by ¡El Gato Negro!

Now that the Baucus caucus has finally loosed its debaucus debacle of a reform bill, it seems the rightmost boundary of the debate (among those pushing for a health insurance reform bill to pass) has been set. I'm not going to revisit the awfulness of that bill, here. There are so many other, better, bloggers (including on this very site) covering the many, many ways that the Baucus bill's proposed plans would make the healthcare situation worse.

No, I'd like to use this space to offer up an idea for a 30 second spot, which I believe could have a firming effect on the Democratic party's more recalcitrant blue-state senators.

It goes like this:

Fade-in on a scene of a politician's office, currently empty. The camera zooms in on the abandoned store-front and the tune "Happy Days Are Here Again" rises in the background.

[-Voice Over: "Hey Democrats, the 2010 elections are coming up."]

The scene switches to the receptionists office, also empty. A phone is heard ringing in the distant background. The music continues, although we notice that it seems to be slowing, as if the song were playing on an old record player that's winding down.

[-Voice Over: "We hope that, during the campaign season, you’ll remember way back in 2009 when you gave away any chance of real healthcare reform to your buddies in the insurance industry, and stuck America with a mandate to buy inadequate health insurance coverage at inflated rates."]

The scene shifts again, to a campaign phone bank, the camera pans across the rows of empty chairs and unmanned phones. Then shifts to another scene of the empty campaign headquarters. If possible I'd like to use a photo or film of thousands of campaign flyers and doorhangers, sitting around unused, or even thrown in the trash.

[-Voice Over: "We hope that you remember when you made backroom deals with Blue Cross, Aetna and the drug manufacturers that ensured more Americans would be forced into bankruptcy because of illness, or even die, because some insurance company bureaucrat would rather make his bonus for the year, than pay for their claims.”]

Then we move on to election night, the camera pans across a mostly empty banquet hall, and a mostly empty campaign rally. A politician is speaking, but his voice is almost inaudible in the echoing reverb of the unattended event, and seems very far away. Nearer by you hear a broom sweeping, and a garbage truck, driving off into the night.(Fade out)

[-Voice Over: "We hope that you’ll remember, because we sure will."]

(Maybe show a quick poll result here, highlighting the continual favorable results for the public option, or even single payer)

CHYRON: Progressives agree with 72% of America. We need a public option.

The last shot is of the original abandoned storefront headquarters that we saw in the opening, the camera zooms out, and perhaps the music resumes its earlier, jaunty rhythym.

[Voice Over: Just a little reminder from the millions of progressive democrats who worked the phones and knocked on doors and donated their money to help put you in office."]

That's the Ad I'd like to see on the air before any bill gets near the president's desk. I am open to suggestions on how to improve on the script and clarify the message. I'm also seeking any good pictures readers may have of mostly empty campaign events and other scenes of abandoned political venues.

I'm not against accepting funding except that I am uncertain if I can get enough to produce it in time. Currently I'm working on a youtube video, a motion-storyboard version of the script you just read.

Suggestions? Ideas? Donations?

Let me know, either in comments here, or at my little blog, or by email.

Gracías, now let's go kick ass and take names.

(My email is: g a t o b l o g g e r r o "at" y a h o o "dot" c o m )

Update: Now with new improved bleaker visual tone