Hurrah for Al Franken!

Today came the happy news that the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Al Franken is the winner of the 2008 Senate race in Minnesota, and should be certified. Governor Pawlenty signed the certificate, so all that is left to do is for Al to be sworn in when the Senate reconvenes. After six months, the Senate will finally have a full 100 senators, and the Democrats will have 58 senators -- with the two independents who generally vote with the Democrats, that will give them the 60 vote supermajority the Senate is currently requiring for passage of legislation, and without any Republicans.

I am thrilled that Al Franken will be in the Senate. It almost makes me want to move back to Minnesota. Al may not be liked or trusted by everyone, but he is a Paul Wellstone disciple. And Paul Wellstone believed in two things: grassroots organization to win, and being honest and respectful to his constituents. Paul Wellstone had the respect of Minnesotans because of that dedication. He always put the good of the state before the good of the party, and that's how it should be.

Al Franken will take that kind of sensibility into his office, and I think he will represent Minnesotans well.

Now I just hope, as many Democrats do, that the Democrats will stop being so milquetoast and will aggressively institute President Obama's agenda. To continue to do things the same way they've been done for years is foolish. The 2008 election sent what should be a clear message that the average American, outside the Beltway, wants things done differently. President Obama wants to create a leaner, more efficient government. The Republicans don't like it, because they are the ones who should have done that and didn't. They are in recovery, protective mode, and not thinking about what is best for the country and for the people. That has to be the Democrats' job now. the Republicans will complain about not having their say, but the reality is: the minority has never had unlimited ability to control the Congress, and that is one thing that shouldn't change.

So, hurrah for Al Franken! Now let's see some real change.

So Many Passings....

This has been an unexpectedly busy few days for celebrity deaths.

First we were told of the death of the premiere 2nd banana, Ed McMahon. As Johnny Carson's sidekick, he made it seem easy. He knew when to be quiet, when to chuckle, when to laugh, when to comment, and always how to make Johnny look good. It isn't easy for a funny man to play 2nd fiddle, but that is just what he did, and brilliantly.

At the same time, news came that the beloved, great newsman, Walter Cronkite, was gravely ill. We braced for the death of one of the icons of my generation, the Voice of Space, but it never came.

Instead we were saddened by the news of the death of Farrah Fawcett, who battled cancer to determinedly and graciously. She was an icon that transcended generations, making the Boomers want to be or be with her, and inspiring the following generation as one of Charlie's Angels. She could act, too; although Cheryl Ladd was a good Angel, it was never the same after Farrah left. She went on to prove it was no fluke on Broadway and in TV movies: "The Burning Bed" was one of those films that legitimized television films.

But then her death was overshadowed by the unexpected death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Although he led a somewhat bizarre personal life, one thing no one will argue is that he was a brilliant musical performer. He single-handedly transformed pop, which is a feat in itself. The "Thriller" video transformed music videos forever. His first album as an adult, after being a megastar as a child, exploded onto the musical scene, proving that the transition can make people forget you ever were a child. His success paved the way not only for other black singers, but for blacks in almost every field, arguably including Barack Obama.

Just as we started to get used to the idea that MJ was gone, today we heard of the sudden death of pitchman Billy Mays, and television pioneer and early-year superstar, Gale Storm.

The death of a cultural icon is always unsettling. While we watch our loved ones grow older, or ill, and reluctantly accept death as a part of the life cycle, celebrities through film and photos seem to stay the same. We want, maybe even need, them to stay the same. So when they die, we aren't really prepared for it. This week has reminded us that life is fleeting. And, more importantly, maybe we shouldn't rely so heavily on icons for consistency: after all, they're just humans, too.

So, be at peace, Ed, Farrah, Michael, Billy and Gale.

Damp Dog

Really, it's just what it sounds like.


Collin found something to roll in last week, something smelly and disgusting. He had been bathed and deshedded at the groomer the week before.

