Steve Pearlstein of the Washington Post looks at the current state of the so-called health care debate and calls it for what it is.
The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they've given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They've become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems.
There are lots of valid criticisms that can be made against the health reform plans moving through Congress -- I've made a few myself. But there is no credible way to look at what has been proposed by the president or any congressional committee and conclude that these will result in a government takeover of the health-care system. That is a flat-out lie whose only purpose is to scare the public and stop political conversation.
Ya think?
Try Not to Sing Along
2 months ago
4 comments:
I disagree with much of the tempo and tenor of recent town hall meetings.
That said, I understand the heartburn. The Democrats did their best to ram and jam a health care bill through with minimal debate/Republican Party member input and no one knowing what was in the bill. I believe they and the president hoped to avoid this entire discussion and debate with a quick and dirty done deal before summer recess.
So I think not mentioning the Pelosi/Reid/White House shenanigans is a bit misleading and one sided.
Amen. I am on page 150-ish of 1017 of HB 3200, which I believe is the most likely of the bills to get some traction. I have checked page 425, and I feel comfortable that no one is going to call my grandmother in to kill her for having outlived her usefulness to society.
Hank, I thought this was an interesting take on the entire fiasco.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2009/08/12/town_halls/index.html
Thanks, Al. She really cuts loose and swings the sword at everyone. But rather than present facts, she just rants. I can't tell if she has any valid complaints because she doesn't back them up. Then she moves on to our debt to China, the Gates incident, the Valley Swim Club incident, and last of all art and pop. It's like she's saying, "While I have your attention let me tell you what I think--about a bunch of different stuff."
Pearlstein, on the other hand, addressed specifics with specifics, not his opinion of them.
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