What happened to “Country First”?

August 21, 2009 at 1:20 pm | Posted in health, senate | Leave a comment
Tags: Chuck Grassley, Farm Security Administration, healthcare reform, Max Baucus, Taos County cooperative health association

Penasco, New Mexico. Doctor Onstine, medical doctor, writing a prescription in the clinic operated by the Taos County cooperative health association. 1943 Jan. John Collier, photographer (Library of Congress)

Last fall the public was treated to a lot of hoopla by the McCain campaign and its Republican enablers about “Country First.”

It seems that it was indeed just a slogan.

Once John McCain lost the election, “Country First” went out the window. The Republican Party is currently demonstrating that they are indeed the party of Limbaugh, preferring that Americans not get the decent health care reform they voted for last November.

My disappointment with President Obama is directly related to his insistence that Republicans have a hand in shaping healthcare reform. What he apparently doesn’t understand, but is all too obvious to a simple person like me, is that Republicans have no interest in shaping a bill that will succeed in doing what the average person wants it to do — make decent medical care available to everyone, regardless of income, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.

Retired senior citizens carrying pro-medicare signs, picket outside the Hotel Americana during the American Medical Association's 114th annual convention. 1965

Almost worse than the President’s misguided bipartisanship on this issue is that too many Congressional Democrats are working hand in hand with the Republicans against you not being bankrupted because you ended up seriously ill.

Put alleged Democratic Senator Max Baucus (202-224-2651) and Republican Senator “Chuck” Grassley (202-224-3744) on speed dial. Call them every day until they make access to healthcare for every American a priority.

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