Rare glimpse of the truth
Every once in awhile, if one pays close attention, Republicans give us a glimpse of the truth in terms of their ultimate motivation. And it has nothing to do with core principles, or philosophical differences, or what they truly believe to be the best governance, or what they believe to be best for the American people.
It's about power, folks. Just power. Keeping it and wielding it on behalf of those they serve -- who are not the bulk of citizens of this country. From U.S. New and World Report:
Daschle and the Obamacrats certainly have the momentum: a near-landslide presidential election victory, at least 58 Democratic votes in the Senate, and a nasty recession that will make many Americans yearn for economic security. Already the health insurance companies seem set back on their heels. The industry's trade organization now says it would accept new rules requiring them to cover pre-existing conditions as long as there was a universal mandate for all Americans to have health insurance. On top of all that, Obama clearly wants to make healthcare reform a priority in his first term, as evidenced by the selection of a heavy hitter like Daschle. And even if he wasn't interested, Congress sure is, with Max Baucus and Ted Kennedy readying a plan in the Senate. A few observations:
1) Passage would be a political gamechanger. Recently, I stumbled across this analysis of how nationalized healthcare in Great Britain affected the political environment there. As Norman Markowitz in Political Affairs, a journal of "Marxist thought," puts it: "After the Labor Party established the National Health Service after World War II, supposedly conservative workers and low-income people under religious and other influences who tended to support the Conservatives were much more likely to vote for the Labor Party when health care, social welfare, education and pro-working class policies were enacted by labor-supported governments."
Passing Obamacare would be like performing exactly the opposite function of turning people into investors. Whereas the Investor Class is more conservative than the rest of America, creating the Obamacare Class would pull America to the left. Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute, who first found that wonderful Markowitz quote, puts it succinctly in a recent blog post: "Blocking Obama's health plan is key to the GOP's survival."
Got that? No debate about the impact on the uninsured or the insured -- just a fight to protect the power base of the GOP.
It was ever thus.
Final FUs
Having already shredded the Constitution, destroyed the U.S. reputation in the world, and decimated our economy, the Bush Administration continues its scorched earth strategy to cement its reputation: a little midnight rulemaking. Propublica has set up a page to track the damage.
It starts
Let us not forget what our President-elect is up against. Via Steve Benen at Washington Monthly:
AN ADVANCE LOOK AT THE REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION.... It's only been a couple of days since Barack Obama was declared the president-elect, but it's hard not to notice that congressional Republicans are already striking a confrontational pose. Take these ridiculous comments from Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl (R).
Jon Kyl, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, warned president-elect Barack Obama that he would filibuster U.S. Supreme Court appointments if those nominees were too liberal.
Kyl, Arizona's junior senator, expects Obama to appoint judges in the mold of U.S Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and Stephen Breyer. Those justices take a liberal view on cases related to social, law and order and business issues, Kyl said.
"He believes in justices that have empathy," said Kyl, speaking at a Federalist Society meeting in Phoenix. The attorneys group promotes conservative legal principles.
Kyl said if Obama goes with empathetic judges who do not base their decisions on the rule of law and legal precedents but instead the factors in each case, he would try to block those picks via filibuster.
Think about that. The second highest ranking Republican in the Senate, just a few days after the election, is already talking about blocking Supreme Court nominations that haven't been named, in response to Supreme Court vacancies that don't exist.
What the hell.
Finally
I haven't written because I couldn't think of anything to say that hasn't already been said by someone else better (and sooner!) about Obama's victory. I smile every time I here someone say "President-Elect Obama"; MY faith in the American people (which was virtually non-existent) has been restored (mostly), and I don't have to pick out somewhere in Europe or Canada to live.
This, finally, was something I hadn't seen before, something worth passing along that says it all. Once again, my friend Mary gets the best stuff from her circle!
