Category: Republicans

Just My Opinion:The Respecter-In-Chief

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OPINION:

The Respecter-in-Chief

By Ross Turner

 

The Respecter-in-chief

“President” Trump is well-known for his combative and bigoted rhetoric.  His campaign announcement speech infamously declared of Mexican immigrants: “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”  Classy!  And yet, somehow, not all Americans were united or inspired by such presidential prowess.  They needed more.  Sure, he “has a great relationship with the blacks,” and clearly “love[s] Hispanics!”, but what of Native Americans?  After such dignified displays of respect, was there any even left for the indigenous peoples of this country?  A silly question.  Our Great President oozes respect, like a slimy, lurching slug of virtue, a trail of honor ever in his wake.

“Pocahontas” Warren

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has experienced this trademark respect firsthand.  Beginning on Twitter in 2014, Donald Trump has referred to Warren as “Pocahontas” at least 26 times.  Whether at rallies, in the press, or in governmental meetings, the slur has become easily his favorite insult toward the progressive senator.  Warren earned this distinction both by talking about her family history and criticizing Trump’s policies.  Citing family stories passed down and told to her as a child, Warren has long maintained that a tiny portion of her ancestry is of Native American origin.  She never gained from this professionally or politically, but what are facts except Playdough in Trump’s tremendous, powerful hands?  Not one to let an opponent’s personal history go un-respected, Trump weaponized “Pocahontas” to mock and discredit Warren’s claimed heritage, and in the process, all Native Americans.

He Said What?

We’ve all come to expect as much from the Stable Genius-in-Chief.  But surely, the President of the United States wouldn’t be so tone-deaf, so immature, and so callous as to use this slur at a ceremony honoring Native American WWII veterans.  Imagine a president calling a political opponent “Anne Frank” at a Holocaust memorial, or “Harriet Tubman” at a Civil War commemoration; preposterous!  It beggars belief.  But why believe before you see for yourself?: “You’re very very special people. You were here long before any of us were here.  Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas. But you know what. I like you. Because you are special.”  Surely, the words of Lincoln and FDR are the rantings of madmen before the oratory of President Donald J. Trump.  With leadership like this, do we even need the rest of government?  Has not the great American experiment all led up to the crowning of this messiah?  Somebody give him more power immediately so that we may unleash the full strength of his titanic, muscular brain.

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Beto O’Rourke 2020

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Beto O’Rourke 2020

By Megan Wallin

He Could Be a Contender

An eloquent and articulate speaker with a thin frame and the pledge to run a “positive campaign” goes head to head against a well-established member of the GOP—and loses. Except for that last bit, the tale sounds rather familiar, doesn’t it?

More White Maleness

It hasn’t been that long since the phenomenon of Barack Obama’s explosive crash landing on to our political center stage, and yet the nation already seems thirsty for another new face.  This time, we have someone who would seem, by our nation’s historic standards of maleness and whiteness, to be almost too much of the good old boys.  One of the club.  One of the elite. I have heard him compared to Bobby Kennedy. I have listened to many Bobby speeches and there is a passion for the common man (woman) in the language of each man. Something that is sadly missing from today’s political hyperbole.

Privileged In All the Right Ways

His true first name is Robert. Beto is a Spanish nickname for Robert. Relating to Hispanic voters is definitely an advantage in Latino heavy Texas.  But, everyone knows he is a white guy.  People do not refuse to support him based solely on the color of his skin. He doesn’t have birthers spreading rumors about his heritage, allegiance, or religion. He didn’t run against a war hero. He didn’t even run against a popular opponent. But, he lost…to Ted Cruz.

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TrumpCare 2: All In One Place

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TrumpCare Two: All In One Place

D. S. Mitchell

First 100

I had intended to talk about Trump’s first 100 days, today. However, I decided it was more important to talk about the proposed Republican health plan, TrumpCareTwo.  The 17% of Americans that supported TrumpCareOne should be thrilled with Episode 2.

