So should I run for Congress now?

The answer to the above question is an emphatic “No!” I mean, I need a job, but let’s not get carried away — I don’t need one badly enough to dive into all that partisan foolishness in Washington.

But I offer the question, upon which I elaborate in the above video, as an illustration of the kinds of crazy thoughts that can occur to one when faced with such displays as the one Joe Wilson put on last night.

I hear that in response to Joe’s acting out, his opponent in the last election, Rob Miller, pulled in buckets of campaign contributions since last night. Rob Miller is a nice young man, and I’m truly grateful for his service to his country in combat as a United States Marine, but he was a decidedly unimpressive congressional candidate in ’08.

Surely there’s somebody out there, someone better than Rob Miller and far better than me, who can offer us a real choice in 2010. Surely…

16 thoughts on “So should I run for Congress now?

  1. doug_ross

    You’d get a great healthcare plan if you won.

    Too bad Congress won’t allow everyone to buy into the same plan. Wouldn’t that be a simple solution to part of the problem?

  2. doug_ross

    In fact, Brad, maybe you could talk to some of your contacts to find out WHY it would be so difficult to open up the government’s plan to any American who was interested. What possibly could be the barriers to allowing that?

  3. Brad Warthen

    I thought that was what Obama was offering last night, at least to some extent. An excerpt (note the boldfaced part):

    Now, if you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans who don’t currently have health insurance, the second part of this plan will finally offer you quality, affordable choices. If you lose your job or change your job, you will be able to get coverage. If you strike out on your own and start a small business, you will be able to get coverage. We will do this by creating a new insurance exchange – a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices. Insurance companies will have an incentive to participate in this exchange because it lets them compete for millions of new customers. As one big group, these customers will have greater leverage to bargain with the insurance companies for better prices and quality coverage. This is how large companies and government employees get affordable insurance. It’s how everyone in this Congress gets affordable insurance. And it’s time to give every American the same opportunity that we’ve given ourselves….

  4. doug_ross

    Sounds like it would create a bunch of additional overhead government jobs to manage the exchange. Why not do something simple instead?

    I don’t mind any steps that create larger pools of customers that private insurers would have to compete for. That is what will drive down costs more than anything. Remove barriers to competition and increase the number of buyers and prices will drop.

  5. doug_ross

    It would also solve the portability and denial of coverage instantly. Any insurer that wants to have access to the pool of customers has to agree to accept anyone, anytime.
    Set their prices accordingly. Share the risk amongst the pool. Every year, customers could switch plans if they felt a different one could provide better service, lower cost, better coverage, etc.

    This is how the market works. All the steps taken by the government to influence the market are what cause the pain we see now.

  6. kbfenner

    I’d send you money, too.

    The videos keep getting better and better.

    How come the other hundreds of senators and representatives in the room didn’t get so “spoiled by Washington” they forgot their manners?

  7. Greg Flowers

    The British House of Commons has had public outcry for hundreds of years without endangering their experiment in self government.

  8. Lee Muller

    788 of the 789 Chrysler dealers shut down by Obama’s team of thugs had donated exclusively to GOP candidates in 2008.

  9. Birch Barlow

    Maybe Joe Wilson or Rob Miller will turn into one of those people you are looking for? Maybe my Camry will turn into a Ferrari!

    Don’t run for congress; you’d vote against yourself!

    In seriousness, this was some strong video blogging.

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