So today at the off-leash dog park, he had a bath at the do-it-yourself dog washing station. It's a bit like a car wash, with everything on a timer. (No conveyer belt.) Now he is shiny and clean, but smells like damp dog.

Go Away and Come Back When You Want to Help America

I have had it with the self-righteous indignation of the Republican minority over health care reform, and the weak whining of the Democrats in Congress.

I am fed up with hearing, "We don't want the government getting between the patient and the doctor, with a bureaucrat determining care, and telling you you can't see your family physician."

And that is different than right now how? Right now doctors look at insurance first before determining treatment. And even when they make their best decision, an insurance company will still deny payment of a claim because they don't think the doctor made the right decision. Which is exactly what the Republicans claim will happen if there is a public option for health coverage.

I have to find a doctor who is a "member" of my insurance company's plan in order to receive coverage; if I choose to see a doctor outside the system, or, God forbid, out of state, it is a crap shoot whether or not I will be reimbursed. More than one year we have paid out of pocket expenses for our children's care after a certain point a wellness check with mandatory booster shots has put us over the "limit" the insurance company set for the amount they will pay annually for a child's doctor visits. And we still are required to pay our co-pay. And we have what is considered a good health plan.

Congress is not concerned with the well being of the health care industry, they are concerned with the well being of the health insurance industry. It is ludicrous that we function within a payment system that measures its success on how much profit it makes. So it doesn't matter that 60 percent of bankruptcies are a result of health care bills; it matters that the CEOs and executives of health insurance companies continue to make millions of dollars a year. And where does that money come from? From the premiums paid by those people who filed for bankruptcy.

The Republicans sanctimoniously speak against a public health insurance option as being anti-free market. What a bunch of hypocrites! Their health insurance, which they have for life even after leaving the Congress, is public health insurance!

In light of this opposition to government health care, I have a proposal. Completely eliminate any government health care, and let the members of Congress use COBRA or purchase private health insurance. Let them get those denial letters for payment of a prostate exam, or be told which specialist to see or what kind of treatment they can receive for cancer. Let them make a choice between sending their children to college or providing them with health care. Then when they stand before their peers and speak out against a public health insurance option, they will not be hypocrites.

I am sick of this. The Democrats need to stop worrying about looking like bullies just because FOX News says they are. And the Republicans need to just go away until they are ready to face the fact that the American people elected a Democratic majority and the president they did because they wanted a change from the way things have been done for the past 25 years.

And through all of this, they have yet to present an alternate plan that will allow anyone in the country to get medical care without worrying about whether or not they can afford to pay the bills. And forget that tax credit; a tax credit doesn't help when you are facing a 100,000 hospital bill and you make $19,000 a year.

It is time to stop debating. We are hearing the same debate, the same arguments, we have heard since the beginning of the 20th century, especially for the last 20 years. We are long past due to provide basic health care to anyone in the country. We are America: when we do something right, we do it better than any other country. Congress needs to stop worrying about where they're going to get their campaign donations, and restore the dignity of the American people, by making sure everyone can get medical care without having to fight for it.

Another reason I like Obama

Today the president spoke at a town hall-style rally touting health care reform in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The story about his writing a note to excuse a 10-year-old girl from class has been all over the news. Of course that's great copy, and the stories brought the moment to my attention.

But later when I watched the interchange, it reminded me of why I like him so much.

We all know that her father jokingly mentioned her absence of school, and that he was surprised when the president took him seriously. We also know that he did write the note. But this is why I like him so much: When he was finished with it, he folded it and walked off the stage to hand it to her. She scurried up to get it in that great fluid run that children have, but he met her halfway.

Another president would have joked about writing it, written it afterwards, or in the least have had a lackey run it to her. Not Barack. Maybe it's because he's a professor.

So maybe it's time we had a teacher in the White House.

Whatever it is, that moment separated it from a stunt and made it a natural action. Way to go, Barack. I can't wait to hear what the naysayers say about it.

