Another Phony Deadline

If you listen to the media and the Democrats in Congress this is again the last chance for health care. If it doesn't pass this time it's done. The Democrats and their willing media lackeys want to create a sense of inevitability so that when the final vote does come it will go unnoticed. Well the truth is this is not the last vote. It's not even close. If this vote passes today it does not constitute anything but an interim victory. If it passes today, or should I say Saturday night, since Senate Leader Reid didn't have the courage to bring it to the floor during the week for fear the phone lines would melt, it still has many hurdles including a House/Senate conference and matching versions of the bill passing in both Houses. The media and Democrats have tried to put the obstruction of health care at the feet of Republicans, but really the debate is within the Democratic Party and the people of the country. If the Democrats were united and the people wanted the reform as proposed the Republicans are powerless to prevent it. The problem for Democrats is that the more people know about the bill the less they want it to pass. The bill is about putting health care in the hands of government. A government that has proven time and time again it cannot be competitive, efficient or innovative. Some examples include Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, Indian Reservation Healthcare, Amtrak, The FAA and many others. Some readers may be confused when they see Medicare in this list, but the fact is that Medicare has $46 trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities so while it seems free to seniors, not counting the supplemental plans they must buy, it's not free and never has been. More and more doctors are refusing the take on new Medicare patients and if health care reform is passed this alone will be worse and not better. Despite all these obvious points the main reason for rejecting this reform package in its entirety is because it contains clauses that permit the Congress to opt out of the program, while requiring that everyone else takes part. That alone is reason enough for me. Melt those telephone and fax lines to your Representatives and Senators.