My two wishes for Obama's speech this week beyond the public option.

[David Zephyr]

Whether President Obama calls for a public option or not (we will all know after his speech), there are just two other things I hope he will directly address in his national speech to Congress: shame the fear-mongering and give a little history lesson.

1.) TIME FOR A LITTLE TRUTH-TELLING, A LITTLE SHAMING: First, I want our President to lay into the peddlers of fear and call them on it in front of the American people who will be watching him. He needs to mention "pull the plug on grandma" and "death panels" and "taking away Medicare from Seniors" and "socialism" and confront each one directly. He doesn't need to say it was the Republicans, who had done it. Every American will know precisely who he is talking about. And the Democrats will applaud and the Republicans will have no choice but to applaud too when he shames the fear-mongering.

Americans do like President Obama. They like that he has a steady personality and that he doesn't flap his arms when he speaks like the idiot that we had before. And Americans like our leaders to be bold and to speak candidly. If Obama categorically confronts the laundry list of fear-mongering tales, while at the same time tells the ugly truth about the insurance companies and how even those that are "insured" are being cheated, he can turn the argument his way.

2.) A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON: The second thing, Americans have short memories and some know nothing about our history at all. President Obama needs to remind Americans, old and young, that it was the Democrats who gave them Social Security against fierce Republican opposition, and that it was the Democrats who gave Americans Medicare, again over the fierce opposition of the Republican Party. This can not be left for nuance. Americans need to be told. Obama must be blunt here and give credit to the Democratic Party that delivered those two massively popular "social, government-run programs".

I have to say that it was simply brilliant of Obama and Axelrod to call Congress together before they could get all comfy in their offices after their vacation, before they could get into mischief. By calling them to a joint session, just as they are getting back to town, he is setting the agenda this time before they can start their own. And that was a brilliant political move and is what leadership does.

I hear today Obama will be "forceful". That's a good thing if it's true. Obama can not look weak anymore. And, he is looking weak now.

And, I think it wouldn't hurt if he looks just a little pissed when he goes through the list of scare-mongering stories that have frightened old people. Yes, a little righteous indignation would be ideal.

That's my wish: Some shaming and a little history lesson...

And, of course...a call for a competitive public option to keep the insurance companies honest.

[KoKo]

1. From your post to Obama's ears.........Hope is what is here.

[David Zephyr]

2. Just some wishing...

but I do think it would help if he shamed them right there in front of a national audience and reminded Americans who had to fight to get Social Security and Medicare and who they had to fight against.

Liberals always assume that people already know and are so afraid of 'talking down' to people that we miss opportunities to set the record straight. Thanks, KoKo. I'm crossing my fingers.

[AdHocSolver]

3. Advertisers know their audience. They don't try to lift the audience to a more sophisticated level.

The goal of advertisers is to convince their audience to change its behavior to the benefit of the advertiser.

Advertisers talk about "educating" their audience. That is rubbish. Advertising is not education. It is the use of behavior altering techniques that use fear, flattery, deception, and repetition to beat the target audience into submission.

President Obama has neglected this aspect of the techniques used by those against health care reform. We have passed the point of "educating" the public. It is time to unsheath the claws and go after insurance companies, Republicans, and "blue dog" Democrats who spread the manure about health care reform.

It is time for President Obama to show some passion for implementing health care reform now.