The New Guy

Oregon state Senator Alan Bates is thinking of challenging Gordon Smith. Blue Oregon has a discussion of his policy of never going negative and what that might mean. I checked out his support of "universal" health care, as this is a topic I am pretty familiar with. Reading that he was working with Republican moderate Democrat Ben Westlund on this issue did not inspire confidence.

Bates directs you to his website where he touts Senate Bill 329. The opening paragraph of the summary of SB 329 tells me all I need to know.

The Senate Commission of Health Care Access and Affordability, co-chaired during the 2006 interim by Senators Alan Bates and Ben Westlund, involved a broad-based coalition of health care providers, insurance providers, hospitals, advocates and large and small business leaders to look at ways to contain costs, improve quality and increase coverage.

Now, it's possible that "advocates" represents all the Oregonians without insurance, all Oregonians with crap insurance, all Oregonians who purchase their own insurance and all Oregonians that have employer-based insurance, but I am going to guess not. In fact, I am going to guess that "advocates" means pharmaceutical lobbyists, the AMA, and maybe the AFL-CIO.

I get depressed when I read things like this, because this is what "sensible" Dems support instead of advocating for what we truly believe. Slate has an article on the Dems caving on another of Bush's right-wing judges. Dems caved on troop withdrawal. And now the Dems are seeking to stop states from setting higher emissions standards than the federal government.

Why am I in this party again?