Has Everyone Forgotten The Great War?

Growing up I used to sit and listen to my grandfather tell stories from his navy days during WWI. He was only enlisted for a short time but he had a lot of stories. When I rode with him to "caddy" when he golfed at Fort Snelling Golf Course in Minneapolis, he would sing (and I would learn) WWI songs: "It's A Long Way To Tipperary", "Smile, Smile, Smile! (Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag)", "Over There", and "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm? (After They've Seen Paree?)" to name a few.

Lately, however, the litanies of wars in which Americans served seems to be missing WWI. It misses some other wars too, such as the Spanish-American War, but World War I is different. It was the first World war. It was the first modern weapon war, the first to use chemical weapon. Just into my 50s, I'm not that old, but old enough to have a grandfather who told stories of both world wars, and from an adult perspective. He was in college when he enlisted for WWI, and a father who had successfully supported a family through the Great Depression when WWII rolled around.

So it saddens me that all too often WWI is relegated to minor skirmish status. The Australians still celebrate Anzac Day, and they were only involved in the war because they are part of the British Empire. What we celebrate now as Veterans' Day in November was originally Armistice Day when the treaty to end the war was signed. But how many people know that? Not many, I imagine.

Someday, thirty years from now, will WWII become a footnote? Will people stop going to Normandy because it was all so long ago, last century?

We mustn't forget WWI. After all, WWII is #2 because of #1. It was a time when Americans felt compelled to pitch in and help their allies without hesitation, when the U.S. still was the strong nation that had the luxury of being the guys who had their backs.

We remember the Revolution, the Civil War, WWII. Let's not forget WWI.

Thirteen years ago (part II)

Thirteen years ago at this time I was sitting in the nursery, rocking my baby. We had just brought her home a few hours before, and the cat was still getting used to having a baby in the house. My aunt was arriving in a day or two, but for now it was just the three of us.

I was in the rocker that my husband found and bought for me. Unhappy with the quality of the rockers in the pricey baby store where we loved to shop (where we were introduced to Britax car seats, and where we bought a fabulous stroller and the high chair that converted to a seat on the floor), he searched around Eugene for a better rocker. Finally he discovered, in a furniture store near the Springfield line, a rocker hand made in North Carolina, with ball bearings that give the smoothest rock ever.

So I sat in that baby's room, crooning lullabies, and trying to to let the gentle glide of the rocker lull me to sleep. I confess that more than once I found myself almost dropping the baby as I nodded off.

Eventually we discovered that the movement of the bassinette woke her up when we put her down, and i gave up and kept her in bed with us, a mesh rail to prevent her rolling out. She never came close.

But thirteen years ago tonight, I was blissfully ignorant of all those adjustments, and I just knew that I had a pretty perfect baby.

Thirteen years ago...

Thirteen years ago at this time I was sitting on a big red chair with a heating pad under me, watching "Hello, Dolly!" and trying to ignore back labor.

I had already been on the phone twice with the helpful nurses in the Birth Center at PeaceHealth Hospital in Eugene, who kept telling me to take Tylenol, use a heating pad, take showers, walk, keep eating lightly ("Have a bologna sandwich!" one of them told me), and don't go in until I had to. I was also on the phone more than once with my sister-in-law, who kept telling me to not go to the hospital until I had to.

So I tried to ignore the painful cramping, as I contemplated the reality that back labor isn't in the back at all, but a lot lower.

Thirteen years ago on this day I was packing my bag with the rose pink sweater, hat and bootie set that "Nana" (my mother-in-law) crocheted (along with three other sets, two sweaters and a dress) after she learned the baby was going to be a girl.

Thirteen years ago everyone was exclaiming about how unusual the 90 degree days we had been having were at the end of May and early June, and how big the full moon was.

Thirteen years ago I was about to enter a sleepness night the culminated in a 5am trip to the hospital where they didn't send me home.

And thirteen years ago, my life was about to change forever.