Health Care Reform

Two Big Switches Favoring Health Care Legislation: Major Step Forward!

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A major step toward approval of Health Care reform occurred today, when an anti abortion Congressman, along with one of the most liberal members of the House, agreed to support the bill, although not one hundred percent happy with the legislation.

Dale Kildee of Michigan, part of the anti abortion Democratic group in the House, and Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who has run for President twice as a far left critic, both made the endorsement at a crucial time.

The point to be made is that while no one thinks the legislation is perfect, it is a first step toward insuring health care for 30 million or more Americans, and improves health care conditions for many millions of others. Every major piece of legislation has been improved over time, with the main goal now being to gain passage of the basic purpose of the legislation.

And those who fear that passage of the legislation will clinch bigger losses for the Democrats is wrong, as many Americans will see the virtues of the legislation as it goes into effect. The odds of repeal are extremely slim, as even Rush Limbaugh admits today on his radio program. Once in law, repealing it will turn off many voters and citizens, and will make the Republican party look bad, although right now they are plotting a repeal strategy.

All it will do is make the GOP look hardhearted and reactionary, so no matter what is said as scare tactics right now, once health care reform passes, even if by one vote, it will sustain itself, and one must recall that many important pieces of legislation over the years have barely passed, but become part of the American historical tradition.

It is likely a few years down the road no one will believe that the battle over health care reform was as contentious as it has been. The Republican party will not look good in opposition, and eventually, it will hurt their image and cause!

Michele Bachmann Promotes Breaking Of Tax Laws!

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Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann continues to be a right wing firebrand.

Now she advocates in public gatherings that people refuse to pay their taxes if the Congress passes health care reform legislation! She also calls for immediate lawsuits to prevent the legislation from being put into effect!

This is very interesting, as she has already in the past year declared that people should not fill out the census forms that are coming in the mail this week, even though filling out such forms promotes government aid to all congressional districts over the next decade!

So Michele Bachmann is promoting people breaking the law, which requires that we file tax forms and pay our fair share of taxes, and that we fill out the census forms as another of the basic responsibilities of living in the United States!

So Michele Bachmann is advocating lawlessness, and defiance! Doesn’t that make her no better than a common criminal, provoking reactions by citizens who might think it is fine to disobey the law and act in an anarchistic way? And isn’t anarchism a form of terrorism, Michele? Do we maybe need to arrest you for breaking the law, and not upholding your oath as a Congresswoman to obey the Constitution and the laws? And you have the nerve and gall to talk about others being not “good Americans”? What does that make you, Michele, heh? 🙁

Senator Lamar Alexander’s Prediction Of “Armageddon”!

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Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, formerly Secretary of Education under the first President Bush, and two time seeker of the Presidency in 1996 and 2000, always had an image of being reasonable and decent among fellow Republicans in the Senate until now, when he is opposing health care reform in irresponsible ways.

Alexander seems unwilling to understand how important health care reform is, and has been flirting with the far right in his party, and in the process, harming his moderate reputation from the past.

He now predicts that if health care reform passes, it will be “Armageddon” for Democrats, leading to the loss of both houses of Congress by the Democrats, and immediate action to repeal the legislation.

This is hyperbole, which has no basis. Could the Democrats lose control of both houses, as they did in 1994? Yes, in theory, but highly unlikely, although certainly the party out of the White House DOES gain a lot of seats, typically, in a midterm election.

Would there be immediate action to repeal what had passed both houses and been signed into law by the President? Again, theoretically yes, but when the people get away from the hyperbole and hysteria and realize how much good will come out of the extension of health care, and reforms in areas such as preexisting conditions and lifetime limits, it will lead to growing support for the reforms.

Of course, there will be opposition, but that does not mean that the hysteria and propaganda will lead to repeal, as it is rare to repeal legislation once passed into law, and besides, the President could veto repeal, and to imagine a two thirds override in both houses is beyond any sense of reality.

In truth, the GOP could very well suffer for their refusal to cooperate in necessary reform, as there could be a counter reaction against them.

So, Lamar Alexander, you are much too loose in judging Armageddon, as if we need more religion context in government! How about leaving religion out of government context, except to point out that a truly religious person would wish to deal with a basic human right, to decent health care, not fight against it and show lack of concern for those who suffer from lack of such coverage!

Vice President Joe Biden: Obama’s Secret Weapon?

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Vice President Joe Biden was thought to be likely to fade into the background, and be an insignificant factor in the Presidency of Barack Obama, but instead he is being seen as the secret weapon assisting Obama in many ways.

His experience, contacts, and warm relationships with many members of the Senate, plus his years as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and also as past Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, all are putting him in good stead as the administration faces the challenge of gaining Health Care reform, and dealing with intractable diplomatic issues.

In his role as presiding officer of the Senate, Biden could well be the decisive factor in the passage of “Reconciliation”, which would bring about the enactment of the most significant social legislation since Medicare in the 1960s.

Biden is now in the Middle East, trying to promote diplomatic negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, and rallying Arabs against the rising threat of Iranian nuclear weapons. He has excellent contacts with many world leaders and is able, therefore, to assist Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her diplomatic activities.

