The Party of Hope v. Party of Nope
Armageddon (the end of the word), baby killer (needs no explaining), A travesty, debacle, bricks thrown at buildings, shots fired, white powder package shows up at a congressman’s office. All of this because a landmark piece of legislation was passed by the house. I can only imagine what could have happened if this actually went into effect on April 1st! These are just a few of the words and things I heard over the past week that describe the new healthcare bill.
While Bush was in office I did everything I could to strike his name down. Anything I could do to disparage his name I would do. But throughout it all I was able to listen to both sides of the argument. I honestly believed that the super conservative had a fix for what ails America and so did the tie-dye wearing liberal. I considered myself an independent that had liberal leanings. But over the course of the last year after watching how the Republicans have conducted themselves I’m not convinced any of them have anything to say, worth listening to anyway. John McCain said that there would be no more cooperation between Republicans and Obama for the rest of the year! I’m sorry but have we been witnessing cooperation?
Those of you that know me know I’m a fan of basic math, so let’s run some numbers. On October 10, 2002 the Iraq war resolution came to a vote 215 Republicans voted to march us off to war. For the record 81 Democrats also voted Yea, but that just proves my point before I’ve even made it – in matters of great national importance the Democrats can think it through. But when it came to health care it passed without one single Republican vote! Not one of the 219 votes that passed a bill meant to help people had any Republican support. Yet when it came time to wage war on false information they marched lock step and rammed it down our throats (which is how they refer to healthcare). They Okay-ed a war that cost roughly 12 billion dollars a month. They didn’t vote for healthcare, which will cost roughly 7.8 billion a month. Healthcare will help people; war will help them need healthcare. A year of Healthcare 94 billion, a year of war 144 billion – drop the war and healthcare is free and we save 50 billion a year.
So I’m not really sure what it is that makes the Republicans not like the people of the United States, but it surely seems
that way. You might recognize that as an over the top statement to make a point, and for the most part it is. But when a large portion of the house and senate vote for war and then don’t vote for something that will help the people of the United States what else am I supposed to think? Frankly I’m growing tried of political posturing it doesn’t matter what side it comes from, it’s counter productive and serves no purpose. I understand the opposition to something but for an entire party to be disagreeable seems highly unlikely. Even with the October 2002 vote to go to war six house republicans voted nay along with 126 democrats & in the senate vote one republican said no to it. So it just seems odd that not one Republican saw a benefit to healthcare reform. It just seems funny that even with repeated invitations to bring a plan to the floor they never did.
As a result we’ve got a situation of civil discourse. Members of the house are being threatened for passing the bill. Coffins are being left outside representative’s homes. But proof that the Republicans want to march lock step; the DNC sent a Joint Civility Statement to RNC chairman Michael Steele, which called for “elected officials of both parties to set an example of the civility we want to see in our citizenry.”, they rejected it.
So it remains there will be no meeting of the minds to work towards a common goals. Agendas are set with little sign of change. The Democrats will be the party of Hope, while the Republicans are the party of Nope. What the hell is up with that?
