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Response to those Democrats crying "kill the bill"
Politics is still the art of the possible. But for the progressives who are so agitated over the fact that we do not have the votes in the Senate to get the either the public option or Medicare buy-in, have preferred to burn down the house, commit a public and "honor
able hari-kari", vilify their leadership, and set the Democratic Party up for a fractured and weakened status to confront the many important issues before our nation. The Republicans are gleefully cheering us on. It is time for the grownups to standup before we again "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory"...
Much of the consumer protections and new emphasis on wellness are welcome reforms and change of policy. Giving the currently 33 million uninsured access to insurance is a moral imperative even if it is not through a public option. The expansion of the insurance exchange which currently offers the lawmakers insurance options, should do the same for the uninsured and should offer a degree of competition to the monopolistic practices of insurance companies that dominate in most states. I would hope we could make this component as strong as we can. These important reforms shouldn't be sacrificed to assuage our righteous indignation.
Like all of us I am extremely disappointed and frustrated for the dropping of the public option and the Medicare buy-in that should moderate the steady climb in health insurance costs. The industry and their political allies are spending enormous amounts of money to manipulate public opinion by dire and misleading information. Our response should be clear. We will do our best for all of the American people. We will not forfeit the game out of political pique, and we will accomplish the possible.
Now, more than ever we need to close ranks and get the most we can with the 60 votes in the Senate on the current issue with health insurance reform. There are many more issues before us that are contentious that we will again need 60 votes. We cannot afford a meltdown that will cripple our ability to find solutions. Our ultimate solution is to work harder to elect more Democrats. The Republican party's narrow strategy is to frustrate us at every juncture in hopes we will turn our anger and frustration against our own and sit on our hands the next election. Are we going to fall for this?
M. E. "Skip" Belt
skipbelt@sbcglobal.net
Dec. 15, 2009
