Blanca DeBree Blog

Last night the President of the United States laid out his plan for healthcare reform, and the Republican Party made me proud to be a birther/tea bagger/Republican/ignoramus by heckling the Commander in Chief.

Representative Joe Wilson of the great state of South Carolina–also known as the Palmetto State and proud to be education free for more than a century–led the charge, by yelling out “you lie” during the speech.  All heads turned in Wilson’s direction and booed the representative, who is living proof that there is no such thing as evolution.

Today, Representative Wilson’s website is down.  The congressman called the White House and apologized, but it may be too late.  His unknown opponent in the 2010 mid-terms may benefit the most from his unruly outburst.

By turning the halls of Congress into a town hall, the Republicans not only have shown their mettle, but they may have just written themselves off from reform.  With each olive branch and outstretched hand the President offers to Republicans, the Republicans return the gesture with derisiveness and antagonism.

With huge margins in the House and a theoretical filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, the Democrats may just find their backbone at last and run rough shod over the Republicans passing healthcare reform with not only a strong public option, but insurance regulation, and possibly even tort reform.

In the end, you cannot win with just Republican.  Those running for re-election may find themselves out of a job in 2011.  Universal coverage enjoys overwhelming popular support from other Democrats and Independents.  Republicans oppose the reform, because, well, we just don’t like the black guy.  Those on the wrong side of history this fall, will pay the price.

Republicans have been dancing as the approvals of both the President and Democrats fall.  But it is the same jig danced by Hitler as he savored his prize of the Eiffel Tower on the Champs-Élysées.  Within five years, Hitler would be dead, Germany in ruins, and 8,000,000 Germans would have been killed.  Republicans do not understand that the disapproval of the Democrats is due to not passing healthcare reform.

Nearly 15 million are unemployed.  Approximately 50 million have no health insurance.  About 25 million are under insured.  With nearly one third of the nation in healthcare peril, there is vast support for not only change, but a public option.  When times are good, you can convince the masses the government is bad.  When times are bad, the masses want the government for good.

Sometimes you can witness histories turning points.  Other times you cannot see the forest for the trees.

After the Battle of Gettysburg, no one thought it was the turning of the war.  At the time, the Battle of Midway did not seem like the beginning of the end.  When the Germans turned their bombs on London, it did not seem like a death knell for the Third Reich.

Some erroneously believe the beginning of the end for Republicans was Katrina.  It actually occurred eight months earlier, when Republicans too busy to come back from vacation for a warning on Osama bin Laden came to Washington to sign the first and only legislation for one single American:  Terri Schiavo.

Last night, instead of handing Obama his Waterloo, the Republicans shouted themselves out of the debate.

Now the debate is with Democrats alone, and in the end, Blue Dogs will join the liberal wing if the costs can be resolved.

Last night Joe Wilson gave voice to the Republican frustration.  It was a childish, angry, petulant voice.  It laid bare the ugly truth in discourse:  you cannot debate a five-year-old child; sometimes you just have to give them a spanking.

And the Democrats are getting ready to give the Republicans one hell of a spanking.

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Tags: Healthcare, Joe Wilson
Posted 10 Sep 2009 by blancadebree in Healthcare