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Sara R. Nichols

Sara R. Nichols

Posted: January 21, 2010 01:34 AM

Mass Suicide

What's Your Reaction:

Do you remember the only state to vote for McGovern in 1972? The state that had the honor of being the only state not to blame for the debacle otherwise known as Richard M. Nixon? It was the state where every other car bore a "Don't blame me; I'm from Massachusetts" bumper sticker when Watergate hit the fan. I wanted one of those bumper stickers but I had a New Hampshire license plate.

My Pollyanna mother used to always tell me that everything evens out in the end. Well, I guess so! It took a while but Massachusetts just did to America what the rest of America did to itself in 1972. It has royally screwed our future, no thanks to a singularly badly run campaign by one Martha Coakley. Of course, there were the indirect contributions of "Democrats" such as Senators Ben Nelson, Max Baucus, Harry Reid, Blanch Lincoln, Mary Landrieu, ad nauseum, who have made it abundantly clear to the American people that their loyalties are only to the special interests bribing them to deliver multibillion gift packages to the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. With 2 drug company lobbyists (never mind health insurance lobbyists) for every single Congressperson, and $1.5 million spent EVERY SINGLE DAY by "health care" lobbyists to bribe the members of Congress, the rest of us don't have a chance. The Democrats, it turns out, are just as craven as the Republicans, less the revenge gene and spines.

So what did Tea-Bagger Scott Brown do? He's no dumby. He left the word "Republican" off all his literature and out of his speeches. Yes, you can fool most of the people most of the time. Massachusetts is one of few states to have a state health care system that the rest of us envy. For the people of Massachusetts to have replaced the venerable Ted Kennedy, whose main goal as a Senator was to get decent health care to the American people, with an anti-health care right-wingnut transcends depressing.

I am hoping for a miracle: 51 Senate Democrats locate their spines, tell the drug and health insurance lobbyists to go to hell, and pass, on reconciliation, a single-payer health care system with a heavy focus on prevention. Let the bloodsucking insurance companies die a deserved and natural death. I know; wishful thinking.

 
 
 
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TryToBeFlexible
MENSA, Gay, Atheist, Believer in justice
09:13 AM on 01/21/2010
If Coakley had won, here is what you could expect:

Wars forever.
Insurance mandates to force all American to buy dishonest worthless health insurance or be criminalized.
Nothing done to end DADT.
Nothing done to end DOMA.
Too big to fail banks continuing to reap huge bonuses and take wild chances.
Pretty speeches from Obama while he continues to &*$# us up the (*$&.

Now, you might get a bit of movement on some issues. If not, throw out a few more, and the rest may start to get the picture. We don't vote for democrats because we want them to make alot of money in bribes so they can live high on the hog. We vote for democrats so they can enact legislation to help the people.
09:25 AM on 01/21/2010
But what are you going to get from Brown, free tea?

The rethugs and the tea baggers sure aren't going to give you what you've listed above.

I am disappointed that some of the campaign promises from the President haven't been addressed yet, but you are certainly not going to obtain those things from Mr. Brown and the people that he will align himself with in Washigton.
08:55 AM on 01/21/2010
I always had pride in living in Massachusetts, and all I feel today is shame and embrassment on some people on what this state has done. It is depressing, and I can't help but feel like many didn't care about the ramifications for others who don't have the health care we do. It's ironic that Scott Brown voted for health care in Massachusetts, under Mitt Romney, but doesn't have a care in the world that millions of others don't, and that people are dying because of it. He campaigned on killing health care reform, and the selfish people of Massachusetts welcomed his pledge to kill heath care legislation.

Health care is very personal. I have a friend who died recently of Breast Cancer. She tried to get care, but NOONE would help her. She was in her twenties, and know these 2 chioldren don't have mother.

I am also so disheartened that DOUG FLUTIE campaigned with Scott Brown. I found that to be so sad, because I always admired Doug Flutie, until now, for his advocacy for children with Autism. I always thought he would be an advocate for health care, but I guess I was very wrong
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10:32 AM on 01/21/2010
Julie, I am a Mass resident, and native, and I, too, am embarrassed, ashamed, and disheartened.

I imagine I feel somewhat the way non-gay progressives felt when Prop 8 passed in California.

(Did you happen to receive one of NOM's robocalls this past weekend, btw?)