Home > Opinion > Reconciliation, Hypocrisy, and a Shamelessness in Health Reform

Reconciliation, Hypocrisy, and a Shamelessness in Health Reform

Reader Comments
Back to article

YOU REALLY HAVE SOME BAD JUDGMENT. HONESTLY, HOW DO YOU THINK OBAMA IS DOING RIGHT NOW. I THINK HE REALLY SUCKS. HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE'S DOING. MAYBE YOU SHOULD SLAP YOURSELF A FEW TIMES AND THEN MAYBE YOU'LL WAKE UP. YOUR IN THE REAL WORLD HUN, DEMOCRATS PROMISE THINGS THEY CAN'T ACCOMPLISH. WHAT NOW?

JIM of KS 8:19PM November 01, 2010

HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT
Because of a pre-existing condition I can not get health insurance. I lost my insurance after being diagnosed 20 years ago. If this condition worsens I will need to decide between dying and putting my young family in the street. This is a situation no one should have to face in a civilized society.
Remember the Declaration of Independence? We are endowed with certain rights by our creator - among them are; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I would submit that the right to life must - as a matter of practical necessity - include medical care. Most of us would be dead before 35 without it.
Furthermore, notwithstanding Beck, Limbaugh or Hannity many rights are indeed conferred by the government and not by God ; the right to an attorney, a fair trial, to own a gun, free speech, to be secure in our homes, the right to an education, the right to vote, the right to equal protection under the law, etc..
Is this current bill the best way? Definitely not. But does that mean we should return to the caves? Live by club, claw and fang for the sake of a Libertarian ethic? Even then would we deny the sick or aged food because they weren't able to hunt, or the warmth of the fire if they haven't gathered wood?
History proves that communism doesn't work, nor does capitalism at the hands of robber barons. Many mistakes have been made in the name of dogmatic, ideological, political purity - both on the right and the left.
Americans were once known for common sense, and the ability to solve problems by adopting the middle ground that exists between barbarism and communism. We need not choose between Eloy and Morlock. We Americans have always been a hybrid melding - an ideologically imperfect, but practical and functioning compromise between freedom and security. It is maintaining this balance that is the trick.
We can do it better and cheaper than this monstrosity of a bill. It's time to get to it.

R.L. SCHAEFER of CA 2:45PM March 18, 2010

After so many years, so many administrations, so much time wasted, so much whining, so much hand-wringing, so much money spent, and SO FEW results.....
Any clown that's been in a Congress that crossed the past 2 and the current administrations is STRAIGHT up part of the problem, and needs to have his/her number retired! I mean, please, you come into a new session of Congress with your mind made up that you're not gonna do ANYTHING? What do we need you for? I don't care what party's in power: ineffective is ineffective; useless is useless.
Clean out your desks and go waste somebody else's time and money! But if you're serious about doing what you were elected to do, then get off your collective assets and get these bills passed and get this budget under contro1! Get something done--how's that for change!?!

tlynette of IL 2:00PM March 16, 2010

When did hypocrisy become a euphemism for lying? Republicans simply lie more than any other political group in the whole history world. That's why talking to them and any efforts at so-called bipartisanship are totally fruitless. If Americans want them to govern, fine, give them the votes and Congress and the White House. Otherwise, let the Democrats show what they can do for the country.

jon of IN 11:10AM March 12, 2010

Term limits have a downside such as an elected official not being in office to be accountable for the longer termed effects of his legislation.
I voted for our president, but now I don't trust him. One of the first significant things he did was to throw money, with no strings, at the very institutions that caused our economic calamity - effecting the entire globe. The guy is a lawyer and knows there are two sides to a contract.
Even now there have been no effective leashes put on financial houses regarding dealing in derivatives and credit default swaps. A new Glass-Steagal has not been made (that was legislation put into effect after the Great Depression to ensure it would not happen again. It was whittled away to nothing by successive administrations and would have prevented our current economic problem).
In effect, Obama's first major act was to stab the trusting public in the back.
I don't trust a darned thing that he does, now.
When I hear that his health care bill was a deal struck in a back room with industry, favors industry with little commensurate benefit to the public, I want no part of it.
This comes from a guy who promised an open administration, shining the light of day on such 'deals'.
The guy is not at all what he appeared to be during his campaign.
I do think families should not be ruined and destitute due to health care costs. I believe in some sort of public option.
Our country seems to be heading down the road of some Latin American countries, with a few extremely wealthy families on top and the rest, peasants, there being no middle class. I compare this to some European countries, like Denmark, with practically all in what we would take as a middle class - sure, it is some form of socialism, but seems better than the Latin American model that we are racing towards.
Denmark was supposed to be the happiest country in some report I read. I know middle class professionals who are responsible people who cannot get employment or are grossly underemployed due to outsourcing.
Obama said a lot about jobs during the campaign, but these folks have seen no change in their status.
The way I see it, many past presidents did a lot to favor the wealthy and screw the middle class. Republicans are usually 'blamed' for this by the left, but we must remember that Nafta was passed under the Clinton administration.
There just seems to be a concerted effort, no matter who is in charge, to bring this country to its knees for the sake of international business conglomerates. It is to 'their' advantage if we keep fighting against each other as liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats.
It might be time to drop the rhetoric of both sides and act together for the benefit of the country, before we lose it.

Joan Dalton of AL 3:21PM March 11, 2010

I'm yearning for a country where our representatives think first of country. Party affiliations and terms of office be damned....we should have a limit of one six year term for the whole bunch.........

BP of WA of WA 2:27PM March 11, 2010

Oddly, they don't seem worried that they'll more likely lose for doing nothing and for being perceived as impotent weaklings.
We were supposed to have a lot done by now. It's time to either catch up or be replaced.

Muser of NM 11:34PM March 10, 2010

Yes...the National Flood TAX has worked out so well stealing BILLIONS from everyday citizens and suppling it to entire CITIES built under sea level.
Whatever the "process" BAD LAW is BAD LAW!
If it takes nearly 3000 PAGES to explain how we will be screwed...
?????

Chris Petty of GA 10:44PM March 10, 2010

Imagine politicians that are hypocrits and weasles in both parties. Yawn

ron of PA 7:05PM March 10, 2010

AntonioSosa of FL, you have obviously been tea-bagged too many times, why are you off your meds?
No to having sheep like you bleat Faux talking points.
PS - Your're right tho, the GOP was not bribed at our expense (at least not directly) The health care industry took care of that.

Michael of CA 5:57PM March 10, 2010