Republicans

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!

The Difference Between Democrats And Republicans On Scandal

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It is disgraceful when either Democrats or Republicans get involved in scandal, but there is one major difference: their reaction to it, at least in many cases.

Eliot Spitzer, Jim McGreevey, and Charles Rangel all resigned or stepped down from their position of authority (Rangel). While David Paterson has not done so yet, it is clear he will be forced to very soon.

On the other hand, Larry Craig, David Vitter, Mark Sanford, and John Ensign refused to resign, and decided to “tough” it out, no matter how embarrassing to their party, and all but Craig are still in office, showing no shame.

Of course, it might be said that what is the real difference, since all of the above individuals have been involved in activities that should never have happened.

But at least the Democrats have not gone around touting their “family values” and “high moral principles” and then showing themselves as the hypocrites that Republicans regularly have been!

As a person who believes in total disclosure and promotion of truth, of course, it must be mentioned that Democrats John Edwards and Rod Blagojevich are in a separate class–despicable, and unwilling to come clean by their own confessions.

But at the end, whether revealed or confessed or not, all of the above and those others who are involved in scandal in both parties need to be condemned for their behavior, as having failed to uphold their oath of office!

American Politics In Crisis: No One Is Trusted Or Believed!

Ronald 1 Comment

The problem of our political system is that whether Democrat or Republican, we have reached the stage where events and behavior makes most Americans lack trust or belief in any politician, and that is indeed sad! 🙁

Between the dalliances of Republicans like John Ensign, Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, David Vitter, Mark Foley and others, and that of Democrats like Eliot Spitzer, Jim McGreevey, John Edwards, Eric Massa, and yes Bill Clinton sadly along with others, most Americans have a very low opinion of the morals of our leaders.

Add to that the financial or other behavioral irregularities of such political leaders as Charles Rangel, David Paterson, Rod Blagojevich and others on the Democratic side and Bob Taft, Joe Wilson, Marco Rubio and others on the Republican side, and you get total cynicism by vast numbers of Americans!

Politics has become an industry where winning power is the only important thing, even though stalemate and gridlock is the constant result after elections. Negativism and character assassination is the norm, and radio talk shows, cable news, internet blogs, and political activists are only interested in confrontation, rather than compromise!

The sense of a common bond and a bright future are being lost, and yet there is no real alternative except to “throw out the rascals” and replace them with new leaders, who unfortunately will be likely to follow the same pattern, due to the overwhelming influence of lobbyists and pressure groups that care not a whit for anything but their own selfish interests!

And we live in a country which is oriented toward cutting taxes but keeping spending at the same or greater rate, but no one has yet figured out how to keep services such as education, hospitals, social workers, police, firefighters, paramedics, higher education, prisons, road, and other public needs met by cutting taxes. We live in an unreal world in which somehow we want and need the services, but want OTHERS to pay for them! The answer, unfortunately, is that we face the greatest cuts in public services since the Great Depression until we understand that the only way to meet public demand is to pay MORE taxes!

This is what the conservatives and the Tea Party Movement do not understand! Either more taxes are essential, or crippling cuts in public services that no one wants will have to occur! The age of constant cutting of taxes is nearing an end, whether we like it or not!

But will the American people ever again trust anyone who leads us? That is the question of the present and the future, and the likelihood is that the answer is NO! 🙁

Portrayals Of President Obama At Health Care Summit: Totally Distorted!

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I have not had the chance yet to watch the six to seven hours of the Health Care Summit at Blair House, but I have seen excerpts of it online, and it is clear that some news media have painted President Obama’s participation in a very distorted manner!

According to Rush Limbaugh early yesterday afternoon, Obama had pursed lips and was angry at House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, who read from portions of the congressional bills while having them stacked in front of his face to demonstrate the size in pages of the bills.

When John McCain complained about the unfairness of the bill to his constituents in Arizona as compared to Florida and other states, Obama was depicted in news reports as involved in an angry response to his former rival, declaring that the election was over, and it was time to do something on the issue of health reform for the American people, rather than harp on the process!

Having seen these excerpts, I fail to see the portrayal of Obama as anywhere near accurate!

Obama was simply making clear that the desire of the Republicans to destroy all of the many hours of work on health care would not be allowed to occur!

When one realizes that there were hundreds of briefings; dozens of caucus meetings; hundreds of hours of hearings; many weeks of markups in five committees; 25 days of consecutive Senate meetings in the month of December; sixty full hours of Senate debate after cloture was voted twice; and that it passed both Houses once already;–when is enough enough? It is time for action to cut down the unnecessary 45,000 deaths a year caused by lack of health care coverage for millions of Americans!

President Obama was simply being assertive and firm, and acting like a leader. This is his challenge to show leadership in a similar way that John F. Kennedy showed toward the steel industry in 1962; that Dwight D. Eisenhower demonstrated in the Little Rock intervention in 1957; that Lyndon Johnson made clear in the fight over the Civil Rights Act of 1964; and that many other Presidents who have been seen as successful have had to demonstrate!

The propaganda machine churns on, but it is clear that President Obama handled himself very well at the Health Care Summit, and that soon, the Democrats will move to final action on the Health Care Reform Act of 2010!

“Reconciliation” And Health Care Legislation: Time For Action!

Ronald 2 Comments

As the Health Care Summit is about to occur on Thursday, it is clear that the Obama Administration intends to use “reconciliation” if the Republicans refuse to budge on the issue, which is seen as extremely likely.

