Something about playing fantasy football really puts me at ease.

This fall bodes to be one of the busiest times of my life with quite a busy load at work, completing and defending my thesis, putting together the college course I’ll be teaching starting in January, travel of both the personal and professional nature, and, well…Saturdays taken up by watching my Gators defend their national title.

So the idea of playing fantasy football…well, not just playing, but having 11 teams…might sound crazy.  Anyone who has played knows that it can be difficult to keep up with two teams, let alone 11.  It is a serious challenge, both with myself (to be able to manage so many teams and players successfully) and with my friends, with whom I play in most of my leagues.  It probably sounds time consuming, and it is, but I enjoy it, and when you’ve got so much else going on around you of a stressful nature, you need that release.  Fantasy football is my release each fall.  That and Gator victories.

My goal is to get all 11 teams into the playoffs, with 4 of them winning championships. I feel pretty confident I can achieve that.  That, of course, means taking my friends down in the process, but they are probably used to that by now since I’ve had pretty good success over the past few years.  In one league, I’m so confident of my impending success following the draft, I’ve named my team “14-0 Like the Gators.”

*knocking on wood*

Ted Kennedy was one of us

by Dave Feinman

http://youthroll.com/ted-kennedy-was-one-of-us/

When Edward Moore Kennedy died on Wednesday, we did not just lose a great Senator.  We lost someone who, in my opinion, was a representation of every American.

Ted Kennedy was born into privilege, but found his calling in serving his nation, both in the Army and in the United States Senate, and in both capacities sought to preserve freedom, equality, and opportunity for all of us.  He was the third-longest serving Senator in the history of our nation and was personally involved in the passage of an incredible amount of critical legislation that impacts our daily lives.  The Civil Rights Act of 1965, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Title IX, increases in the minimum wage, and the expansion of Medicare to children with disabilities are just a few of his accomplishments.

Senator Kennedy was also an incredible partisan and a proud liberal, and often earned the rancor of many on the right side of the political spectrum, but he was also among the best at reaching across the aisle to achieve compromise, and nearly every piece of legislation he introduced that became law was equally championed by a Republican, often a conservative.

He was also a very flawed human being who succumbed to vices that tarnished his image, led to the end of his first marriage, and often exposed him to unnecessary scandal and shame.  His involvement in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappaquiddick also haunted him both personally and professionally for the rest of his life and created a stigma of irresponsibility he could never shake.

Let us remember, however, the immense amount of personal tragedy he had to endure throughout his life.  Living through the assassinations of his brothers, John and Robert, and the tragic deaths of countless other members of the Kennedy family over his life, Ted Kennedy endured more personal tragedy than most of us could ever imagine.  Such losses undoubtedly impacted his life significantly.

Ted Kennedy was equally as great as he was flawed.  He was often brave, but at many times in his life cowardly.  He achieved incredible highs and suffered incomprehensible lows.  He positively impacted the lives of millions, but left indelible pain on the lives of a few.  He was a human being, like all of us.  He was larger than life in many ways due to his extensive service to our nation, but still much like all of us, and undoubtedly at the worst of times, he felt smaller than all of us, if only in his own mind.

When I look back on his life, I see all that I mentioned above, and believe that his extensive accomplishments and his desire to improve the lives of so many not as fortunate as him were rooted in his personal insecurities and his desire to make amends for his many flaws and errors in judgment.  Whether he actually achieved that is for each of us to decide individually, but his quest to do so is uniquely American because we live in a society where people get second chances.

Ted Kennedy sought his second chance for much of his life, and while some may have forgiven him for his indiscretions and others have not, he never stopped seeking that second chance, and believed the best way to make amends was to improve the lives of those who needed the most: the poor, the disabled, and those who sought equality under the law.  For that, I believe, he deserves praise and respect.

So as we honor his life in the coming days, let us remember that he deserves praise and condemnation equally for various aspects of his life, but that he should be judged as fairly as any of us would want to be judged at the end of our lives.  We have all wanted a second chance at some point in our lives, and we all deserve it, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Why we must have a public option

by Dave Feinman

http://youthroll.com/why-we-must-have-a-public-option/

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Abbott without Costello.  Thelma without Louise.  Barbie without Ken.  Siegfried without Roy.  The NFL without Brett Favre (or so we thought).

Health care reform without a public option.

