HEALTH CARE VOODOO
While it will be interesting how the Republicans in Congress spin the open-ended invitation made by President Obama to discuss health care reform, but don't hold your breath for reconciliation. In fact the very word "reconciliation" has already been manipulated by the conservatives in Congress. Originally the ability to require only 51 votes in the Senate to move along legislation has been skewed by the GOP to filibuster everything...and I mean everything. And when the "reconcilation" of the past when only 51 votes were required is told in truth, suddenly all the conservatives are aghast. But the very term COBRA that is used to help people hold onto health insurance when they lose or change jobs, contains this provision because the "R" in COBRA means reconciliation...51 votes required. Much major legislation in the past has been done this way. Health care for children in poverty was covered by 51 votes. So were many, many pieces of important legislation in the past. Not today; the GOP demands 60 votes.
Look, I am pleased that a minority in the Senate can delay action with the 60 vote requirement. Repeat: I am pleased that is usually required. But when there are lies floating around that it should always be required in major legislation, the historical facts prove otherwise. The lies get me about the current conservatives in Congress. Of course...let me repeat that...of course the Democrats lie. But when "no" becomes the only thing permitted in the GOP because a black Democrat sits in the White House, then it is time to shed some light on it.
Conservatives point to Congressman Paul Ryan's alternative plan. That is simply a way to reimburse more to private companies related to the health care field. My goodness, when is enough enough for the drug companies and insurance companies? They run up record profits and now are determined to raise premiums as much as 39% next quarter. Somebody has to finally say, "STOP!" to these gouger corporations.
Conservatives scream that the current health care reform proposal would hurt Medicare. That is so ridiculous it should not need an explanation to show that as a scam statement. Ever since Medicare was passed, the GOP has fought tooth and nail against it. They tried to keep it from being passed, and every Congressional session since that time has seen conservatives try to either rape it, limit it, take away its benefits, or end it. And all-the-while Medicare has operated efficiently and with very low administrative costs. If only the insurance companies could operate as efficiently and at such low administrative costs. We are being swindled by these companies through horrendous adminstrative costs and ungodly profits. For conservatives to use health care to reward these companies is abominable. And for the GOP to say they are "protecting" Medicare is just as big a scam.
Unless major health care reform is legislated, the current federal budget problems will pale by comparison in the future as we are driven to the poor house by health care costs. Unlike any industrial nation in the world, we allow this swindle to happen in the U.S. And conservatives want to make it even a bigger swindle! In every social democracy in Europe that has universal health care, there are private insurance companies doing very nicely. Don't allow lying conservatives to tell you otherwise! It is not socialism to cover everyone, it is the natural responsibility of a nation in its obligation to provide for people those things they cannot provide for themselves. Our health care system is not working, and people are dying because of it. How inhumane can insurance companies and the conservative community be? Yes, you Mr. and Ms. America, we have an obligation to provide health care for every one of our fellow Americans...and ultimately at a far cheaper cost than private insurance now charges.
We need health care reform. And we need it now. Conservatives should offer specific and helpful suggestions. We have waited a century for conservatives to come on board with this reform. Obama made the mistake of turning this over to Congress in the beginning. The Democrats made a huge mess of the reform, and the GOP fought everything to stop any progress. They are both to blame. It is time for Obama to show leadership, and for Congress to get off their rear ends and stop posturing. Get it done!