The statement by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that such action would be “unprecedented” is pure propaganda, as it has been used under earlier Presidents.

But also research shows that the Children’s Health Care program and expansion of Medicaid to more children, and many other extensions of Medicare coverage have been brought about by “reconciliation” since the Reagan Administration onward.

So after the summit tomorrow, IF the GOP refuses to cooperate, it is time to follow that tactic, and if need be, use Vice President Joe Biden to break a tie, as Al Gore broke a tie on the Clinton economic plan in 1993, which led to the greatest period of economic expansion in US History in the 1990s.

Enough of bipartisanship, which requires both parties to cooperate! If the Republicans don’t, then do what must be done to extend health care to many millions of Americans who are entitled to have the same access to health care that Dick Cheney and Bob Dole are receiving right now!

A Federal Agency To Regulate Health Insurance Premium Increases A Great Step Forward!

Ronald 3 Comments

The health insurance industry is running amuck with tremendous jumps in premiums, which will force many middle and lower class citizens to have to drop health care, just at a time when there is a great need to expand coverage to millions, who have none at all.

Therefore, the announcement that President Obama is calling for a health insurance commission to have the power to control premium increases in the public interest is an important step to curb the runaway inflation on health care!

Of course, many Republicans will say it is “socialism”, but actually it really is an extension of REGULATION in the public interest, as we cannot allow corporations to forestall the essential passage of health insurance controls on rates, that allow citizens to insure what all of us are entitled to at birth: good health care!

This is one step in preparation for the Health Care Summit at Blair House this Thursday, but already the GOP is indicating it will refuse to back controls on health care costs. It will be interesting to see how this Thursday event plays itself out!

Republicans In Office Versus Republicans Out Of Office

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A very interesting contrast can be made between Republicans in Congress, and former Republican leaders and presidential advisers under past Republican presidents.

While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and other Republican leaders, and really just about all the Republicans in Congress, act totally obstructionist on health care, climate control and every other issue, including foreign policy and national security, those former Republican stalwarts from past times are in many cases disagreeing with their party and being at least somewhat supportive of President Obama.

Among those who are acting statesmanlike are Bob Dole of Kansas, former GOP Presidential nominee and Senate Majority Leader; Howard Baker of Tennessee, former White House Chief of Staff and Senate Majority Leader; Alan Simpson, former Wyoming Senator and Minority Whip, who has agreed to serve on Obama’s Deficit Commission to deal with the national debt; Colin Powell, former Secretary of State; and James Baker, former White House Chief of Staff, Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury.

While certainly responsibility for the gridlock and stalemate in Congress is something both parties have to share, it is clear to open minded observers that it is the Republicans who bear the major share of the blame!

Public Opinion Poll Opposes Supreme Court Campaign Financing Decision

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A very interesting poll came out this week, demonstrating that the Supreme Court really struck out, when it voted 5-4 in January to allow unlimited political campaign spending by corporations and labor unions.

An astounding 80 percent of those in the Washington Post poll opposed the decision, with 65 percent vehemently opposed, and 72 percent want legislation to restore the controls on spending. 85 percent of Democrats, 81 percent of Independents, and 76 percent of Republicans feel the decision was a bad one.

There is bipartisan support for legislation on this subject, and yet the Republicans in Congress hailed the decision as a victory for “free speech”. So the GOP is again in the minority, even with its own supporters, on this extremely unpopular decision of the Supreme Court.

Republicans and business groups say it levels the playing field in the struggle against labor unions and liberal interest groups. But even three fourths of self identified conservative Republicans agree action must be taken to limit the effects of the Court decision.

So again, the Republican party in Congress is working against the will of the people, and yet, they seem to think that they are going to win control of both houses of Congress or come close to it, and also the White House in 2012. Are they living in illusion and a state of unreality? Very likely!

Meanwhile, legislation is being readied by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Let’s hope some kind of legislation is passed, although, of course, it will have to overcome a likely GOP filibuster in the Senate! 🙁

Conservative And Tea Party Advocacy Of Violence Against Democrats

Ronald 2 Comments

A return to promotion of violence, even if symbolic in nature, is showing up at the Conservative Political Action Conference this weekend, and in campaign rallies by Republican candidates for office, as well as Tea Party gatherings.

In Indiana, a GOP Senate candidate said that if there are not new faces in Congress next year, he was going to clean his guns and “put on a show”. In Washington State, at a Tea Party rally, a woman speaker suggested that she wanted to hang Senator Patty Murray.

At the CPAC meeting, a pinata of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi can be stabbed by women delegates, and a punching bag with the depiction of Senator Harry Reid, the Majority Leader, can be used by male delegates.

One could say that this is all silly stuff, and that one should not be upset, but this set of symbolic gestures of violence still represents a dangerous trend, which began last summer when gun toting citizens started to show up at the site of speeches by President Obama. The Republican party tried to shrug it off, but this is not a light matter.

Are the Republicans, in their attempt to gain the backing of Tea Party advocates and hardline conservatives, really willing to advocate, by statements and deeds, armed violence on the US government and elected officials?

If these dangerous trends continue, the Republican party could very well self destruct as the party that represents dangerous extremists. They had better step back from the brink, before we suffer violence in reality that will condemn them to the historical garbage bin! 🙁

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