A totally different Vice President than Dick Cheney, Biden could well be seen in the future as a major factor in the successes of a much younger, less experienced President whom he loyally serves!

Another Excellent Reason For Health Care Reform: Rush Limbaugh Will Leave For Costa Rica! :)

Ronald 1 Comment

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has threatened that if Health Care reform passes, he will leave the country for Costa Rica, as soon as it goes into effect in 2014. 🙂

I think a good suggestion is leave even sooner, and when he leaves, make sure he is not allowed to claim citizenship overseas and avoid American taxes, as it is certain he would still broadcast his show, as he is so materialistic and would never give up making the obscene amount he earns for his propaganda!

As long as he is heard on the radio, even if in Costa Rica, pay your fair share of income taxes, Rush, as you owe it to this nation for the opportunities you have had to spew propaganda and divide the nation and promote hate!

One day, we will learn of your true, hypocritical nature, and how you have managed to “pull the wool” over millions of people’s eyes for so long. After all, you are a master of the Big Lie technique–that the more you lie, the more you convince people to believe you because of their gullibility! 🙁

The Hypocrisy On Health Care Of Republicans: Totally Embarrassing!

Ronald 1 Comment

Rachel Maddow on MSNBC has just revealed the total hypocrisy and lack of embarrassment of two GOP Senators and a Senate candidate on the issue of Health Care Reform.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, who has four times in the past twenty years voted to cut Medicare spending, and spoke up on the need for Medicare and Medicaid reform during his 2008 Presidential campaign, now is trying to stop health care reform by working to guarantee that there are no future cuts in the Medicare program, just the opposite of everything he has always stood for!

Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who last September said he agreed with 80 percent of the Obama health care plan, now says he does not agree with any part of it, that it is all “junk” even though the administration has included a number of GOP suggestions in the revised health care bill, and in theory, he should, by his own earlier statements, agree with more than 80 percent of it now!

And GOP Senate candidate Sue Lowden, running for the nomination to oppose Senator Harry Reid in Nevada, put out a campaign commercial that opposed federal government intervention in health care, as that would threaten Medicare! The problem, of course, is that Medicare IS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! Does Lowden think the Nevada population is that stupid, and could it be that all three Republicans mentioned have a problem with being honest and truthful?

The Republican party continues to embarrass not only itself, but its history under Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower and even Ronald Reagan. This party is proving to be bankrupt of any ideas or vision, and it is hard to imagine the American people being bamboozled by their propaganda and lies! If that does indeed happen, it is more because of fear and ignorance than anything else, and would be a sad commentary on the future of the country! 🙁

The “Public Option” Returns As Health Costs Go Sky High

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Just as the health insurance companies are calling for record increases in premiums from their subscribers, creating a major crisis for millions of Americans, the concept of a “public option” is being revived by the Obama White House and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and a growing number of Democratic Senators.

After a cautious approach and attempts to gain GOP votes in the Senate, which has totally failed, now the thought is that the record increases in health care premiums are motivating Democrats to use “reconciliation”, requiring only 51 votes, to pass such a plan.

One must be reminded how many times the Bush Administration used “reconciliation” to pass tax cuts and other initiatives, so there is nothing illegal about using that tactic. It is time to stop allowing obstructionists from passing what a majority in every poll indicates they want–health care with a public option.

Maybe, who knows, when health care passes, after the fact, we might have Republicans taking credit for it, as they have, hypocritically, taken credit for economic stimulus programs that they opposed! 🙂 LOL

Republican Hypocrisy On Medicare: Time For the President And His Party To Act!

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As Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman declares yesterday in the NY Times, the Republican party is extremely hypocritical on Medicare.

After spreading distortions on the Obama Health Care plan, including the concept of “death panels” and the idea of the plan cutting Medicare funding dramatically, it turns out that the budget plan released by Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, often seen as a leader of the future in the Republican party, calls for even bigger Medicare cuts over the next decade, if the GOP ever gains control of Congress in the next few years.

The Ryan proposal would end Medicare for those under 55, creating privatization, and would cut future coverage benefits for those about to go on Medicare or already on Medicare.

The American people fail to study history or have a collective memory. The GOP opposed Medicare in 1965, and the party worked to undermine Medicare under Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1995, but was stopped by the opposition of President Bill Clinton.

These realities should be enough for the Democrats to move ahead on their health care reform plan and use “reconciliation” to accomplish it. Better to push through a program under a web of controversy than to do nothing at all, which will convince the American people that the Democrats are unable or unwilling with a nearly 60 percent majority in both houses to accomplish their major goal.

A failure to take action on health care will doom the American people, including those on Medicare, to a future of Republican efforts to dismantle federal programs on Medicare, a crime against humanity at a time when health insurance companies are jacking up rates on health insurance faster than ever.

The health care crisis will only grow if the Democrats allow the Republicans to have a victory. The planned health care summit at the White House should be the last attempt at bipartisanship, extremely unlikely to work. Then, it is time for Barack Obama and the Democrats to act like a combination of “Give Them Hell Harry” (Truman) and “Wheeler Dealer” (Lyndon Johnson) to get things done!

