Liberal in the Land of Conservative

As the health care debate continues to rage between the forces who firmly believe in a single payer system versus those who stand on the side of an entirely free market system, there has been little progress in actually accomplishing anything of substance. That being said, President Obama is staking a good deal of his political capital on producing some actual reform.

In his weekly address, he gives some hints at the kind of reform he is looking towards. The biggest of these being lowered cost, improved coverage, and consumer choice. What that all means and how that all works remains to be seen.

Over the past two weeks, the Progressive Caucus has been holding its special order hour specifically on the subject of health care and the reform of the system. Minnesota Representative, Keith Ellison, spoke as part of that group:

More towards the middle of the spectrum, Dr. Maureen Reed who is seeking the DFL and Independence Party endorsements to run against Michele Bachmann spoke about the need to stop being wedded to a solution and actually find a solution.

One thing is clear, whatever your feelings are about health care and the need for reform, the issue will be at the forefront of the national debate for some time to come.

The Progressive Caucus met this past Thursday, led by Representative Keith Ellison, to discuss what it means to be progressive and highlight the history of progressivism in the United States.

I tend to shy away from the label of progressive as it seems too much like a ceding of the term liberal to those who have demonized it. However, my liberalism/progressivism is based upon a strong belief in social justice.

A social justice in our economic system that demands we create a basic safety net for those people who find themselves in any number of unfortunate circumstances. I have long held the belief that government in and of itself is NOT evil and can be used as a force for good if managed properly. Perhaps it is the naivety of relative youth but I refuse to be cynical (much like a certain individual who helped give me life) about our prospects for honest leadership that can utilize the power of government to do good things rather than utilize the power of government for selfish pursuits.

It is probably in the area of social issues which my progressivism/liberalism is strongest. My opinion has always been one of believe what you want to believe and love who you want to love. There is little reason for the government to be making those decisions.

So, what makes YOU progressive/liberal or for that matter, what makes you conservative?

This week, Keith Ellison spent some time on the floor of the House of Representatives discussing the goals and beliefs of the Progressive Caucus. Specifically, he discussed a report 'Reining in the Imperial Presidency' and a bill (HR 104) that would investigate former President George W. Bush over issues of torture and illegal wire tapping.