And the other side? What do they have to offer?
Their "plan" is essentially more of the same. It would extend coverage to maybe 3 million instead of the D's 31 million. It's effort to cut cost is mainly through tort reform, which might result in very minor savings. And it still trumpets the discredited Bush plan for medical savings accounts.
And how are they trying to accomplish something for the American people?
By trying to kill this bill, at any cost, including:
A fake memo was circulated from John Boehner's office and read into the record on the House floor -- a fake memo that they claimed was from Democrats, with talking points on how to cover up the "real" cost of the bill. Despite demands from Rep. Weiner to reveal the source of this "memo," none was given. A spokesman for Majority Whip James Clyburn said:
"It's an under-handed and unethical attempt to distract from the health care debate. If opponents of health insurance reform had a credible policy alternative they wouldn't have to resort to nefarious games."And then . . .
On Saturday, several Republican lawmakers addressed a Tea-Party crowd of protesters outside the Capital, many of whom then flowed inside, filling the halls and shouting at Democratic Congressmen who had to walk through the crowd to their offices.
And the shouting turned into abusive heckling. As reported by Sam Stein of Huffington Post:
A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) had been spat on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a 'ni--er.' And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "faggot," as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president's speech, shrugged off the incident.But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.
There is a lot of frustration and anger out there, with multiple roots and many causes. Right wing ranters and conservative politicians are exploiting it and multiplying it with their lies about "government take-over" and "communism" scare tactics.
At least this particular historic vote will soon be over -- and then they can get busy with their campaign talking points about "repealing" health care reform. That's a fight we should welcome. No longer can they distort what is still uncertain about the bill; it will be a definite bill that Democrats can defend.
Ralph
Since most elements of the bill don't kick in until 2014, the possibility of repealing much of it is, unfortunately, a real one. So I am taking a wait-and-see attitude about what this reform will ultimately look like.
ReplyDeleteBut even 10 years ago who would have believed the conservatives would stoop to creating false memos, and using the N word and F word in public? The level of incivility is terrifying.
Thank God for Wiener. He is the one Democrat throughout this whole ordeal who has stood up time and time again for what is right. And the only Dem who has consistently called out Repubs when they've lied. I'd love to see him run for President in 2012.
richard
I'm listening to the debate right now. The lies and distortions that the Republicans are spewing out right there on the House floor is simply incredible.
ReplyDeleteOne after another insisted that federal dollars will be going to pay for abortions, it will ruin Medicare, cost trillions of dollars.
Someone from California just called it the extension of the Soviet communist totalitarian takeover of our government and the cornerstone of a socialist government. And he ended by saying, "Vote no to socialism and vote no to totalitarianism."
Now I can identify the California Republican who said that. It's Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who had earlier made news by defending the Tea Party protestors who shouted "nigger" at John Lewis and "faggot" at Barnye Frank.
ReplyDeleteNunes blamed the Democrats, saying that it is their tyrannical behavior that makes people do crazy things.
“When you use a totalitarian tactics, people, you know, begin to act crazy,” Nunes told C-SPAN’s Steve Scully Sunday morning when asked about the slurs.
I've been watching it too. One really disgusting spectacle. Just gagged through Boener. Can't realkly discuss things when the other side flat out makes up horror stories.
ReplyDeleterichard