Health Care Reform

Being the geek I am, I spent much of Saturday watching the House debate health care reform. A couple of thoughts:

• Long before the Democratic heavyweights adopted it as a talking point, my own wife noted, “Being a Republican is a pre-existing condition."

• A couple of Troglodyt-icans made some true statements. Rep. John Lindell of Georgia said, “This is not about health care, it is about rewarding your friends.” His friends, of course, are all in the insurance industry. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, considered a rising star in the Repoohblican constellation, said, it was “a historic moment” in which members would cast “the most important vote” they ever would. I agree. Which is why Republicans will go the way of Whigs, whom they replaced 150 years ago.

• Another Repoohblican, Rep. Ted Poe of the armed revolutionary secessionist Republic of Texas, said the issue “is not about health care, it is about government oppression.” If so, Mr. Poe, why aren’t you and your hooligan Teabaggers picking up the gun. I certainly would if I thought my government were oppressing me

• The Man-Tanned Repoohblican leader John Boehner noted that his passionate argument “might sound like hyperbole.” Except Boehner, who two days ago didn’t know the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, pronounced it "hyperbowl." Maybe he was thinking he was in the Super Bowl of hypocrisy.

• It is now manifest that Iran is not the only theocracy. So is the United States. In order to get passage of health reforms first proposed by Republican Theodore Roosevelt and advocated strongly by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton, 64 Democrats took their orders from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and voted to make existing anti-abortion law stronger. In so doing, Democrats sold out women and turned the clock back.

• If I were a member of Congress, I would kill health care reform rather than cater to a religious lobby that believes in the sanctity not of life but of fetuses. Republicans are beneath contempt – arguing that the government should stay out of health care except the government should intervene in a woman’s health care – but their Catholic-Democrat allies are only one circle of hell above contempt. (As the roll calls become available, I will list the Catholic Democrats who betrayed women, justice, health care and their party.)

• Speaking of Theodore Roosevelt, I was reading a book about the Progressive Movement at the turn of the 20^th Century, and, by God, I would have supported that Republican. Said Teddy: "This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in if it is not a reasonably good place for all of us to live in.”

• Oh, did I mention that Republicans have been captured by aliens and removed from the reality-based community? Nothing they argued regarding the merits of health reform had any fleeting resemblance to accuracy. The were in power for 12 years and did nothing about an issue they whine they are really for, except for the cost, and then introduce a laughable bill last week when it is apparent they were going to lose.

• Only one Republican voted for what the American people have wanted, voted for and deserved for more than a century. And they wonder why they are in third place, behind Democrats and independents in survey after survey.

Let them drink hemlock!

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Here are 64 Democrats who turned their back on women, on health care and on their own party by voting to make current anti-choice law even harsher. Half of them are Catholic.

Altmire -Catholic

Baca

Barrow

Berry

Bishop (GA) -Catholic

Boccieri -Catholic

Boren

Bright

Cardoza - Catholic

Carney - Catholic

Costa - Catholic

Costello -Catholic

Cuellar -Catholic

Dahlkemper -Catholic

Davis (AL)

Davis (TN)

Donnelly (IN) -Catholic

Doyle -Catholic

Driehaus -Catholic

Ellsworth -Catholic

Etheridge -Catholic

Gordon (TN)

Griffith

Heller

Hill

Holden -Catholic

Kanjorski -Catholic

Kaptur -Catholic

Kildee -Catholic

Langevin

Lipinski -Catholic

Lynch -Catholic

Marshall
Matheson

McIntyre

Michaud -Catholic

Mollohan

Murtha -Catholic

Neal (MA) -Catholic

Oberstar -Catholic

Obey -Catholic

Perriello -Catholic

Peterson

Pomeroy

Rahall

Reyes -Catholic

Rodriguez -Catholic

Ross

Ryan (OH)

Salazar -Catholic

Shuler

Skelton

Snyder

Space

Spratt

Stupak -Catholic

Tanner

Taylor -Catholic

Teague

Wilson (Ohio) -Catholic