Some people see The Wizard of Oz as a template for life (and this is without Pink Floyd or psychedelics); they believe we are all either Scarecrows, Tin Men, or Cowardly Lions, lacking in brains, heart or courage respectively. Now I’m afraid we have seen Obama’s true colors, and they’re kind of yellow. 

I know, the White House has not completely forsaken the idea of a public option in discussing health care reform but signals this weekend, both from the Health and Human Services Secretary Kathy Sebelius and the president himself, is that the administration is willing to let that part of the solution die. Especially if it upsets Republicans or lobbyists from the health insurance companies. 

Instead they are floating this bogus and ill-defined idea of “insurance co-ops” because they think it sounds a little less socialist than government administered health insurance. You know, the kind we provide for veterans and old people. And this is all without either the GOP or the insurance companies throwing a punch. 

Think about it: the deceitful anti-reform advertisements, the screaming meemies at the town hall meetings, the campaigns of misinformation spearheaded by Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and the like are not sticks and stones. Sure, NRA supporters may be coming to Obama rallies strapped and the threat of actual violence is never far from the minds of the president’s enemies. But the words and the lies are just that, and can be counterpunched with other words — and the truth! What’s wrong with using the forced period of public consideration as a time for clarity and disinformation dissing? He did it in his campaign with Reverend Wright and the Muslim nonsense. Why stop now?

I have been a loyal enough follower to still hope that he is playing a deeper game. That he is like one of those chess masters who sees twenty moves ahead and has his opponents sussed. But I am more afraid that he is afraid — afraid of an old-fashioned, us-versus-them fight after he ran as an agent of change. Well, it’s seems pretty obvious that the GOP will not be happy with anything the Dems come up with, so let’s stop trying to please them. And nothing would please the insurance companies more than a government mandate that everyone must be insured. It would be like telling the whole country it must have cable and then leaving Time-Warner, Comcast et al to look out for your best interests…

I know that sometimes a wise leader looks at an impossible situation and walks away, tells his men to stand down because the casualties would be too great. But some great battles have been won when the leader looks at the army arrayed before him and says, fuck it, we’re going in. Because when it comes to this issue the question is truly: If not now, when? Write the White House and tell them you want them to fight for what’s right. Remind Obama that brains and heart are not enough — he’s got to show some character, break some eggs if not some heads. And remind him what puts the ape in apricot.