The U.S. House of Representatives is debating the health care reform bill today. If you have a strong stomach, you can watch the debate on CSPAN.
As the drama unfolds, a few observations about health care in America and the Republican effort to keep 50 million of our fellow citizens without health insurance and millions more under-insured.
Wholly owned by the insurance industry, the Republican Party would sacrifice our lives and the lives of our children to make sure their benefactors in the insurance industry can continue to fill their pockets with blood money. The simple fact that reform is aimed at saving lives — millions of lives — is often lost as right wing crazoids raise specters of socialism, fascism, communism, and other non-sequiturisms.
The bottom line is this: the current system of health care is broken. Tens of millions of hard-working Americans suffer and die upon the altar of Big Insurance. The insurance industry earns ALL of its profits from the denial of care. It is a unique business model within capitalism, earning its profits from what is not delivered to consumers. What is not delivered is care that would reduce unnecessary suffering and death.
Republicans (and a few Democrats who have accepted insurance industry bribes) hide their fealty to Big Insurance behind a lengthy list of lies. To correct just a few of them: The reform measure will lower, not raise, the federal deficit. The consumer choice of a public option will keep costs down and bring at least some competition to an insurance market that is, in essence, the biggest monopoly in world history.
Should health care reform fail — and I don’t think it will — it means the private insurance industry is more powerful than our elected officials at any level of government. Does that sound like democracy to you?
Because of the power of the industry, no other domestic issue is so tough to tackle. It really is on a level with the 19th Century debate over slavery. In that instance, powerful economic interests — Southern planters — sought to place their economic well-being above the plain moral absolute that the enslavement of other human beings was wrong. In the health care debate, powerful economic interests place their economic well-being above the plain moral absolute that profiting from unecessary suffering and death is wrong.
We have the ability to provide health care to all Americans. It can be done simply and without negative economic consequences. In fact, as federal budget analysis show, the reform measure will actually lower the federal deficit. The equation is this simple: the health and lives of you and your neighbors versus an insurance industry that holds itself above all accepted morality and fundamental human decency and compassion.
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About Glenn W. Smith
Glenn W. Smith has spent the past 30 years in journalism and politics, where he’s made a name for himself as a writer, campaign manager, activist, think tank analyst and, as Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas says, a “legendary political consultant and all-around good guy.” “There’s no one like him,” says author George Lakoff. CNN commentator Paul Begala says, “He has unmatched experience, a graceful pen (or pixel nowadays) and deep insight into the best and worst of us.” Novelist Sarah Bird speaks of his “lucid and lyrical” prose. And, she says, he’s fun. Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington says Glenn writes with “grace and abundant humor” and “uses his colorful experiences in Texas to enlighten us all.”
Smith led Ann Richards’ successful 1990 campaign for Governor of Texas. He worked for former Texas Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen. Earlier, Smith was a political reporter for the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post. He’s coordinated national campaigns for groups such as MoveOn.org. In 2004, he authored the highly acclaimed book, The Politics of Deceit: Saving Freedom and Democracy from Extinction. He also wrote Unfit Commander, a book that detailed George W. Bush’s mysterious disappearance from military service.
In 2004, Smith was featured in the film, Bush’s Brain, a documentary about Karl Rove. Smith provided commentary on Rove’s role as then-President Bush’s senior advisor. He has made numerous media appearances with Chris Mathews on Hardball, Joe Scarborough, Brit Hume, and many others. He writes a regularly for top national web sites, including FireDogLake and Huffington Post.
As a senior fellow at George Lakoff’s prestigious Rockridge Institute in Berkeley he studied, wrote and taught on the power of metaphor and narrative in political communications. He also lectured on religion and politics at the Starr King School for Ministry in Berkeley. As a sponsor and organizer, he has pulled together numerous national events with progressive religious leaders. He also organized a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King at Riverside Church in New York City as well as “Freedom and Faith” bus tours, which was a nationwide campaign for social justice and progressive values.
Smith’s play, Double Play, which explored American Western myths and legends, was held over to sold-out audiences. He’s even written and performed songs in the Americana tradition, such as his best-known song, “Helping Marty Robbins,” a tribute to his hometown, Houston.
Most recently, Smith is the creator of DogCanyon, a political and cultural web site covering state, national and global issues from a Texas perspective. DogCanyon is an exhilarating and unique site that gets the connections between politics and culture and explores both the personal side of politics and the ups, down, craziness and beauty of “life its ownself,” as humorist Dan Jenkins would say. DogCanyon offers heartfelt personal essays, hard-hitting political analysis, and, most importantly, laughs.
As Paul Begala said, Smith writes in “the finest, firmest, fearless tradition of Texas essayists like Molly Ivins.”
I’ve made these same basic arguments to Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and my Rep, John Carter. The responses, via staff e-mails and one actual phone call, are repetitions of the Republican Party talking points. No surprise.
I do think, though, that this call is to the Democrats, and to President Obama. They’ve bipartisanshipped themselves into weaker and weaker “reform,” in negotiating with one Republican Senator and the Blue Dog Dems.
