I went to Senator McConnell's office today and spoke with his office manager. The meeting went *swimmingly* well. (For those needing to use translation services, that last sentence actually means, "The meeting was very cordial and rational.") The manager told me that this topic is "bringing people out of the woodwork". It appears that most of us are what I've heard called "middle-of-the-road". Today, I learned that I can use the word "us" when referring to the "middle of the road" in politics. I am reluctant to take that label even, as the likes of Lou Dobbs and Bill O'Reilly claim to speak for those folks--and I disagree with them on just about every position they have.

I gave her that quote I overheard on the news about how someone was concerned that government was getting into God's decisions on life and death. I told her in my opinion that while the statement the protester made was indeed true, governments since their implementation have been muscling in on God's territory--it's nothing new. I backed that up by telling her that governments have declarations of war (which I added to her that I do not oppose) and they have death penalties (which I also added that I do not oppose--besides, a heinous enough crime deserves a heinous punishment. Death is death, and it's never a good thing, but we ultimately have no way around it). (At this revelation, she raised her eyebrows. I told her that I try not to accept labels from others, but I consider myself liberal. I reached that decision by reading some John Locke, but departing with him on limiting the concept of Liberty to white, land-owning Christian males. I figure, I said, that if one has a brain and a pulse, one has a birthright to liberty--property ownership, gender and religion aside.)

I told her I am not afraid of my taxes being raised if this passes--just so long as I can get health care and get into the position to pay taxes once again. I have heard, I told her, self-professed conservatives telling liberals to put their money where their mouths are. I am one who does. At every job I've ever held, I said, I marked that little line on the W-2 that says "Any additional amount you wish to be withheld," with either the number 5 or 10. I am willing to chip it in voluntarily, because I have grandparents in retirement, and I want to make sure they're funded. Not just my grandparents, though--yours and everyone's. I like to think that extra 5 or 10 dollars I pitched in helped train soldiers, too--helped with their care when they were injured, and helped protect them when they went into battle.

All this I told her, and I told her about Lewis Black's comment about Mitch McConnell's appearance on Meet the Press. The Senator related a story of a friend of his had a friend in Canada who had to die because the province's government decided the fellow was too old to support. She had never heard of Lewis Black before, and I told her that he is an angry comedian who said, "A friend of a friend? That's not even enough to substantiate an urban legend." My telling her this further released the tension I sensed, and she said, "That's actually fair." It appears Senator McConnell would agree with the assessment. She told me the Senator is a very deliberating man who keeps his office walls covered with every political cartoon about him--both positive and negative, as he has a sense of humor about himself. I told her that I did not envy the Senator's position as a public servant, and that I realized that with cameras on you and limited time to speak, you don't always get to be as eloquent as you would like to be.

I am now feeling the hope that the scoffing people are mocking "Obamatons" for. Hard nosed scoffers are right--no president can bring hope. However, I found that hope by merely being an individual reaching out to a Senator who is (supposedly) in opposition to the party I joined. To close with one more thing I told the office manager, I don't know how *independent* my mind is. I just know that it's a curious one--and it impels me to look into anything I hear anyone saying. To me, that is far more important than the bragging right of independence.