It does not make sense and it does not provide the reform that America needs.  I have done a lot of research, have kept an open mind throughout that learning process, and have come to the conclusion, without a doubt, that we as a nation will never have the health care we deserve without a public option that provides consumers with choices, ensures nobody is rationed out of the care they need, and promotes competition that raises the overall quality of coverage available to everyone.

I am a federal employee, and I am blessed with the opportunity to choose from a number of private insurance plans to determine what meets my needs.  The Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) is, in my opinion, a perfect example of what a true health insurance marketplace should look like.  Five or six companies competing against each other with various types of plans and coverages amongst a large pool of consumers who spread out risk.  Everyone should have that marketplace available to them, regardless of what job they have, where they live, or what ailments they may be experiencing.  For a significant portion of Americans, however, no such marketplace is available.

In Annie Underwood’s recent article in the New York Times, she exposes the lay of the land when it comes to the dominance that private insurers have in most states.  In 26 states, including many states which have been the hardest hit by the current economic recession, one private insurer has 50 percent or more of the statewide market share.  In many other states, there is more competition, but not enough to provide most people with true options from which to choose, whether they have insurance through their employer or are purchasing a plan as an individual.  Health insurance should be a true marketplace, not just “option expensive” and “option slightly less expensive with inadequate coverage.”

Having a public option not only provides people with choices, but also will ensure that people are not subject to rationing of care.  Of course, all of the opponents of reform talk about how the bill being considered creates “death panels” and allows the federal government to ration care and determining how people will receive care.  In truth, the bill being considered in Congress ensures every private insurer provides a minimum standard of care, eliminating discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, and ensuring private insurers are not able to continue their own efforts to ration care.

How is care rationed by private insurers, you ask?  There are countless stories of individuals who faithfully pay their insurance premiums for years, only to be told once they develop a chronic illness that would force the insurance company to pay out significantly that they will not be covered.  I personally know three people who have experienced this, and it has forced them into bankruptcy in two cases and in one, such financial ruin that no matter how much money they earn over the next decade, they will never be able to purchase the home they want as a result of the scar it has created on their credit history.

There are even more stories of individuals born with health issues who for their entire lives are subjected to incredibly high premiums with limited coverage, and that is only if an insurer agrees to cover them at all.  That is rationing of care, and with a public option, individuals who find themselves in this predicament will have the coverage they need and deserve without needing to go into bankruptcy, and with the full reform package being considered, private insurers will no longer be able to discriminate against those who are sick.

Finally, a public option will promote competition in the marketplace.  I do not buy the propaganda that the public option will put private insurers out of business, or that the public option is designed to eliminate private insurers and create socialized medicine.  These companies are far from poor and in danger of going out of business.  They make billions in profits every year and have found more than enough money to fund all of the ads you see on television spreading the many fallacies about this bill.

Some companies may lose some profits as a result of this competition, and a few may even fold if they can not compete on the market.  That is the nature of the free market, which the GOP so readily embraces when it fits their agenda, but will immediately run from when it works against their political aims.  The reality of this scenario is that even if a few companies do fold, consumers who lose coverage as a result will have a true marketplace from which to obtain affordable, quality coverage.

Maybe I am cold-hearted, but even if profits go down and a few companies fold, I will not lose sleep.  I am pretty sure insurance company executives lose no sleep over denying coverage to millions who load up their coffers with premiums each month.  In any case, private insurers will find ways to provide quality care, become more efficient, and produce an overall better marketplace from which consumers can choose and be confident they will get the coverage they deserve.  If not, they do not belong on the market.

There are 45-50 million Americans without health care.  Not illegal aliens.  Not college students who do not want health care.  Not people who are caught in statistical error from job changes.  Americans.  Citizens like you and me.  That number is more than the total population of all but 22 other countries around the world.  There are also an additional 80 million Americans who are underinsured.  Someone may have insurance, but that does not mean they have enough coverage.  These people deserve better options as well.  They deserve a public option.

There will never be another time in our history to enact this reform the right way, so we must act now, and we must assure our Members of Congress and President Obama that we want this reform so they remain steadfast in their push towards enacting this legislation.  If we wait, there will be no options, let alone a public option.

Cheddar and chevre grilled cheese at Common Roots.

Whatever works.

Sailing on Lake Calhoun with new friends.

Club night with new friends.

Strawberry smoothie from Dunn Bros.

