The 2012 alternative is reversing the progress made by President Obama.

[ProSense]

President Obama is working toward progress for all Americans.

Whether it's saving the auto industry, labor policies, environmental policies, helping low income communities and families and homeless Americans, establishing the CFPB, and other reforms, the things this President has done, will have a lasting impact on real families.

Why Republicans are So Intent on Killing Health Care Reform

by Richard Kirsch

It’s not just about expanded care. It’s about proving our government can be a force for the common good.

Why are John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Mitch McConnell so intent on stopping health care reform from ever taking hold? For the same reason that Republicans and the corporate Right spent more than $200 million in the last year to demonize health care in swing Congressional districts. It wasn’t just about trying to stop the bill from becoming law or taking over Congress. It is because health reform, if it takes hold, will create a bond between the American people and government, just as Social Security and Medicare have done. Democrats, and all those who believe that government has a positive place in our lives, should remember how much is at stake as Republicans and corporate elites try to use their electoral victory to dismantle the new health care law.

<...>

There’s nothing new here. Throughout American history, health care reform has been attacked as socialist. An editorial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in December 1932, just after FDR’s election, claimed that proposals for compulsory insurance “were socialism and communism — inciting to revolution.” The PR firm that the American Medical Association hired to fight Truman’s push for national health insurance succeeded in popularizing a completely concocted quote that it attributed to Vladimir Lenin: “Socialized medicine is the keystone to the arch of the Socialist State.”

<...>

The Right has always understood how high the American view of the role of government would be lifted if people came to rely on government for something as essential to a person’s well-being as health care. This year, the animus that the Right maintains toward the New Deal and Great Society programs and philosophy — Social Security, Medicare, the constitution allowing the federal public to regulate commerce — has become visible in the Tea Party movement. The last thing that the corporate and ideological Right want is for health care to be a new pillar added to the foundation of government social insurance.

more

In fact, the benefits of health care reform are coming more and more into focus.

Even a staunch critic of a misstep by this President can acknowledge that he has moved the progressive ball forward in significant ways.

The choice is clear: Continue along the path of progress or ensure that any progress made by President Obama gets wiped out.

More progress or devastation, that is the choice.






edited typo

[FSogol]

1. K & R. n/t

[polmaven]

2. Oh, but....are you not aware

that this president has accomplished absolutely NOTHING at all in the 3 years that he has been in office? I mean, here it is, January 19, 2012 already, and NOTHING!!!

[ProSense]

5. It's the

incredible and persistent "Obama sucks" meme!

[ProSense]

3. No other comments? n/t

[Logical]

4. I agree, Obama is better than any GOP candidate. But not the guy I voted for. I will hold my nose.

[vroomvroom]

6. What's funny is that Obama governed as Republican-Lite..so reversing seems Silly For GOP...

if anything they would be more likely to just ramp up what Obama already had done e.g. make the Bush/Obama tax cuts permanent and every other tax cut Obama had done permanent.
Of course this is not including stuff that Obama may be doing now because Obama is in his Campaign mode where democrats finally start listening to their voters and pretend to be progressive (e.g. tax the millionaires babble). I am talking about the last years before campaign season.

[bobbieinok]

7. GOOD GRIEF what world do you live in??

Sure, Obama is not the absolute greatest. But republican?? check passing health care bill, support of women's health around world (reversing GW), etc, etc, etc.

You really think republican POTUS would be no differsnt???? You sure don't live in any reality I know of.

[great white snark]

10. Your "Republican lite" smear is wrong and this is proof of it.

Ever have anything good to say about Democrats?

[Honeycombe8]

8. The Republican voice on this is the only one that's being heard. If the Democratic leaders

don't start talking about the Healthcare Reform Act, the Republicans will win on this topic, and it will be repealed.

For instance, I'd betcha that very few Americans even know (still) what that bill does or does not do. I barely know, and I've tried to find out. What little I do know, it sounds very important for some, and meaningless to most.

I'd betcha that a lot of Americans still believe the bill provides for death panels, and the bill cuts Medicare.

[treestar]

9. The more the health care bill takes effect

the more positive it will be.

[mikekohr]

11. That's What They Are Afraid Of

Just like Social Security, the most effective poverty reduction program in history. They can not argue with facts so they counter with their strength: lies.

[AverageJoe90]

12. K & frickin' R, man. =)

Obama may not be perfect, but none of the Repubs are better at this point.