibly get through Congress, but doing nothing is not only the worst thing we can do for the economy and the worst thing we can do for health care, it's the worst thing we can do for Democrats, and don't you think the Republicans don't know it.
Matthews pronounces: "That is the voice of god... the voice of truth and experience... The Democratic left will be pounced on and blamed for defeat. So this idea that you're waiting for the perfect bill or you won't go without the public option is suicidal."
With all respect, both Bill Clinton and Chris Matthews are quite literally dead wrong on this.
We are at a crossroads. If we don't get a robust public option, available immediately, we may go past a point of no return as a nation.