Breakfast at Seward.

Lake Harriet.

Lyndale Park.

Rose Garden.

Dinner at French Meadow.

Catch phrase.

Another club night with new friends.

Apples to apples.

Another strawberry smoothie from Dunn Bros.

Breakfast at Barbette.

Biking to St. Paul.

and biking.

and biking.

and biking.

Pizza delivered in an electric car by a spaceman.

Breakfast at French Meadow.

Minnesota Zoo.

Friendship.

Minneapolis.

Wonderful times.

Whatever works.

Stick to the message

by Dave Feinman

http://youthroll.com/stick-to-the-message/

If you are on the pro-side of the health care debate, you are probably feeling frustrated and annoyed.

It’s not easy defending the truth, but it is the price of being elected to govern.  A lot of responsibility and difficulty comes with being in the majority.  Aside from the obvious responsibilities of defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, and passing the agenda on which you were elected with the goal of improving the lives of all Americans, there is the challenge of fighting the smears and lies propagated by the minority.

I say this not as a partisan, but as a realist about the role the minority party plays in a government like that which we have now.  When the majority maintains the level of control over legislative action that the Democrats currently have, the minority relies on public opinion to sway debate and the progress of the majority.  It is the one realm of politics which they can manipulate, and with that being the case, that is where all their effort goes.

There is no better example of this than the health care debate, and the ugliness of such tactics are also very apparent.  If this tactic provided for a meaningful discussion of the truth behind the legislation being debated, it would be productive.  Since it more often than not is a campaign of lies and scare tactics, it does nothing but serve political gains for the minority, regardless of the importance of the issue at hand or the need for the public, regardless of which side of the issue they are on, to have meaningful discourse on the issue.

So as I continue to reply to letters and answer phone calls about the health care bill and suffer through the weeks of “recess” until the bill can actually move forward, I am reminding myself of something each day before I head into the office: stick to the message.

A lie is always easier than the truth.  Especially in an era of politics during which no political party (or most politicians) has the trust of the American people, it does not take much to convince people that the party in power has an ulterior motive.  Many people are convinced that power breeds corruption, regardless of who is in power.  We have President Nixon to thank for that.  In this way, along with having no responsibility to pass an agenda, the minority always has the advantage.

So when it comes to, for example, the portion of the health care bill discussing allowances for individuals to seek end-of-life counseling every five years and for doctors to receive payment for providing such guidance, it is much easier to say that the government is forcing end-of-life decisions on people and that the government will “pull the plug on Grandma.”  It is easy to say, it immediately instills fear, and just like any other lie, it requires no explanation or justification because, honestly, who cares about proof these days?

A significant majority of this country is either not willing, not concerned with, or not able to do their own research to find the truth.  They hear something, and if it stirs up any emotions in them (especially fear), they run with it.  So, the greatest challenge of being in the majority is having to constantly be on the defensive, reacting to the lobs of lies being thrown from the other side of the battlefield, and making every effort to stick to the message and make sure information is as available as possible.

This is a challenge, but it is one that is gladly accepted by those who keep in perspective the greater goal: to ensure meaningful reform is passed to improve the lives of the American people.  This applies not only in the case of the health care bill now, but anything else that stirs controversy in the public discourse.

So, as the August doldrums roll through and you find yourself annoyed reading the blogs and watching cable news, just remember: stick to the message.  The truth will set you free and, in the end, will improve all of our lives for generations to come.

August is meant for relaxing.

I’m convinced that when Aloysius Lilius first proposed the Gregorian calendar and Pope Gregory XIII decreed it, August was designated as the month for relaxation.

Even the powers that be at the United States Congress believed so, at least back in the day.  Well, truth be told, until World War II, Congress was only in session on average about four months of the year.  But as far as I know, August has always been a month off because, as anyone who has ever lived here knows, DC generally turns into a sauna in August.  Imagine being here prior to the invention of air conditioning!  There’s a good reason one of Florida’s two statues in the Capitol is Dr. John Gorrie, the inventor of modern refrigeration and air conditioning.

As I’ve blogged about previously though, recess isn’t really recess.  At least this year.  Half of the office has been on vacation the past few weeks, and the ones remaining, myself included, have been plenty busy.  Well, now it’s my turn for a little relaxation.

