When President Roosevelt called for a program to protect America's seniors in 1935, the Republicans denounced it as socialism and claimed it was the first step toward "feeling the lash of the dictator." The Wall Street Journal said it was the beginning of the end for capitalism and would end the progress of a great nation.
Their predictions of doom and gloom were proven false, and today millions of seniors rely on Social Security to meet their basic needs.
In 1964 President Johnson called for a government program to provide health care for the nation's seniors -- Medicare. Once again, the Republicans recycled their predictions of catastrophe for our country claiming that it was a cruel hoax and the beginning of socialized medicine. Republicans gave speeches on the floor of Congress claiming that it would lead to bureaucrats making medical decisions for us and taking away our right to choose our own doctors.The Wall Street Journal wrote in 1965 that the Democrats were playing politics with the health care of our mothers and fathers.
Medicare has been a resounding success, and it would be hard to find seniors willing to give up their Medicare.
Because of its popularity, the Republicans now claim they want to protect Medicare. The very people who fought so hard against Medicare now want to claim it as their own.
When the House recently voted on the health care bill, Republicans once again reverted to theatrics. It was quite amazing to see how far they would go to prevent the bill's passage. They used the same old tactics of scare and fear mongering.
The American people want and need health care reform. Members of Congress need to stop the theatrics, sit down and write a bill that is good for our country. They need to decide if they are going to obstruct the legislation or do they want to be on the right side of history for a change.
The GOP change? Now that's an oxymoron.
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