No one should be confused about the outcome of Sunday's vote in the House on the healthcare bill.
This is not the end of the fight. It is the beginning.
The fight will continue in the Senate where Democrats will now try to pass a reconciliation bill filled with "fixes" to the healthcare bill passed Sunday. Republicans are committed to holding the Democrats accountable for their vote and making sure they do not abuse the reconciliation process.
The fight will continue in the states where 38 of them have filed or are planning to file legislation that rebukes Obamacare's "individual mandate" that requires you to purchase insurance even if you would rather pay directly for medical care. In addition, Attorneys General from several states plan to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the healthcare bill's individual mandate.
And most importantly, the fight will continue at the ballot box for the millions of Americans who refuse to be ignored. In the end, it is only by repudiating those politicians who voted for the health bill in free and fair elections that we can repeal this bill and start over on common sense, market-oriented, patient-centered health reform.
The American people spoke decisively against a big government, high-tax, Washington knows best, pro trial lawyer, centralized bureaucratic health system.
In every recent poll, the vast majority of Americans opposed this monstrosity.
Sixty-six percent of Americans think the bill will make things worse or make no difference for themselves and their families (Gallup).
Forty eight percent of Americans think the plan is a "bad idea." Only 36 percent think it is a "good idea" (NBC/Wall Street Journal).
Only 17 percent of Americans think the bill will cause healthcare costs to go down. Nearly double that think their costs would go up (Pew).
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi knew the country was against the bill. That is why she kept her members trapped in Washington and forced a vote on Sunday.
She knew if she let the members go home their constituents would convince them to vote no.
Look at what happened with House Democrats Scott Murphy (N.Y.), John Boccieri (Ohio), and Brad Ellsworth (Ind.). The Center for Health Transformation commissioned surveys late last week specifically polling their constituents. We found deep and overwhelming opposition. In Rep. Boccieri's district, his constituents opposed the bill by a 61-33 margin. For Rep. Ellsworth, it was even worse: 63 to 30 opposed.
But all three congressmen ignored their constituents. All three chose Speaker Pelosi over their constituents.
What we saw Sunday night was a pressured, bought, intimidated vote worthy of Hugo Chavez but unworthy of the United States of America.
The Obama-Pelosi-Reid machine has combined the radicalism of Saul Alinsky, the corruption of Springfield, Ill., and the machine power politics of Chicago.
It is hard to imagine how much pressure they brought to bear on Congressman Bart Stupak to get him to accept a cynical, phony and possibly unconstitutional executive order on abortion. The ruthlessness and inhumanity of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid machine was most clearly on display in their public humiliation of Stupak when he was forced to speak out against a Republican effort to add the very language Stupak authored preventing taxpayer funding of abortion.
Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings (who, while serving as a federal judge, was impeached and removed from the bench before being elected to the House) articulated the principles of this machine mentality on Sunday when he said, "There ain't no rules here, we're trying to accomplish something. . . .All this talk about rules. . . .When the deal goes down . . . we make 'em up as we go along."
It is hard for the American people to believe their leaders on the Left are this bad.
They are.
On the floor Sunday night, Congressman John Boehner aptly summarized the consequences of voting for this bill:
"If we pass this bill, there will be no turning back. It will be the last straw for the American people. And in a democracy, you can only ignore the will of the people for so long and get away with it. And if we defy the will of our fellow citizens and pass this bill, we are going to be held to account by those who have placed us in their trust."
2010 and 2012 will be among the most important elections in American history.
These elections will allow us to save America from a leftwing machine of unparalleled corruption, arrogance, and cynicism.
The American people will not allow a corrupt machine to dictate their future.
Together we will pledge to repeal this bill and start over on meaningful, effective, healthcare reform.
Together we will prove that this will not stand.
Your friend,
Newt Gingrich
Well, I am glad that you have always had your benefits covered. I personally cannot afford to keep my benefits in place if/when I am under hours. It is also hard for me to maintain a high deductable personal policy, as when I do have benefits, I am paying for a policy that I cannot use.
ReplyDeleteNewt Gingrich? You gotta be kiddin! Pro - business, anti-union, anti-social justice piece of shyt is what he is. As right-wing as you can get.
ReplyDelete