Even though health reform legislation is still in the planning stages at this point, the anticipated opposition have stepped up their crusade to thwart its progress.  But of course, those of us who were around for the same battle during the previous decade know that we're up for a battle of monumental proportions.  So get ready for some new organization, lobby faction, elected official or interest group to emerge on a weekly basis.  And a big-budget sequel to the "Harry & Louise" commercials is coming.  Bet on it.  This game's going into overtime.  

This is despite the fact that the United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care.  Yet the public option or single-payer health care (what most REALLY want) is still confusingly seen as an imminent threat to some.

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I've fired off angry emails to my Senators:

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Is there a progressive alternative to Senator Feinstein that has a chance at challenging her when she comes up for election? Her vote on the FISA bill has me ready to support someone else.

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For the past 8 years I have worked on a volunteer basis at the Center for Victims of Torture in Minneapolis.  Torture survivors are amazing and resilient people - representing the best of human nature.  Waterboarding IS TORTURE of the worst kind.  It, and other forms of torture, are the worst things humans are capable of.  If the breaking news http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/washin gton/03mukasey.html is true and Senators Schumer and Feinstein are going to break with other Democrats and vote to move Mukasey's nomination forward despite his refusal to call waterboarding torture, it will be a retraumatazation of torture survivors everywhere - people whom had hoped that Democrats could stand up and at least demand our nation's top law enforcement officer be honest about torture and speak strongly against it.

How pathetic and without moral standing has the Democratic party become if they cannot even stand up to Mr. 26% approval and refuse to compromise on something as fundamental as torture.  

We have until MONDAY night to spread the word and contact Senator Schumer and Senator Feinstein and demand they reconsider.  Contact info found below:

Sen Schumer:

http://schumer.senate.gov/

Sen Feinstein:

http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/

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The California Democratic Party is in trouble.  Whereas on the national level grassroots Democrats have done a good job of wresting the DNC out of the hands of the corrupt (and corrupting) corporate donor types, on the state level we haven't been able to do the same yet.  The two examples I have of the problems with the state party are the money laundering for Fabian Nunez and the failure of the wealthy elites who run the party to stand behind Angelides.  See below the fold for more.

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