When the present health care battle comes to its untimely conclusion this week in Congress the ongoing tug-of-war between angry right wing Republic
ans and disheartened left wing Democrats will not only go on unabated – whichever way the vote goes -- but threatens a political tsunami that could spell disaster for President Barack Obama throughout his term of office.
ans and disheartened left wing Democrats will not only go on unabated – whichever way the vote goes -- but threatens a political tsunami that could spell disaster for President Barack Obama throughout his term of office.
If the 
vote goes President Obama’s way Democrats across the nation will celebrate a hard-fought victory while Republican outrage will insure the most acrimonious congressional campaign in many decades throughout this summer and fall. Should congress fail to approve the health care plan, jubilant Republicans will declare Obama a failed president and redouble their efforts to prevent him and the majority Democrats from achieving any success on any of their proposals.
vote goes President Obama’s way Democrats across the nation will celebrate a hard-fought victory while Republican outrage will insure the most acrimonious congressional campaign in many decades throughout this summer and fall. Should congress fail to approve the health care plan, jubilant Republicans will declare Obama a failed president and redouble their efforts to prevent him and the majority Democrats from achieving any success on any of their proposals.
Wise Republicans understand, however, that health care reform has already failed. True reform, which would create a universal single-payer health care system that covers everyone in America, has been unceremoniously defeated. The so-called public option also has gone by the boards.
Whichever way the vote goes, insurance companies and health care corporations are the big winners. The capitalist system prevails. Private insurers not only maintain their monopoly over healthcare but get a bigger piece of the pie – some 30,000,000 new customers with little or no requirements to keep premiums at reasonable rates. Millions of additional taxpayer and premium dollars will go to private corporations – or should I say “persons” considering the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision (Aren’t “persons” supposed to have a “birth certificate?”)
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat with strong health care credentials, and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader have vigorously criticized the health care bill, but the Ohio congressman has nevertheless announced he will vote for the bill although it’s not the bill he wanted. Nader remains adamantly opposed to it. A vote is expected on the bill on Sunday.
President Obama points out that the bill includes a provision that would ban insurers from denying coverage to patients with pre-existing conditions. It also would prevent insurers from denying coverage or impose limits on care when a person becomes ill. It would require free preventive care and allow children to remain on their parents’ health plan until the age of 26.
“The insurance industry would run amok" if the vote fails, Obama said.
“The insurance industry would run amok" if the vote fails, Obama said.
So would the Republican opposition to the president and his efforts to bring back American jobs and reinvigorate the economy.
