I just scrapped what I was writing because I received an email from Mr. Mitch Stewart, the head of Organizing for America (obviously, its a mass communication thing). The message starts with these lines:

Martin -- Yesterday's disappointing election results show deep discontent with the pace of change. I know the OFA community and the President share that frustration.

Somebody fire Mitch Stewart.

Maybe you don't understand why this guy angers me. Here's an email dated 11/21/09

Martin -- Right now, Sarah Palin is on a highly publicized, nationwide book tour, attacking President Obama and his plan for health reform at every turn. It's dangerous. Remember, this is the person who coined the term "Death Panels" -- and opened the flood gates for months of false attacks by special interests and partisan extremists. Whatever lie comes next will be widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform. As we approach the final sprint on health reform, we can't afford more deception and delay. We need to be ready for anything -- and have the resources to respond with ads, events, and calls to Congress when the attacks come. So we're setting a big goal: $500,000 in the next week to help push back against Sarah Palin and her allies. Please chip in $5 or more to help reach our goal.

If I had a steady source of income, I would give money towards building homes, buying books for children, setting up kitchens, or anything that really has a direct effect on someone else. I'd even donate to campaigns, but small ones that don't already get zillions from large corporations or from our two bloated parties themselves. What I would NEVER EVER do is what Mitch Stewart asked me to do in that email.

Political smearing is ruining our democratic system; by that, I don't suggest that everyone in Congress should, in the words of the great DJ, drink Coke and sing "kumbaya" together, but I'm instead saying that voters in this country are all concerned about unimportant CRAP. We are made to be concerned about what left says about right (and vice versa). Some of us watch Keith Olbermann (but most don't, because some incarnation of a dancing program with has-beens is on at the same time) and laugh when he disses Bill O'Reilly, and others will listen to Glenn Beck and his modern day McCarthy-ist agenda try to sniff out the people in the government who may be "socialist" and "leftist." I've found that political games like this get NOTHING DONE, and just keep a system of ineffeciency running. For Stewart, who was chosen by Obama himself to lead OFA, this call for funds is an inexcusable and disgusting example of exactly what I have detailed, and a blatant violation of what Obama promised during his campaign.

Here is how you fight against Sarah Palin: you prove her wrong. If I were to give you money, Mr. Mitchell, for you to go back and argue how Sarah Palin is lying, then my money hasn't done anything at all to further health care refrom and I've helped keep the bickering alive. Instead, you should leave her alone and get to the real problem. Sure, the public image of the Democrats may take a hit after Palin creates a web of distorted facts with limited response, but just imagine how much that image would soar if legislation was actually passed, and the things the former governor scared Americans into believing never happened. Imagine if it all actually worked?

Which brings me to the first email. To be frank, this health debate should be over. It started in June. It's January... 2010, and it may very well continue until February or (you better believe it) even March. Yet Mitchell believes the reason Scott Brown pulled out a victory in yesterday's runoff election is the "pace of change," and how America is "discontent" with it.

I'm discontent with this pace. This should have been done at least a month ago. This is entirely too slow.

But it would seem my friend Mitchy thinks this whole thing has been moving too fast. This is pathetic. Scott Brown's victory is putting what has turned into a half-year process in jeopardy, and the way he responds is "Oh... maybe we've been going too fast... let's slow down." As if it wasn't how drawn out this whole thing has been that has made more and more people skeptical.

This dismissive response to the election being a wake-up call has echoed through Obama's team, from David Axelrod to Robert Gibbs, and it's starting to make me angry. Why is this adminstration so soft all of a sudden? We tried bipartisanship for a while and it FAILED. Republicans decided to stand against whatever the Democrat majority (and formerly, the Democratic filibuster buster) put forth, even if they had no other plan. That should have meant "plan B"... twisting arms. Joe Lieberman decides he's going to succumb to the interests of the Hartford insurance companies? Fine, but he's doing that under an Obama adminstration and a blue Congress, so we'll threaten to take his chairmanship for the Homeland Security Committee. If doing these things means getting a health bill on the table and ready to go as soon as possible, than it's all worth it. Better yet, let's take Anthony Weiner's suggestion seriously; if we're left a few votes short of blocking a filibuster (log on to Jonathan Tasini's website, btw, and sign the petition to end the thing altogether), then we'll filibuster them. Put the Republicans who have been denying any attempt to improve health care into the spotlight and make them explain their plans for the country. This is what should have been happening since November. Instead, the Obama adminstration has tried the same methods of rallying support since day one, and because they have not increased their aggression, they have let the debate extend far beyond where it should have ended and have now lost their "magic" 60 (you conservative Dems will get your own entry, don't worry). I haven't abandoned faith in Obama, and I still think he can pull this whole thing off, but he needs to be a bit more assertive especially since the situation has changed. This election was a wake up call for him in this regard, and he needs to acknowledge it, something his team has not yet done.

And he needs to tell Mitch Stewart to stop sending me this junk mail.