As Congress convenes today to pass long-awaited health insurance reform, I'm reminded of one of the last times we voted on a Sunday: March 20, 2005, when Republicans forced an extraordinary vote to intervene in the case of Terri Schiavo.
To know what a real government takeover looks like, one should revisit that resolution. That midnight vote was a grotesque legislative travesty. For 215 years it had been a solid principle of this country that Congress not get involved in life-and-death issues like the tragic case of Ms. Schiavo. Yet, on that Sunday -- Palm Sunday -- Congress broke with tradition and inserted its own judgment. On that Sunday, the Republican Congress sent the message that it knew better than families, doctors, and hospital chaplains.
To my friends on the other side of the aisle who repeatedly claim that Congress is passing a "government takeover" -- I kindly remind them that's their work, not ours. Our work expands private insurance while increasing choice and competition and protecting consumers from the worst abuses of the insurance industry and leaving medical decisions in the hands of doctors and their patients. We intend that patients, families, and doctors -- not the government, not insurance companies -- have control over health decisions.
Now Congress has accomplished the heroic feat of re-inflating the financial bubble; Mandating premium payments for everyone that the IRS will monitor in a "rigged to collapse" economy.
Congress has not done a substantive thing in regard to our collapsing economy; the chronic unemployment, hunger, homelessness, foreclosures, bankruptcies, loss of healthcare and education, etc.; There is the Perpetual War Policy and the trillion dollar bailouts used by banks to speculate in the collapsing operation international monetary financier market system.
This healthcare "victory" is a fraud upon the population. The President, the Administration and the Congress have the political power to do almost anything; and yet you will only serve the doges of finance.
Neocons compassionate conservatism only comes into play either before life has begun, or on the deathbed after life is already over, but in between, your on your own in a dog eat dog world. Only a FOX News believing neocon could equate compassion with denying millions of their fellow Americans healthcare, killing tens of thousands of their fellow citizens annually, yet stop the universe to try to prolong the misery of Terry Shaivo. Neocons never miss an opportunity to increase the suffering of their fellow man and for that they are quite proud.
No public parks (with free admission).
No national monuments (with free admission).
No public schools and no requirement to be educated (if you can't afford a private school you won't be educated beyond "want fries with that" at home).
No age restriction for labor (child labor is the norm).
No restrictions for work week hours or employee rights of any kind.
No food aid for the poor.
No unemployment aid.
No help for college.
No road or bridge repair/construction (all private owned).
No free marina or dock access (all private owned again).
In short, they want a fascist police state and anything less will result in their doubling down in lies and traitorous actions to get what they want. We're seeing it now in the Republican party.
The Rethugs are such blatant hypocrites! They don't want "government intervention" unless it's for conservative principles.
Thank you for the reminder.