Healthcare Reform, Neither Real nor Free

Apparently the Iranian Guardian Council today announced they'll recount the election. This will likely exclude the votes that weren't cast because ballots ran out, or any sort of back channel investigation as to why the news reports of incoming results fell so radically out of synch with actual published returns. This is a forensics move to determine if in fact the votes in the box represent votes case. If they do their job right, we will see them cite exit and straw polls to help narrow down actual results and approximate the correct return. Again, the pragmatic point of view is that this won't change the results of the election which perhaps, was neither real, nor free.

Also today, word is that Healthcare reform is on the way to the floor with significant and far-reaching provisions. How the single payer option is dealt with in the draft form of the legislation is pretty key to all of this. The work required to watchdog this piece of legislation will be immense. The lobbyists will swarm it as soon as it gets out of the gate.

So to the idealist, there's electoral justice on the way - and a single payer, universal healthcare plan in the works. Good news, right?