Well, probably not. The chances should have improved for National Health Insurance Insurance (Medicare for everyone) both because of the outcome of the recent mid-term elections and because of the crushing financial burdens employer-based insurance has put on public and private employers. To see how veteran health insurance advocates see the politics unfolding, consider attending the following:

After the Elections:the Future of Medicare
The politics of universal health care

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006 With Hon. John Conyers, Jr.
Ranking Member, U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary
Committee and Rosanne M .Leipzig, MD, PHD Professor and
Vice Chair for Education Brookdale Department of
Geriatrics and Adult Development, Mount Sinai School of
Medicine Deputy Editor, Geriatric Medicine (4th
Edition)

6:00 pm Reception ($20,students $5) 7:30 pm Forum
(free) Judson Memorial Church 55 Washington Square
South, Manhattan (accessible entrance: 243 Thompson
Street) Subways: A, B, C, D, E, F, V trains to 'West
4th St.' R train to '8th St.' - 1 train to 'Christopher
St.'

Reservations not required but rsvp to assure a space:
pnhpnyc@igc.org or 212-666-4001

[via Rice: N.Y. 'Perfect Place' for 2012 Games - Yahoo! News]:

NEW YORK - Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice called New York the "perfect place" to hold the Olympics, lending her support during a rally Tuesday a week before the vote to decide the host of the 2012 Games.

... as she scratched Michael "soy tu perrita" Bloomberg behind the ears, to the delight of partisan flacks and the horror of the children, who were witnessing the Mayor's incessant drooling and gleeful leg thumping of the ground.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Rice's visit to City Hall will send a "powerful message" to the
International Olympic Committee that the city's bid has the "full and wholehearted support of the United States government."

A support that he wore with pride after graduating head of the class as the White House's new top perrita.

This great accomplishment was achieved earlier last week after Bloomberg showed the world how well he could wear his Repugblican approved rhetorical collar and how eager he was to let Karl Rove publicly jerk him with his ideological leash. Indeed, the Mayor was so happy he sniffed and humped any leg he could get..  read more »

It's countdown to "Decision 2012". We can see why Bloomberg decided to play Cinderella to Karl Rove's prince of darkness. Getting Condi "freudian slip" Rice is like getting Shrub himself to partake of the festivities. The Bloomster knows how to play nice.

If you are a democrat, make a point to make a note of this --and RSVP if you are going to attend the festivities.

Heh

The email address is : RSVP@NYC2012.COM

[via SI.com - More Sports - Condi Rice to help promote NYC Olympic bid - Saturday June 25, 2005 1:11AM]:

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is offering herself as a personal ambassador for New York City's bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Rice will appear with New York Gov. George Pataki and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a rally on the steps of City Hall Tuesday. It is a send-off rally for New York's emissaries to the International Olympic Committee, which is to choose a host city July 6 at a meeting in Singapore.

BTW, is it me or are we seeing a rash of high-profile Repugs visiting the city? Mehlman, Rove and now Rice? What's up with that?  read more »