Rural Perspective

Rural isn’t just about cows and open spaces. There are many faces to rural health care. I live and write from the beautiful Oregon coast.  I live half way between Seaside, Or. to the south, and Astoria, Or. to the north. The small beach development that I inhabit has a heavy preponderance of seniors. Most people living in my little enclave are old, medically fragile with pre-existing conditions, and living at the poverty level, dependent on Medicare or Medicaid for government supported health care.  In this little community, people will be negatively effected by the Republican proposed health care changes.

Critical Access Hospitals

Health care in the rural areas of the country is very different from urban health care.  Within forty miles of my house there are two small hospitals.  In that sense I am very fortunate. I know that Columbia Memorial Hospital, in Astoria, Oregon, is a Critical Access Hospital.  CAH is a designation given to certain rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under a 1997 Budget Act. The CAH designation was in response to a tsunami of hospital closures, particularly in rural areas between 1980 and 1997.

Closures Still Happening

Closure of rural hospitals continues today. Maintaining hospitals in rural areas is vital for a large section of the American population. These CAH hospitals are dependent on ‘rural access’ benefits, and cannot be sustained without them. Dramatic changes to Medicaid and Medicare could potentially end up with nation wide hospital closures, most particularly again in rural communities, as occurred in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Andy Slavit Breaks It Down

Andy Slavitt @ASlavin provided a complete review of TrumpCare 2.  Take a look at what this know nothing president and his henchmen put together in a couple of weeks. They held no hearings. There was no bipartisan advice. Here goes:

  • Eliminates access to care for 24 million people. One million more people lose coverage than if ACA was repealed and had no replacement.
  • 7 million employed Americans, and 1.2 million veterans will lose coverage. Many employers will be able to avoid providing lifetime cap protection.
  • Premiums expected to jump 15-20%, $2,400 average. Up to $13,000 increase for people over 50, and up to $10,000 more for rural residents
  • Deductibles would increase 60%
  • Medicaid cut by 25% and then capped.  Seniors, babies, children, low-income, people with disabilities, addiction treatment hurt. 3.6 million kids expected to lose coverage.
  • Medicare Trust Fund put into crisis.
  • Insurance companies permitted to underwrite and charge sick people–like $5,000 more for Autism, $17,000 for pregnancy, $140,000 for late stage cancer treatment.
  • Projected premiums in high risk pool? Estimated $25,700.
  • Eliminates pre-existing condition protections which could impact 100,000,000+.
  • Lifetime caps and limits would be allowed if your upon state request.
  • Because they intend to allow selling across state lines, all these waived rules would apply anywhere.
  • 1.2 trillion pulled from health care to pay for massive tax cuts to pharmaceutical companies, insurers, insurer CEO’s, tanning salons & medical device companies.
  • In the average congressional district 55,000 people would lose coverage and 300,000 people could lose pre-existing protections.

A Generational Impact

“Doctors, nurses, hospitals, seniors, patient groups–not one of them agrees with these dangerous changes to health care”, states Slavitt. The Republican strategy has been to rush, get it done with no public hearings, no updated Congressional Budget Office score, suspension of rules, no debate, secret drafting, all closed-door sessions. For a bill that would have generational impact. Thanks again, to Andy Slavitt for laying it all out for us. He told me to share.

Suzanne Bonamici Speaks Up

Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon 1st District Representative, said this in an email: “The latest version of Trumpcare has a lot in common with the first-except this time it’s worse. It would allow states to opt-out of providing essential health benefits –like maternal care, mental health treatment, prescription coverage, and emergency services-which would be harmful to millions of people across the country.  Once again we would go back to the days when people paid for insurance and then found out it didn’t cover them when they needed it. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and paying for lifesaving medical procedures.”

The United Nations Is Concerned

Slavitt and Bonamici laid it out pretty clearly.  TrumpCareTwo is worse than TrumpCareOne. The state of health care in the United States is so alarming that the United Nations issued a statement.  The UN addressed an “urgent appeal” to the Trump Administration warning that repeal of ObamaCare (ACA) without adequate replacement could violate international law”.

My Opinion

All I can say is, it’s a sad day when the world community is more worried about the health care of the American citizens than their own government. Truly alarming.

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