Health Care Reform, Slavery, Civil Rights and Women’s Suffrage

Are you for slavery? Are you against a woman's right to vote? Are you against Civil Rights? Well, if you do not support Harry Reid and his efforts to change health insurance he thinks you are. Here's what he said:

Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.' If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said 'slow down, it's too early, things aren't bad enough.' When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted they simply, slow down, there will be a better day to do that, today isn't quite right. When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today

Let's get this right, if you do not agree that government should take over health care in this country with a 2,000+ page bill that limits your choices, raises insurance premiums and does very little to actually help those that need it most, you are a racist or a misogynist or both. According to Harry you are on the wrong side of history, which is something that the Democrats know plenty about. Just ask Al Gore Sr. about his vote against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I guess he was one of those enlightened Senators that resorted to threats of filibusters. But that's Republicans for you. Oh wait, Al Gore Sr. was a Democrat. Now that adds a new dimension to Harry's accusations, but that's another discussion.

The difference here is that we're not talking about "guaranteeing equal civil rights" to people "regardless of the color of their skin". We're talking about government taking over health care. We're talking about forcing people to buy health insurance and fining them if they don't. We're talking about having to buy your insurance from a government exchange. We're talking about a health commissioner who will decide what coverage can be offered through that exchange, what premiums you will have to pay and how much the evil insurance companies can make, their greedy executives and shareholders. This isn't about the great injustices of slavery and excluding women from the right to vote. This is about health insurance, how much it will cost, who will pay for it and how much the government will be involved.

It should also be about what the people want. Do they want this reform? The most recent polls (even in Nevada) say "No" but the politicians are deciding to forge ahead so they can be "on the right side of history". It's a very emotional pretext; like telling everyone about the 47 million people without insurance or the tens of thousands of people that die each year without health insurance. But what about the merits of the bill? If you were trying to sell someone a car would you tell them they were racist for not buying the car or would you tell them about all of the great features on the car? Instead of the immature name calling, why can't Harry tell the American people about what his bill will do to help them? Instead of platitudes about making history and winning one for the American people, tell them what the right side of history is, tell them what you've won for them. Or is Harry afraid that the American people are smart enough to realize they've won a booby prize? Even in Harry's home state there is a "growing belief … that Obama's reform package will raise taxes, result in rationing of health care, and cause major cuts to Medicare programs." Only "39 percent of the [Nevadans] approve of Reid's efforts to get a bill through the U.S. Senate." And he talks about being on the right side of history?

Harry will tell us that the Republicans are the party of "No", that they have no ideas and can just say "slow down" or "let's start over". Of course Harry will not tell us about the many alternatives that Republicans have offered like: leveling the tax system for individuals who buy their own insurance, reducing (not increasing) coverage mandates, real competition by removing the barrier to buying insurance across state lines (not an insurance exchange run by the government), vouchers for the working poor, expanding health savings accounts and tort reform. Unfortunately, his bill does not include any of these common sense approaches to real health insurance reform. Harry's bill doesn't include them because they give power and choice to the people and take government out of the process. We can't have that now can we? Since Harry does not like what the Republicans offer he just pretends that their ideas do not exist. No wonder he reverts to name calling and emotional appeals, he has nothing else.

Instead of extolling the virtues of his plan, Harry blathers on about slavery, women's voting rights, Civil Rights and the right side of history. Meanwhile the interests of the American people are ending up on the wrong side of history.