Tomorrow, I zoom off to Minneapolis for some R&R with a good friend I haven’t seen in 24 years.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Big props to Facebook and cheap airline tickets for making that happen.  Looking forward to catching up and having a few days during which I need not think about health care reform, Chinese drywall, or the rest of the litany of things on my plate at work right now.

After this extended weekend, I have another four days in the office before I take an entire week off.  Including the weekends surrounding it, that’s nine days off.  Beautiful.  A few days on a beach somewhere sounds really good.  Will have to make that happen.

Too young to (want health) care?

by Dave Feinman

http://youthroll.com/too-young-to-want-health-care/

There are many fallacies surrounding the health care reform legislation being considered in Congress and pushed by President Obama.  One of the greatest and most baseless is the fallacy that the youth of this country do not want or need health insurance, and the fact that this fallacy is not being seriously challenged is disturbing.

As a staffer on Capitol Hill, I have had the book thrown at me about H.R. 3200, the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.  I have heard every reason why this bill should not be passed, most of which are lies and conservative scare tactics.  It will cover illegal aliens.  It will ration care.  It will lead to the end of private health insurance options.  It will kill seniors.  Seriously.  Thank you for that, Virginia Foxx.

I have grown numb to most of these excuses.  They are all false, but they are also all being challenged in the public discourse by established lobbies who know the truth of the bill being written in the House.  One fallacy, however, that is not being challenged at all is that our generation does not want or need health insurance.

Amazingly, I have heard and read this very often in phone conversations and in constituent letters.  In the debate over whether to and how to reform health care, the statistic that 47 million Americans have no health insurance is often cited, and is just as often disputed.  Opponents of reform tear that number apart and break it down into various groups of people who, in their view, are either not deserving of or not wanting or needing insurance.

While I have not taken a tally, I feel confident saying that the idea that young people do not want or need health insurance is used just as often as any other justification for not providing universal coverage or ensuring all Americans have access to care.  They then claim that this demographic is a significant portion of the 47 million who are currently uninsured, thus serving to water down the seriousness of the problem we truly face and, at the same time, once again removing the youth from the debate on an issue critical to our present and future.

As someone not far removed from my college years, I remember my dilemma with health insurance prior to starting my career on the Hill.  My parents had great health insurance, and I was able to stay on their plan for a few years into my college education.  I did not finish my undergraduate degree in four years, however, and at age 21, took a break from school.  My health insurance took a break too.

From that point until three years ago when I came to the Hill, I was on and off of insurance plans, and when I was on, the costs were high and the quality was debatable.  Over that six year period, I probably visited a doctor twice.  Luckily, I had no serious health problems to deal with during that time.  But for anyone in their right mind to believe that someone on the verge of completing their education and hoping to start a family and build a life in the near future would not want health care…well, they need to get their head checked.  Of course, they’d need health insurance to do that too.  But I digress.

If every human has the right to be born, every human has the right to live a healthy life.  That’s not written in any law or religious doctrine, but since we all seem to be in the business of telling others what rights they have lately, I feel I should put my stake in the ground.  No demographic circumstance, particularly age, education, or financial means, should prevent someone from having access to quality health care.

That includes us, the youth of this country, who came together in the millions to bring change to the White House less than a year ago.  I would argue we are the most at-risk generation in this debate.  Our health and well-being, not Congressional Budget Office projections or compromises with Blue Dog Democrats, will ultimately determine the economic viability of any health care reform, and thus this nation, going forward.  The healthier younger people are from the start and the more access to care that they have as they grow older, the less likely they will be a burden on the system down the road.  In addition, the choices made now on this issue will bear the greatest burden on our lives since we have the longest to live.  We must have a voice in this debate, and we must be clear that quality, affordable health care is important to us.

The issue of providing universal health care is an assault on conservative principles from two angles: government involvement in one’s life and fiscal conservatism.  I get that.  But let’s look at this in the long-term for once.  The key to a long and healthy life is preventive care.  Any extended gap in such care can significantly contribute to the rate and frequency of serious health problems later on in life.

If all Americans are given access to affordable, quality care from the start of their lives, they will be less of a burden on Medicare and on emergency services, both of which are responsible for significant portions of our nation’s health care spending, which reached $2.4 trillion last year.  Yes, trillion.  For conservatives, ensuring people are healthier from the beginning of their lives and have consistent access to quality care kills two birds with one stone: less entitlement spending and less of a need for the government to be in people’s lives through such programs.

