Pearlstein Over the Top
This is Steve Pearlstein writing in a Washington Post column:
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.
And he’s referring to? Republicans! Greg Scandlen responds.
When I think of “political terrorists” I think of Cindy Sheehan and her Code Pink protesters – not senior citizens at a town hall meeting.
In any event, town hall protests don’t poison the political well (as if the political well was pure in the first place). They enhance the political discourse by forcing the government to defend its position. We should always question the government’s actions — and we should certainly protest when the government tries to take over a large chunk of the economy with little detail provided.
If nothing else, I always thought the Democrats understood the virtue of a good protest. When did they start to trust the government so much?
Boy, the truth really hurts doesn’t it?!
Republicans ARE practising political terrorism and their primary targets have been the elderly. When it comes to healthcare reform republicans have ALWAYS been in opposition, (claims to the contrary are easily exposed for the blatant lies they are). Republicans have always exaggerated facts, twisted statistics, and refused to operate from a place of honesty.
I would, however, NOT go as far as saying that the townhallmeetings are poisonous. What is reflected is the harvest of terror sown by republicans. What IS reflected is how deeply this issue affects every American, insured or not. This is a very basic and fundamental shift in how life issues are approached, (profit-only concerns versus a fair market value expectation). It would have been easier to handle in ’93 but unfortunatly republicans shotit down. It would have been easier to deal with when bush called at least 4 times for healthcare reform which republican majorities in both houses ignored that call to action. But we are not living in the past. We are living now and NOW is the time to do something that is both effective and immediate. More republican delays and terrorist activities don’t help anything, it only ensures that the only winners in healthcare are the corporations. It is passed time thast republicans and democrats, but republicans in particular, start actually working for the people rather than working for the insurance monopoly.
Its about time that someone stood up and said what every American knows….. Republicans are not concernbed about reforming healthcare and they have never been concerned about it, republicans have worked AGAINST reform each and every time. Republicans ARE terrorists as proven through their actions.
One can infer from Pearlstein’s article that he believes Republicans are guilty of being obstructionist rather than engaging in good faith negotiations in pursuit of bipartisan agreement. However, if Democrats really want bipartisan support, I suggest they start the negotiations somewhat to the right of a massive expansion of health care entitlements leading to a government takeover of health care.
Devon-
In other words you mean that if Democrats want bi-partisan healthcare reform, they should just forget the whole thing. That is after all the time-tested method of healthcare refom adopted by republicans…. do nothing and let insurance police itself.
De-regulation? Yes it will save money but only for the insurance companies. There is no historical basis to believe that those savings will translate to savings for the consumer. In fact, historically, the savings to insurance will be pocketed as profitand premiums will still go up.
Republicans have had their chance to reform healthcare at least 4 seperate times under Bush. The result? No reforms and no intention to EVER reform healthcare. Republicans have NO standing and no credibility on reform issues. What the only concern of republicans is, is increasing profits for corporations and let the people suffer.
Reform MUST be effective not just for insurance companies but more importantly for the American public. Reforms MUST reduce the cost not just for buisness but MORE importantly for the American citizen. Nothing yet proposed by republicans translates to lower costs for the consumer. Quite frankly it shows that republicans just don’t care.
The problem with Pearlstein is that he, like so many other inside-the-Beltway reporters thinks that everything begins and ends in DC. The Republicans have had no discernible impact on the health care debate taking place in Congress. They are completely on the sidelines. All the infighting has been among Democrats and the special interest groups whose favors they are currying.
Nor have Republicans had any discernible input into the grass roots protests that are developing around the country.
Sad to say, but Republicans have been irrelevant.