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Healthcare rally, BOSTON COMMON GAZEBO TODAY 11am

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UPDATE: NOW WE’RE AT THE COMMON AGAIN. I’m told several members of Congress are supposed to speak. So now it’s a real event! I suggest we meet at the Park Street T stop exit (Tremont Street, across from the Finagle a Bagel, @ 10:45am. Sound good?

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This is the post I meant to write today anyway … and it seems perfectly compatible as a tribute to Ted Kennedy. I've been wondering when our shining, stadium-filling moments are going to come in the health care debate. When will we show our strength, our passion, our commitment, our sheer numbers?

This Daily Kos diary, as well as Health Care for America Now, outline a whole list of pro-health care rallies across the USA. Here's a list of those within 220 miles of Boston.

There's one this Saturday in New York City, for instance — a walk @ 11am, and a rally @ 2pm, Times Square.

Locally, our rally will be September 7th, on Boston Common, 11am. Can we get 100 BMG'ers to show up to that — ya think? Comment here to commit to it.

The last few weeks may well have driven you crazy. The looney-tunes protests, the rudeness, the viciousness, the lies, the cowardice … it is intended to drive us crazy, to make us tune out and despair that anything can ever get better. Showing up at one of these events is something concrete you can do. Imagine the press images coming out of these events: Not of anger and fear; but images of hope, of pride, of human decency, of the best we have to offer our civic life. Health care for everyone.

This is going to be fun. See you there.

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Comments

  1. … the crazy stuff out there isn’t actually that much of a problem,… or at least it shouldn’t be.  The real problem is the mainstreaming effect that happens with the cover that the media give the fringe.

    <

    p>Fallows:

    <

    p>

    And now we have the New York Times, in a big take-out story, saying that Dr. Emanuel, in his role as Obama health-care advisor, is in an “uncomfortable place” because he is being criticized by*:

       1) Betsy McCaughey !
       2) Rep. Michele Bachman (look her up) !!
       3) Sarah Palin !!!
       4) Lyndon LaRouche !!!!

    McCaughey, Bachman, Palin, LaRouche — shaping American debate and media coverage about health policy? Was Zsa Zsa Gabor not available?

    …

    … But why is the story about Ezekiel Emanuel being on the hot seat in the first place — and not about the campaign of flat lies by McCaughey, Bachman, Palin, and LaRouche? Why are real newspapers quoting what they say any more? (Interestingly, LaRouche’s claims rarely get NYT coverage. In in this case, he is apparently “legitimized” by … McCaughey.) If I start a campaign of lies against somebody and get Soupy Sales plus Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme to agree with me, can I expect them to be regularly publicized in the mainstream press?

    <

    p>(hat tip Ezra)

    <

    p>In a normal world, lies would be treated as such and not given the time of day.  Instead, because of the ‘on-the-other-hand-ism’ that the media play, we’ve got supposedly ‘reasonable’ GOPers (and Blue Dogs) repeating teh crazy as if it were perfectly legitimate and not paying any sort of PR price for it.

    • maybe once you’ve got enough commitments, you put a running list of those planning on attending in a box near the top of the left or right margin…  

            • “I don’t know if many people would actually believe this: I’m a registered Republican. So the only guy that I could vote for during the primary was my buddy Ron Paul. A lot of people badmouth him, but I think the guy’s terrific so I’ve endorsed him. But I fully expect that when the election comes around, I’ll be voting for Obama.”

              Arlo Guthrie a Republican?

              “Over the last eight years,” he explained, “that’s where the fight has been. The fight is not between the Republicans and Democrats; it’s within the Republican Party as to what does it mean to be American these days. I think that’s where the more intriguing fight is going on, so I thought that’s where I need to be.”

              http://www.jimnewsom.com/PFW20…

  4. due to the local fight of our lives here in Lowell.

    <

    p>But the loss of our progressive and august Senator has reenergized me. The least I can do is show up on Labor Day. Seems appropriate somehow.

  6. concerned this BMG get together could be called another “organized” protest?

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    p>We are we meeting for drinks?

  7. Just to be sure…we will be supporting Healthcare reform WITH A PUBLIC OPTION…correct?

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    p>I just mapped Boston Common and it appears to be surrounded by a maze of one-way streets. So perhaps I will take the T from Natick.  

    <

    p>I still have to see if I can attend, but it appears that this will be a great chance to show united support for health insurance reform WITH A PUBLIC OPTION.  

    <

    p>

  8. Your link to “our rally” is actually another link to the dailykos post.

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    p>I tentatively plan to be there.

  9. Time for the reasonable man/woman to “put up or shut up”.  I plan to be there.  I’ll bring a sign (small, tasteful, hopefully clever) for “public option”.  I’ve been known to imbibe.  Someone please pick a “BMG” spot on the common so I can meet some of you #@$%ers.

