The Right is Wrong

   By John Bullaro

In a world so rife with turmoil, terrorists, and corruption, one has to ask what is happening in our Capitol, Washington, D.C.  The Republicans won seats in Congress in 2009 election. The winners are narrow-minded puppets who dance on the ends of strings pulled by right extremists who are usually wrong for the country.

Politicians in our capitol should be working to keep the country safe and healthy, not throw the middle class and poor who get sick to the wolves.  These puppets seek only self interests, i'e. getting reelected. They and their veteran minions prove they do not care about or know how to govern. Most all have declared war on America and we the citizens must defeat them.

For the most part they see their time in office as having two missions — sink anything that has Obama's name on it, and run for the next office or get re-elected. The country and voters be dammed.

In March 2010, President Obama signed comprehensive health reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), into law. This law makes preventive care — including family planning and related services — more accessible and affordable for many Americans (see below).

While some provisions of the law have already taken effect, many more provisions will be implemented in the coming years. Of course, if this law was known as Reagan Care Act or Romney Care Act (a similar law that is in effect in Massachusetts) the GOP would be praising it as one of their milestone pieces of legislation. But they don't legislate, they spew hate for Obama and, best of all, squabble among themselves.

Unfortunately the ACA is known in the press as Obamacare. The day Obama took office in 2009 the Republican's have been fixated on destroying anything he proposes. Since he's been elected president they have made getting rid of ACA their number one priority. Why, one may ask, would any enlightened leader want to kill a piece of legislation that gives millions of uninsured Americans health care coverage they couldn't otherwise afford?  The answer: it's an Obama program.  To give Obama even one win — on anything — is anathema to everything the GOP claims to stands for. Their mantra: if Obama wants it, it is bad for America.

The GOP and their Tea Party backers do not govern, they only want to "destroy Obama's administration's reputation in order to have a chance at the White House in the next election cycle. They fear a Hillary Clinton presidential candidacy like germs might fear penicillin.  The GOP, goaded by the Tea Party, hopes to push millions of American's in need of medical coverage out in the cold winds of death as one way to win the White House 2015.

America is the wealthiest nation in the world in terms of Gross National Product. We pay billions of dollars to fund an unnecessary war, yet the right can't see the need to provide health care for millions of citizens. The ACA opponent's claim we cannot afford health care because it adds to our national debt.

Solve the problem, not by denying care for many Americans, but by cutting the free health insurance for our elected officials. One term in office and a national politician can take home free health insurance for life (and a pension, etc.)

Also, cut out the billions of dollars spent on corporate welfare to big oil and other corporations, for example. Then stem the flow of money to rich farmers living in high rise condominiums in New York City who own farms in Idaho, for example, and are paid not to grow crops. Which they never planned to do. 

A brief read of a few benefits of the ACA will serve to encourage the question, "How can an American political party, once the party of Abraham Lincoln, want to kill ACA?"  Then you'll understand that that the right wing conspiracy is wrong. They are against most Americans and in favor of the well-off and the elite.

A Few Facts about the ACA Program

The Affordable Care Act puts consumers back in charge of their health care. Under the law, a new Patient’s Bill of Rights gives the American people the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health.

Coverage

• Ends pre-existing condition exclusions for children and adults.
• Keeps young adults covered after 26 years of age if they live at home.
• Ends arbitrary withdrawals of insurance coverage.
• Guarantees your right to appeal a negative ruling on medical payments.
• Ends lifetime limits on coverage.
• Reviews all premium increases — no more hideous premium increases.

Care

• Covers preventive care at no cost to you and no copayment.
• Protects your choice of doctors.
• Removes insurance company barriers to emergency services.

This is what the GOP  — ruled by the Tea Party —  wants to deny Americans, and it's no secret the demise of ACA will fall heaviest on the middle class and the poor.

To survive the future we must care for our citizens — all citizens — not just the wealthiest or the politicians. If the politicians are forced to live with the laws they make or annul, we'd fix the deficit. Should the " right do wrong" and defund or vote out ACA, can Medicare and even social security be far behind?

Fight for today's America, don't let the right take us back to the eighteenth century.