Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.Too bad no one in Congress could stand up and say something like this from the Republican side. Instead, they were busy encouraging the Tea Party protestors by holding up hand made signs from the Capitol balcony, "Kill The Bill." And John Boehner's final words to the House just before the vote: "Hell, no."
It’s hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster. Conservatives may cheer themselves that they’ll compensate for today’s expected vote with a big win in the November 2010 elections. [...]
No illusions please: This bill will not be repealed. Even if Republicans scored a 1994 style landslide in November, how many votes could we muster to re-open the “doughnut hole” and charge seniors more for prescription drugs? How many votes to re-allow insurers to rescind policies when they discover a pre-existing condition? How many votes to banish 25 year olds from their parents’ insurance coverage? And even if the votes were there – would President Obama sign such a repeal?
We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat. [...]
So today’s defeat for free-market economics and Republican values is a huge win for the conservative entertainment industry. Their listeners and viewers will now be even more enraged, even more frustrated, even more disappointed in everybody except the responsibility-free talkers on television and radio. For them, it’s mission accomplished. For the cause they purport to represent, it’s Waterloo all right: ours.
Ralph
Mazel Tov!
ReplyDeleteAnnual Census Bureau estimates released in August show 47 million people, or 15.8 percent of the U.S. population, were without health insurance during 2006 — a 4.9 percent increase. In 2005, census figures showed that 44.8 million people, or about 15.3 percent of the population, lacked health insurance coverage.
It is time, your time Ralph to celebrate, time for the more than the 47,000,000 plus Americans to have the right to proper health care.
Interestingly, David Frum, is the son of the late, respected Canadian broadcaster of Liberal causes, Barbara Frum.
Alan
Thanks, Alan. For others' info, Alan is a friend who lives in Canada and is a major source for me of information about their health care system -- which is mostly positive, including a friend of his who got a kidney transplant and only had to wait a matter of weeks, if my memory is correct.
ReplyDeleteOur GOP opponents in the US insist that people have to wait longer than that for routine medical care. I'd rather believe the one who lives there and actually uses the system and has no reason to be opposed to our new reforms.
You are correct Ralph. My friend was briefly on dialysis and waited a minimal amount of time once it was determined that her cousins' kidney was a match to hers. Within seconds of the transplant, her creatinine count went to a normal range and she was out of the hospital within three days. Total cost? Bubkahs, nada, a swipe of a health care card, given to all.
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