Sun City Retiree

This "Roundtable discussion took place on the Leher News Hour last night:

DEE WILLIAMS: And he was told last year when he got it that: If Obamacare health care passes, this would have to go to a committee, and, with all your other existing health problems, they will decide whether this pacemaker would be cost-effective. And I can almost guarantee you, you wouldn't get it.

GWEN IFILL: This is the death panels we have heard about, or what some people have called it?

DEE WILLIAMS: Yes, I mean, like the -- well, you can call it a death panel, whatever you want to, but a committee.

GWEN IFILL: A committee that would actually deny you coverage is your concern.

DEE WILLIAMS: More than likely.

They showed Dee and her decrepit husband at their beautiful Florida home, getting in their brand new Buick, driving to their doctor appointment to be paid for by Medicare and a supplement plan.The 80 year old matron told the interviewer she gets her information from "cable news and talk radio". She travelled to Washington with the Tea Party to tell the government to leave "people who were insured alone."

It was particularly stunning when this white poster child for class privilege said she was concerned for her "freedom". Something she learned from that cute Miss Palin no doubt.

People like this present an amazingly strong case for death panels. ( just kidding, I'm sure with ten years of intensive therapy she could become a compassionate,maybe even discerning person) It was painful to watch because at some level she understood how ridiculous she sounded, causing her to become increasingly defensive.You could see her thinking: "If only I could say it like Rush does!" She probably bought a Sleep Number Bed from Rush, fought against integration, fought to privatize Social Security, fought for energy de-regulation, supports secret rendition, and still believes Osama and Saddaam are the same person hiding the WMDs somewhere deep underground.

The bind is this bank reform Obama is now pushing for. Where does the Tea Party go, Evil Elite Bankers or Evil Government Regulations? Tough call for a modern patriot. Obama is beginning to display a little of that Chicago style political savvy we heard about.Republican elites like where the DOW is headed and will soon co-opt the Tea Party hillbillies.

I bought David Shields' Reality Hunger after seeing him present in rainy Portland a week ago. He is quite eloquent in a book store setting but didn't do so well in the Colbert Report format tonight. Very interesting work exploring new forms and hopefully it will get more exposure.