    <

    p>I don’t want to jinx it, but this may be our Woodstock.

      • Yes, I’m serious. Health insurance reform is so important.
        I’m going to try to be there.

      • Park Street is on the main trunk.  If you start from the Orange line you can go to Downtown Crossing and easily walk either above or below ground to Park Street.

        • The rally starts at Park Square, Stuart and Arlington. The politicians will already be at the Park Plaza hotel, for the Labor Breakfast.

          <

          p>Closest T stop is Arlington, 2 down from Park Street.

          <

          p>PS – I’ll be there with the Health Care For All banner

    • trying to plan the trip, it looks like I could park at the Riverside station and take the green line in but there are 4 green lines.  If I take the the Riverside green line will it stop at Park or Arlington, or do I have to change green lines to get to those stops. It doesn’t look like the Riverside line stops at those two points.

      • Arlington Station is at the far corner of the Public Gardens. It’s a pleasant walk, and might be worth it to avoid the crush of the Blue Masses at Park Street.

        • So maybe I will leave from Alewife.  It’s an 18 minute longer drive, but the T ride should be shorter, since there are fewer stops.

          <

          p>And,  since the green line D train jumped off the tracks tonight, the red line may be the better choice.

          <

          p>Isn’t the green line the one that Brookline Tom had all of those warnings about anyway?  

      • You can take any of the South Shore/Metro West trains into South Station, then any Red Line train to Park Street from there.

        <

        p>Or any of the North Shore/Metro North trains into North Station, then any Green line train to Park Street from there.

        <

        p>From any Green Line station, take any inbound train and get off at Park Street (or Boylston or Arlington). Park Street, Boylston, and Arlington are each within an easy (< 5 minute) walk from the Common.

  13. I am committed to march in the Marlborough Labor Day parade.  My Congressman, my LG and my Senator are all marching and I need to be there.  I wish I could join all of you, but local politics comes first.  

  15. Coalition for Social Justice and coalition against poverty has a crew  going up!!! Get the presses and the TV stations down there….Stand up for what is right…HEALTHCARE for ALL!

  16. Wife will probably make an appearance, but we’re entertaining later that day and someone has to mind the store, so I’ll be unable to attend.

    <

    p>Someone needs to schedule another M&G with alcohol at some point.

    • Just got back from a fairly grueling trip today – by Monday hopefully I will feel more energetic.  

      • If everything goes well – i will attend and bring along some paints to do oil sketches of events.    Some logistics to work out:  train schedule, oil vs acrylic etc.  

        <

        p>Thank you for kind words regarding the convention.  I had to miss this yr because of a prolonged illness and valve replacement .   Pretty much better now.  

  18. does anyone have a suggestion for where the BMG irregulars might gather during the rally?  I don’t know the layout of the common that well.  You know, “the old oak tree on the left” or “the statue of Civil War Heroes” or something like that.  I’m going to be far from home (Worcester) and I’d like someone to chat with in case Menino takes the podium.  I’m thinking it’s going to be a huge crowd.  And I want to be at the “cool” table.

    <

    p>Maybe I’ll stitch up a flag with the BMG logo (which, by the way, needs to be jazzier).

  23. I’ll try my best not to be late.  I’m leaving here at 9:00 so that should be plenty of time.

  25. my son has paid his dues in spades being dragged from event to event over the years and would kill me.  Hope you all have a wonderful time, though.  When he’s away at college in a few years I’ll join one of these Drinking Liberally gigs and put faces to names.  Until then, as a single parent now[:(], it’s almost impossible.  

  27. Just ran across this on my way off the internet

    <

    p>White House Drafting Health Care Bill

    <

    p>Looking forward to seeing what Obama presents to Congress.

    <

    p>Except….that it looks like the trigger is back.  

    <

    p>

    The source says the bill that would be presented to Snowe would leave out a public option but include a trigger provision that could lead to the introduction of a new government-run insurance plan under certain circumstances.

    <

    p>Why can’t we just do this without all the loophole nonsense.

  28. trigger not for the American people, but for Olympia Snowe.

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    p>We will give up everything for a vote from Olympia Snowe.

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    p>We will give up everything for one vote from a Republican.

    <

    p>Ugh!  

    • I will be there, representing myself and my husband, who is currently at the mercy of a very, VERY bad health care option provided by his employer.  Bring on REAL reform!

  31. It was huge! Worth the trip to make the statement that we want Health Care Reform, with a public option.  Judging by the size of the rally, seems a lot of other people do too. Quite a few rallying for single payer as well.

    <

    p>It was great to meet you Charley, KBusch, Afertig, jcsinclair, Stomv, Shiltone, and johnmurhphylaw.

    <

    p>

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