Political Theatre

Later this fall President Barack Obama will participate in the most anticipated event of the year, the signing of an historic and hard fought bill purported to reform Health Care in this country. Because of the sheer complexity, the required political capital, and lack of political will, health reform has eluded Presidents for nearly a half century. Surrounded by members of Congress, and most likely the widow of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, the historic bill will be penned. As I see it, this bill is already a fait accompli. The Health Care bill that President Obama will sign, will resemble in large part the parameters outlined by his speech before the Joint Session of Congress, and as such it will be hailed as a major victory. Yet for most of the summer, this bill and with it, the center piece of President Obama’s domestic policy – and change agenda lay in the balance. It laid there simply because it had to. Although it is not revolutionary to discuss the influence of special interest as it relates to the legislative process, it is very eye opening to see it play out in real time. Under the glare of the 24 hour news cycles, on line blogs, and battling electronic news outlets, we were able to peek behind the curtain in see the good, the bad, and the ugly.


Legislation produced by Congress, and signed by the President, is the process in which our elected government officials make laws to reflect both the will, and the needs of the people. Yet as this health care debate has played itself out this summer, it is clear the will and needs of special interests were being served first. For all practical purposes the doling out of wins and losses started long before Barack Obama was elected. For example, the Washington Post reported campaign contributions from the insurance industry began pouring in to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus coffers as early as 2007 when he began committee hearings on Health Care. As the process begun to unfold, more winners and losers were clamoring for a piece of the pie. Legislation in the modern American political system has become purely a function of who has the most money - and how close is the next election cycle. What can money do? It may compromise or co-opt politicians, underwrite the funding of “citizen groups”, buy ad time, and serve as a tool for fund raising. The use of the media to serve as de facto press agents for both sides has been a boon for media outlets on both the left and the right. This is our democracy at work. The bigger the legislation, the bigger the price tag. The bigger the legislation, the longer it takes to meander through Congress for a Presidential signature. Therefore as this bill snaked its way through Congress gaining the imprimatur of several committees, health care became the gift that kept giving, and giving. The amusing and frightening aspect of this drama is that what makes this system work is that all parties to it understand the game. In short, what “we the people” have been watching play out is no more than well orchestrated political theater.


At the end of the day there are only two numbers that have true meaning in this debate, 1994 and 2010. Both parties remember the failed Clinton heath care effort which in part led to a GOP revival in the 1994 off year election. Make no doubt that the Obama Administration has reminded his party members of that ugly election cycle early and often. To double down on his path to victory, President Obama started this process by reaching out to the GOP, cutting covert deals with the Pharmaceutical industry, raising the specter of tort reform and finally by floated numerous trial balloons that caused significant angst for both the left and the right. As a result of the Obama political two step, many on the left saw aspects of this bill as nothing short of betrayal, the right vilified the bill as a socialistic precursor for a single payer system. As for the Republicans, they don’t have a unifying elected leader in the mode of Newt Gingrich, thus creating a void filled by outliers like Rush Limbaugh, and Glen Beck. Beck and Limbaugh, both polarizing figures, whose long term impact may have a deleterious effect on the Republican Part although in the short run, they are key cogs in the Republican fear mongering strategy. No one really harbors any real illusion that the Republicans can derail health care, but through the noise, and vitriol of the summer they are forming the basis for their 2010 narrative. In this theater both parties are clear this bill will rise or fall on the backs of the Democrats. And the intraparty struggle within the ranks of the Democratic Party has provided the greatest drama in this political passion play. Yet in the end, the Obama administration has made it clear that he wants a bill, any bill – with the specter of 1994 over their heads, President Obama will get a bill. And in doing, so President Obama will bring closure to this summer’s play.

9-1-1 Revised

9-1-1
2001 ©

The prophecy of Nostradamus
is suddenly upon us
Many feel hitting GWB would have brought a bonus
Not that I condone this
Where do you put the onus?
I’m like a recorder of deeds

I call em as I see
Do you see what I see?
Then black man peep the history and the
Legacy of the ones who once stoned us
Former slave owners
Now - needed blood donors
To the back of the bus
Is where they put us
Then why must we trust?
Those genetically filled with blood lust
Return to the dust
Enough is enough

See now things getting rough

damn damn damn
The shits done hit the fan
The shit done hit the fan
And
The best laid plans of a
Inferior man
Your basic al-so ran
Lacking that black melanin
Whose So-called superiority now exposed as mere sham
This is worse than Custer’s last stand
A price is being paid
For what began
In the holy land
When you slayed the lamb and
Cursed Islam
Dropped nukes on Japan and
Bombed Vietnam

You ran

One too many scams so
So now feel the hand
Of those who could no longer stand
The sons of Shatain

The earth’s energy vibration is suddenly changin

Now comes the realization that this could have been our day of liberation
Full participation in a historic occasion
Making it real clear to Mr. Caucasian
For all those years of castration
We done run out of patience

But instead our own hearts took a vacation
Not thinking of restoration or launching a new nu nations
Now,
Think bin Ladin is waiting on reparations?