Re Cornyn, Hutchison, and many Texas reps, the jury is in. These individuals have betrayed the trust of their constituents from day one with their certainty that fealty to economic and business elites is the way government should run. There’s no point even communicating with them. They will continue doing their disservice to Texans when the health care votes are called.
I am privileged to have Eddie Bernice Johnson as my House rep. She will do the right thing for her constituents today. If your rep will, too, then thank them and remind them of your support. Otherwise, just get ready for another slap in the face after more sophistry, lies and misrepresentation. Nothing can be done about it right now.
I am Texas born and raised, but am not afraid to call a spade a spade and say this state is a snake pit of corruption and ignorance, and its role on the national stage is something to be ashamed of. Most of us are represented by silver-plated jackals.
Maybe ignorant, propagandized, manipulated Texans will wake up some day and hire congresspeople who represent our interests, but it won’t happen today.
I think I’m jealous, Sonny, that you have Johnson as your House Rep
. But I’m more glad, that at least there are a few Texas reps who will “do the right thing for their constituents.”
I know Carter won’t, as I know Cornyn and Hutchison won’t, when health care gets to the Senate. I keep contacting them, however, so they’ll know that some of us are paying attention, and to call them on their false claims that imply that all of their constituents agree with them. That’s worth the effort to me, though I’m entirely realistic about their positions.
The “debate” on health care “reform” today is beyond disappointing. Some Republican Reps have literally talked over their female colleagues. But, the Democratic party and President Obama had a choice about how to deal with the obstruction of the Republicans, and to this point, my take is they are doing a very poor job. The Blue Dogs, and Republicans, have been allowed to define the debate, the process and the contents of “health insurance reform.”
You are doing good work here, Glenn. Plain speaking, powerfully done. I especially appreciated the equation with slavery. It shows just how high the stakes are, and that we have prevailed before. It can be done. Or it could then. Like Joyce, I worry that today our ‘representatives’ are more concerned about funding their next race than morality or statesmanship over candidacy. Sounds like Sonny’s Ms. Johnson might be different. Any others in Texas?
Lloyd Doggett has been a hero on the health care issue, a leader as well. There are many in Texas I believe keep the public interest foremost — Chet Edwards is one of them. In the state legislature there are many more.
The health care debate has resembled the debates about slavery. In both cases, what is morally right is very obvious, but economic and political considerations force, or appear to force, decision-makers into compromises. Which, of course, are not just political but moral compromises.
Thanks for the kind words, Reba!
Totally agreed on you analysis, Glenn, that the compromises “are not just political but moral compromises.”
The Dems cheered themselves, with Pelosi saying that being a woman was no longer a pre-existing condition. It got a laugh, which considering the passage of Stupak’s amendment, leaves me wondering about the biological education of House members. About their willingness to sacrifice financial access to a legal procedure, I don’t much wonder — the failures in leadership for actual health care reform make this kind of “compromise” unsurprising. Still disgusting, but not a shock.
Glenn, this analysis is spot on. I notice, though, in praising the very praiseworthy Lloyd Doggett (I’m lucky to have him as my Rep), you mention Chet Edwards. I’ve been impressed with him but cannot understand why he voted against the bill last night. His district has 35% uninsured.
I was unaware that he voted no, and I was disappointed when I discovered it. I hope it’s the case that the leadership gave him a pass when they knew they had the necessary votes. This is not uncommon with regard to a member from a tough district.
Y’all, try having Neugebauer as your representative.
I swan, we need a CANDIDATE for 2010 here!!
It’s no surprise that Edwards was a “no.” He’s from the most heavily Republican district in the nation represented by a Democrat.
I agree with Glenn that Edwards probably would have voted “yes” if the leadership really needed it, but top aides to lawmakers on the hill have told me this leadership team has been great about letting members vote as they wish. The GOP leadership, especially under DeLay, would twist arms to the breaking point to get them on board with something, like the prescription drug benefit for example.
The leadership shows, I think. Glad you agree about Edwards. I’m almost certain that is the case.
I dont notice much if any differing opinions here
first of all, we are broke….did everyone hear that?
second our current health care is the best in the world, it leads the world. So lets TWEAK what we have, lets not go toward european health care. if your kitchen sink is dripping you fix the kitchen sink you dont rip out the whole plumbing and redo it.
there aren’t 50 million without health care, lets be honest
its more like 15 million, but anyway we are broke remember?
we need to fix medicare and social security
and we need to vote the bums out of office
Health insurance companies earn their profits from the denial of coverage and care. You are wrong about the 50 million, but your phrase, “like 15 million, but anyway,” tells me all I need to know. Profits and growth are good, but profits earned from the intentional exclusion of fellow human beings from coverage, from the infliction of unnecessary suffering and death, are morally reprehensible. If anything is broken, it is the morality of those who dismiss the human toll as nothing more than abstract squiggles on a ledger.