Such care is guaranteed for children through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) if your parents do not have health insurance.  Beyond that, all bets are off.  This is unacceptable, and it is about time our generation spoke up.  We were told we could not affect change, and we proved everyone wrong in 2008.  Now, we must once again prove that we are not too young to know what we want and need.

In 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt made a proposal during his State of the Union Address that our country had come to recognize and should implement a second bill of rights.  Among this “economic bill of rights” was the right to medical care.  In this new age of progressive politics, this is the time for our generation to choose a torch with which to run.  Let that torch be affordable, quality health care for all.

Dem Congressman’s Office: His Life Has Been

Threatened Over Health Care Bill

Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) will not be hosting any town hall events this August — instead, he’s making himself available to constituents for one-on-one meetings about health care reform — and at least part of the reason is this: His offices have received threatening phone calls, including at least one direct threat against his life.

“We had no town hall events scheduled for the August recess anyway, but in light of everything that’s happened — we have received a threatening phone call in the D.C. office, there have been calls to the Raleigh office,” said Miller communications director LuAnn Canipe, in an interview with TPM. The threatening call in question happened earlier this week.

“The call to the D.C. office was, ‘Miller could lose his life over this,’” said Canipe. “Our staffer took it so seriously, he confirmed what the guy was saying. He said, ‘Sir is that a threat?’ and at that time our staffer was getting the phone number off caller ID and turning it over to the Capitol Police.”

They haven’t heard anything back from the police yet, but they did get the caller’s number. So this could develop into something soon enough.

Canipe explained that Miller had no plans for a town hall before and won’t be holding any now, due to this event and the examples he’s already seen from the around the country: “Our point is, we’re not gonna be bullied into having a town hall so it can then be interrupted by the fake grassroots folks.”

“We don’t want to people to think we’re shutting out our constituents,” Canipe added.. “We’re meeting with them one on one to discuss health care reform.”

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/dem-congressmans-office-his-life-has-been-threatened-over-health-care-bill.php

It’s August, and on Capitol Hill, that means recess.

To the public, who don’t really get how the congressional calendar works and don’t understand why we have a “recess,” they believe we all just take off and do nothing for five weeks while the troubles of the nation grow and grow.

In reality, the recess is the longest of what we call “district work periods” during which Members of Congress go home to their districts and hold town hall meetings and visit with constituent groups.  It is a crucial period, and the longest such period of the year at five weeks.  Aside from holiday periods around the calendar, rarely are there seriously extended periods during which Members can do this.  Everyone complains their Members of Congress aren’t back in the district enough, interacting with those who elected them.  Well, now you have them.

So yes, our bosses are out of DC.  What does that mean for a Hill staffer?  A little rest and relaxation, slightly shorter hours, and relaxed dress code? Check.  The possibility of a week or two of vacation? Check.  No more work to be done? (insert game show buzzer here)

Not…even…close.

I can’t speak for everyone in every congressional office, but in our office, there is no shortage of work to be done.  I’d venture to say this has been one of the busiest years in the history of the Congress, and as a staffer for a member of the majority who has been involved in a number of critical issues, there is always more to do because there are always things that can’t get your immediate attention.  The trick to being successful on the Hill is learning how to prioritize things quickly and correctly and manage your time well during the blur of a day during session.  I’ve mastered that, but with that prioritization, many things get left behind for recesses like now.

In my case, constituent letters.  Tons of them.  Everything from health care to animal rights to gas prices to Iran sanctions to Chinese drywall.  I went into the office today sporting jeans and a polo, thoroughly excited that I’d be getting out early for the next five weeks and figuring I’d be able to kick back and catch up on some reading that’s been waiting for my brain to absorb for countless months.  Nope, not a chance.  Stacks of letters to work on.  If I don’t get them done in the next five weeks, they won’t get done until December.  Not acceptable.

Yes, the office is a lot quieter.  A lot fewer calls, a lot of the staff is away, and no constant chatter from the House floor on the TV.  Just me, my fingers typing, and my brain clicking trying to get all of my circuits working during a time I feel I should be laying on a beach somewhere.

I know the American people think that’s what’s going on up here right now (or to some of the more pessimistic, that’s what goes on here all the time), but at the risk of sounding cliche, the work of the people never stops.  Not during session, and not during recess either.  At least for me.