It's about time...

Finally. The Democrats mustered up something resembling a spine, so House Democrats approved the Senate health care reform bill tonight, by a close vote. The President might sign the bill as early as Tuesday.

With all the huffing and puffing of its opponents, you might not know that some of the bill's key provisions don't even go into effect until 2014. However, favorable measures that go into effect in 2010 include:

Not being able to be kicked out of a health insurance policy if you become sick. (A heinous insurance practice known as recission.)
Parents can keep their children on their insurance policy until these children are 26. (Grad students must be pleased.)

As today's New York Times article points out, everyone could benefit from the legislation, as it tightens regulations on health insurance companies, which have, quite frankly, basically been allowed to run roughshod over the public, until now.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL, who'da thunk?) again had it right when he said that voting for health care reform was about saving lives.

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I bet some of those legislators are feeling both relieved, and a bit exhausted. (After all, a vote on a Sunday night?) Would not be a bit surprised if many of them felt as though they had been...

Up in a down time...

Finally, a bit of good news for these gloomy times...Obama signed the economic stimulus package into law in Denver yesterday. Woo hoo! While he cautioned that it's not an instant panacea to our economic plight, it's a good start.

Even before he signed the package into law, Obama's coming to office has itself been an unofficial economic stimulus program, keeping the economy from sliding even lower. Certainly, his presence has been a boon to area businesses, and to other entrepeneurs looking to make a quick buck, from this...

to this...

Argggghhh...

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More good news...D.C. is closer than ever to obtaining a vote in Congress, legislation that Obama co-sponsored in the Senate in 2007. (Perhaps even more shocking is that yesterday's New York Times editorialized in favor of the measure.) Change we can believe in, indeed.