Health Care as a Civil Right

***Links to the interviews here:
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Milt Shook of PleaseCutTheCrap.com ***


By the time my Air America Radio program hits the air tonight (11pm EDT), President Obama will have wrapped up his address to a joint session of Congress and the American people. Some of us will likely be happy with what we heard; many more will likely be angry.

And I'm not talking about the obstructionists on the right. We know they'll oppose anything this president does or says, so their displeasure is neither newsworthy nor of concern.

I'm talking about the millions of people who worked their asses off to get Mr. Obama to the White House, and believed his campaign promises of hope and change.

I'm writing this a scant 22 minutes before the president reaffirms either my early belief that voting the smartest guy in the room into office was a good move, or my more recent sad revelation that he's just another politician pandering to the lowest common denominator and worrying about re-election. Twenty minutes...

Helping me tonight to understand what President Obama said, or didn't say, will be Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, and Milt Shook.

Milt writes the wonderfully in-depth blog PleaseCutTheCrap.com, that deconstructs the right wing bullshit about health care reform. Jan Schakowsky represents Illinois' 9th District and has called, all along, for a "robust public health insurance plan upon implementation (meaning no "triggers").

And Dennis Kucinich... well, he's my hero. Along with John Conyers, Congressman Kucinich wrote HR 676-- the Single Payer Health Care bill. And he's pushing hard for it.

Tomorrow night, Congressman Kucinich will host a National Health Care for All Conference Call at 10pm EDT. Visit www.kucinich.us for all the details and to RSVP.

It's now 7:46... just 14 minutes away from changing the way I look at this presidency, one way or the other. I hope he reaffirms my initial thoughts....

Join me tonight on Air America from 11pm -1am EDT. Listen live here, call in with your thoughts at 866-303-2270, and join in the live chat here.