It is coming down to the wire on Health Care Reform, but that is not news for anyone. Last week Keith Olbermann spent an hour laying out the rational and emotional case for the need, requirement really, for a robust public option insurance plan, or better yet Medicaid for all. It is in this spirit the Dog writes this morning. We have seen the problems with trying to get reform from a Senate and House who have far too many members who are out of touch with the reality of health care in the United States today or are too impressed with the money the Phrama and Insurance lobbies have donated to them over the years.

"Originally posted at Squarestate.net"

45,000 Americans will die this year because they do not have health insurance. That is a number so big as to nearly be incomparable. For the killing of less than 3,000 Americans we went to war in Afghanistan and used the same reason, though there was and is no connection as the reason to go to war in Iraq. For the deaths of 3,000 Americans we have already spent, as of today, $918,000,000,000. This is more than enough money to cover the cost of giving all citizens’ access to Medicaid.

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If you have not heard, Texas Tech University has taken on Ex-Bush Attorney General Alberto "I Don't Recall" Gonzalez. According to thinkprogress.org:

Gonzales will be a visiting professor leading a course on “contemporary issues in the executive branch” and focusing on “recruiting and retaining first generation and under-represented students.”

Students and angry alumni quickly spoke out, starting Facebook groups and writing scathing editorials. Many of the Texas Tech faculty, however, remained silent.

Not any longer. Approximately 45 Texas Tech faculty members have signed onto a petition calling Gonzales’ hiring “objectionable.” They charge that Gonzales is nothing more than a “celebrity hire” who won’t be worth his $100,000 salary.

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