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Senator McConnell and the health care debate
Very quick blog. I just want to point out how health insurance money influences positions to the detriment of the states that Representatives and Senators represent.
Last week, Senator McConnell went on a heated tirade about how the HHS was telling an insurance company with very close ties to Senator McConnell to stop sending misleading propaganda to its insurees was a "gag order" and "stifles free speech".
An editorial in the Lexington Herald Leader responds--and I think the writer does a far better job than I can:
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props to my friend Brian for giving me a heads up about the editorial
Last week, Senator McConnell went on a heated tirade about how the HHS was telling an insurance company with very close ties to Senator McConnell to stop sending misleading propaganda to its insurees was a "gag order" and "stifles free speech".
An editorial in the Lexington Herald Leader responds--and I think the writer does a far better job than I can:
It's stirring, isn't it? Spine-tingling, really, to hear our senior senator defend the free speech rights of a corporation whose foundation and founder have pledged $1.5 million to his center at the University of Louisville. Humana's PAC and employees also constitute McConnell's seventh-largest contributor.The editorial also goes into how many more Kentuckians are uninsured now than 10 years ago (McConnell's been a senator since 1985) This is the Senate Minority Leader and it seems that he's just as beholden to health insurers as any Senator. How can we have legitimate reform when our Senators and leaders pitch for companies and not the people who will benefit from universal health care?
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props to my friend Brian for giving me a heads up about the editorial
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These people are preying upon the fears of the middle class that is left in this country that if poor people are insured, then they will LOSE SOMETHING.
Add to this the racism of the lower white classes intimating that only Blacks will receive health care--this is all over the right wing blogs as you well know--and a coalition is formed.
But McConnel knows what he is doing is evil. HE KNOWS IT AS SURELY AS HE KNOWS THE BOUNDARIES OF KENTUCKY.
This just sucks.
Good post as always.
September 29, 2009 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's really sad is that I don't think that he was always evil. ;)
Seriously, though, he doesn't seem to be caring about his constituents one bit. Kentucky isn't a rich state. It is one that would benefit greatly from having health care guaranteed to all. A Senator's job is to represent his state, which to me includes improving the lives of the constituents.
September 29, 2009 11:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah... McConnell is a pain to be sure.
I will work hard to see that he is not re-elected... but... he is mighty.
At least the other Repug (Jim Bunning) ain't gonna be there next time... and there's a good chance that a Dem will replace him.
September 30, 2009 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
We can only hope. But yeah, McConnell is a perennial pain.
September 30, 2009 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink