The current political scene is dominated by frustration. Frustration on the part of the majority as well as the minority but the two sides are handling it quite differently.
Rather than working together as a team the Democrats who were elected in large part as a knee jerk reaction to the policies of the previous administration have not been able to get their acts together. They continue to try to be fair and bi-partisan with a group that has anything but fairness on their mind.
The American electorate spoke last November with resounding voice that they wanted change but the only thing that has changed is the side of the aisle that seats the majority in Congress. The same failed policies continue and no change will ever happen unless and until the Democrats realize that they are being played.
When the Republicans claim that they are not being listened to in the conversation about health care reform they are flat out lying. In fact they are basically the only ones being listened to as the Democrats continue to attempt bipartisanship.
One can have a constructive debate only if both sides argue within the framework of honesty and fairness. But when one side turns counseling the elderly on the choices they have about their health care into "Death Panels out to kill old people" then the debate ends.
There have been so many obvious lies thrown out by the Republicans and their Conservative friends that one wonders how they can sleep at night. Naturally the wonder ends when we realize that the health insurance lobby is controlling the argument with free flowing funds from their fat deep pockets.
The amount of money being made by our leaders in Congress is far more than they can make merely doing the job they were elected to do. These amounts are part of the public record and you may find out how large a bribe your congressman is getting very easily if you care to do so.
If Congress passes a health care bill that actually helps the millions of citizens of this country it will conversely hurt the bottom lines of the insurance industry. These companies cannot allow that to happen. Rather than lose billions they happily and readily spend millions upon millions to 'persuade' their puppets in Congress that it is in everyone's best interest to keep the status quo.
What can be done to stop this from happening? Not even exposing the lies seems to work. When Max Baucus caved in to many of the requests of the Republicans before finally coming up with his so-called health care reform bill he was supposedly trying to appease his counterparts on the 'right' and get them to vote for change. But when they subsequently said they still could not support the bill it should have become clear that they would never agree to anything that hurts their 'Golden Goose.'
Mr. Baucus himself is a recipient of some of that ill-gotten gold and therefore cannot be trusted to do the right thing either. It is up to President Obama to show us that he has right stuff to get the job done.
Can he? Only time will tell. And in the time it takes more Americans will die and others will go bankrupt while Insurance companies deny and deny and continue to get rich and fat on the backs of we the people.
Did I say there is frustration on all sides? That is not totally true. The full force of frustration is only on the side of the majority and the American people. The Republicans and the Conservatives are only frustrated in that they do not hold the majority and therefore cannot merely ignore the Democrats. But while they may be in the minority for now the minority rules!
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