Hooray! Obama Defends And Promotes His Health Care Plan!

Ronald 2 Comments

A high moment of tonight’s State of the Union Address was when President Obama made it clear he was not going to abandon the health care plan that has been subject to debate for nearly a year.

He said he was not promoting health care to win the point of a victory, but rather because of the necessity for the American people to have equal access to health care after so many years of advocacy of such a reform by various Presidents.

He came across as pleasant but aggressive in his pursuit of his goal, an absolutely appropriate reaction, which gives heart and optimism to those millions of Americans who have believed in this health care reform and were concerned that the President might abandon the legislation.

Obama showed he was a good guy but a fighting President for what he believed in, and this speech should restore the faith of millions of Americans in why they elected him the 44th President in 2008. He represented change and is not backing off on that one iota! Hooray!

Barack Obama And Health Care: Fight For Your Principles And Beliefs!

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As a result of the special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat in Massachusetts, an election won by Republican Scott Brown, Barack Obama is receiving all kinds of advice as to what should be done about health care.

Some say to abandon the health care plan completely. That is totally unacceptable after so much effort and time put into this crucial area of the American economy, and with so many millions of Americans excluded from having access to decent health care. If that is done by the President, he will lose his entire base, and he will be perceived as caving in to the right wing and the small number of people, about 100,000, who determined in Massachusetts that they did not want health care legislation, because, after all, that state already has a similar health care plan brought about under the governorship of Republican Mitt Romney in 2006.

A second alternative is just to go for the kinds of areas of the legislation that, theoretically, many Americans and even some Republicans in Congress would agree need to be worked on, such as the age for children to continue to be covered under their parents’ health care plan, to end annual and lifetime limits on coverage, to cover preexisting conditions, and to provide health care exchanges that would allow competition and allow cross state boundary plans. While that would be certainly better than the abandonment of the whole plan, it would be a piecemeal approach to health care, and still not deal with the reality that about 15 percent of the nation would still have no access to decent health care, an issue which has been promoted since the time of Theodore Roosevelt a hundred years ago, and advocated in specific legislation since Harry Truman 65 years ago.

A third approach and the right one is to utilize legislative rules and employ “reconciliation”, which allows a Senate majority of 51 votes to pass legislation, just as 218 votes is enough as a majority in the House of Representatives to pass legislation. Why should a determined minority be permitted to block progressive change by employing obstruction and negativism and therefore prevent the will of the majority? This tactic was used regularly by the Bush Administration, a few times with Dick Cheney’s vote breaking a tie in the Senate.

Some will say that a majority of the American people are opposed to the health care plan, but that is based on conflicting polls, many of them employing questioning that distorted the topic and confused the people who were being polled. There are many indications that when people are told in detail what the health care bill promotes, then in so many cases, they will say they certainly want such plans to be enacted. It is more a question of lack of understanding and knowledge, or to put it less nicely, ignorance of the facts of the plan, that causes many to oppose it. The opposition Republicans and talk radio and Fox News Channel spend inordinate amounts of effort to promote distortion, exaggeration and pure lies to scare people and promote fear of change. The President cannot allow this to happen, as he stands by and gives in to the hysteria and ignorance of the facts.

Therefore, President Obama, you need to uphold your convictions and beliefs of the necessity of this health care legislation when you deliver the State of the Union Address this Wednesday evening, rather than concede to the critics and those who over read the Massachusetts results!

You must show the American people and your political party that you are willing to stick your neck out for what you believe in! You must show real leadership, and stop just using the word “fight” in your speeches, but actually show you have the guts and the courage as Harry Truman regularly demonstrated to “fight” with every ounce of your strength for your agenda! You have to be aggressive, as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson were, to push the party and the Congress and the American people toward your vision of what is needed! That is what you were elected to do, and you must therefore stop working at being a “nice guy”, and use the White House as a “Bully Pulpit”, as Theodore Roosevelt termed it!

So on Wednesday, come out fighting for your program, as that will inspire many millions of Americans that they have a true advocate! We have had enough of Presidents who speak for the wealthy upper class and the comfortable upper middle class! Come out for the struggling middle class and the poor, and that will inspire these people to come out and vote for you and your party in 2010 and 2012!

There are some who fear that if the President comes out slugging for his agenda, that it will be a disaster for his party in the midterm congressional elections. To me, it seems just like the exact opposite would occur, that if Obama fails to follow through, then his party will suffer a disaster. It could be that I am and other progressives are wrong, and if that turns out to be true, so be it! At least, we will know that we went down fighting for our principles! If the American people really give in to fear, hysteria, and ignorance, they will be the losers, but I don’t want this historic change in politics that occurred in 2008 to be destroyed by its advocates! If those who wish to destroy triumph, we will all be the losers, and it will lead to a counter reaction after the American people realize what a mistake they have made! But for now, Mr. President, stick to your beliefs and principles and know that we, the progressives, will be there at your back, supporting you with every ounce of our strength!