They say
What about sympathy for the families? ( I get that, I feel that)
Believe me
It’s a deadly deed, and ugly deed, a hella deed
But who planted the seed?
It’s plain to me
That America’s misdeeds and America’s greed
Created
America’s enemies
Too late for your not guilty pleas - please
So from sea to shining sea
Feel the energy
Release
Taking the load from
The untold souls
Of lives once bought and sold
Watching this unfold
Too much to behold
But
Let the truth be told
America’s heart grew way too cold
Sold its soul
Two pieces of gold
Or did you know?
Or
Did she fool you all?
I wish we – we as a collective had the guts, balls or resolve
To make a tall buildings fall and make sick nations crawl
While all the while knowin it’s not our style

It’s clear that we’d rather negotiate
For a watered down fate
Sorry but I can’t relate
To a philosophy that in reality equates to
Sleepin with the enemy
Striven for conformity
Begging for equality
Looking for security -
From the same people that hung us in trees –
I say bring em all to their knees

My country tis of thee
Sweet – land- of- lib-er-ty
Now look who’s on their knees
Black man please
Pay attention
And Did I mention?

How things change in an instant?
See what happens to those who are into lychin
Or are we to busy forgitin

See how real revolutionaries put it down
Maybe next time around
It will us putting it down
Not running round and round
playing the clown
See the white man and bow down
This ain’t lost and found
Take off that thorny crown
A new sheriff’s in town leaving you

Permanently scarred
Exposed as a fraud
The Symbols of white power
America’s ivory towers
Wilt like a flower
Now feel the shower of a real man’s power
Not weak, fake ass leaders that can be bought for a dollar - bill

STILL

We spend too much time running for cover
Treating the white man like a jilted lover
While still hatin on each other
Then want to talk shit bout being a brother
Humm
Just another -

Port- rayal of our leadership’s be- trayal
Let em all rot in jail –
Go to hell – well
I got a story to tell
They say
Bin Ladin’s beef represented 20 years
And now he’s causing hella tears
But goddamn
We’ve had 500 years of living in arrears
Held hostage by our own unrealistic fears
And it’s crystal clear
Is us they shoulda feared
Like 2 pac said
Holla if u hear

We close highways and want praise
These are different days
Why ---- still think like a slave
Oh – we better behave?
Black man wake up from your daze and that empty gaze
They came from caves
Look at their ways
And how they behave
Can they be saved?
Too often they strayed
Now they get paid
Don’t be afraid its judgment day so I speak

Watch us protest and think damn – we’re deep
They put the big apple to sleep
No time to whimper like sheep
Black man stand on your own two feet

Not on all fours
Worshipin those who close doors
And Treat us like whores
How long will we beg them for bottom feeding jobs and
Meaningless chores, and continue to eat table scraps from dirty kitchen floors?

America See how it hurts?
But for centuries you been doing dirt

Now it’s your turn as you flirt
With di –sas-ter
No longer the mas-ter Feel the fallin plas-ter
You nation of bas-tards


I ain’t done yet
NO!
No time for regrets
Too big of a debt
What? - Think we’d forget?
Next time come correct
No more empty threats
Cuz it ain’t over yet

3000 lives may be only part of your due bill
We may have to get used to seeing innocent people killed
How does it feel?
Which begs the question
Does America have the will?
Or better still
Can a sick nation heal?
No more back room deals
Cuz this shits for real
This is not drill
Prepare your last meal

And witness the evolution of a
A real revolution and
Prepare for your execution and
Chickens come home to roost an
We rejecting
Your watered down solutions
Black faces with white mouths collusion
UN resolutions
And so-called constitutions

Now I’m about done

American on the run
Call 9-1-1
America under the gun
Call 9-1-1
America Look at all you done
Call 9-1-1
America No longer having fun
Call 9-1-1
America No longer under you thumb
Call 9-1-1

Call 9-1-1
Call 9-1-1
Remember 9-1-1