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OEsheepdog

OEsheepdog
Location
From the Forest to the Shore, Connecticut, USA
Birthday
March 12
Title
Director of Change
Company
An unnamed non-profit health care provider
Bio
Change is good...that's what I keep telling my colleagues. It's difficult and hard. It's challenging and rewarding. It's fraught with peril. It needs to be done...yesterday!

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Salon.com
OCTOBER 30, 2009 10:06AM

Too stupid to succeed: Congress on Health Reform

Rate: 15 Flag

Forgive me for being somewhat churlish and cynical this morning.  I'm not usually so negative.

While I am pleasantly surprised at the Health Care reform legislation that has come out of Congress, I have an uncomfortable feeling that there are members of both houses of Congress that are just too stupid to ensure passage of this landmark legislation.

Since the members of Congress have access to health care, many of them perceive everything is fine. Of course it is. Their life is just fine. How stupid is that?

Then their are some members of Congress who believe that it is their inalienable right to stop the momentum of health care reform that a majority of the American people support.

Joe Lieberman, Senator from the insurance capital of the world, aka Connecticut, has demonstrated a lot of stupidity over the last few years. Evan Bayh, whose personal fortunes have risen because his wife has been on the board of Wellpoint, one of the four largest health insurers of the country. As reported in regular Salon, Bayh has the temerity and stupidity to say he would feel the same way about health care reform, even if his wife's $660,000 a year income as a Wellpoint Board member evaporated. Come on, even Ripley (see wikipedia for those born after 1975) wouldn't believe that.

But I think the stupidist member of Congress is Oklahoma's Dr. Tom Coburn, whose sobriquet Dr. No, distinguishes him from his senate colleagues as a cantankerous, sanctimonius, irresponsible opponent of just about everything. Dr. Coburn's ongoing support of Senator John Ensign, whose office relationships make David Letterman look like a nice guy, suggested bribery to pay off Ensign's former chief of staff.

I'm not sure what medical school Coburn attended, but he surely didn't take the Hippocratic oath after he graduated. In the modern version of the oath, written by Louis Lasagna in 1964, it says, in part:

"Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God."

Since Coburn still practices medicine while serving in the Senate, he can't say "I'm not a practicing physician, I'm a legislator."

Senator Coburn likes to play at God while on the floor of the Senate. His stupidity along with several of his entrenched, well financed and lobbied colleagues have the potential to do more harm than good.  Their avarice for money and power outweighs any sense of duty to the people the serve.

Their collective myopia is all that is wrong with this country. Let them never forget the pain and suffering they will inflict on the citizens of the country who are most vulnerable, if they prevail.

Gentle readers, you've caught me on a bad day. I could be totally wrong about what I've written. Sadly I do not think so. 

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Comments

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Having had 3 doctors in the family, I can extrapolate that most doctors 1.) have a God complex 2.) are more concerned with their investments and net worth than the welfare of the populace and 3.) tend to be Republicans. I could be totally wrong about this, but I don't think so.
Ardee the old joke that MD stands for "My Domain" is true.
OEsheepdog, I'd say you are right on the mark about all of this and it's great to see you point out how different legislators are voicing their opinions while doing very well for themselves in a variety of ways, such as a wife who makes a bundle of money working for Wellpoint.
I heard the Bayh has changed his tune. (I wrote off Leiberman years ago. ) Obama hasn't weighed in yet, and I am slightly optimistic that a better-than-expected bill will indeed pass. But you are not alone in havimg deep cynicism after this ordeal.
You make great use of your "bad days". This is excellent!
John -- You also see alot of people in the Media who have ties to big business interests too. Help me understand how they remain "objective" while their spouse is clearly the breadwinner.

Lea -- I hope you're right.

Bill -- Thanks my friend.
No apologies necessary, you have but spoken the truth, tho there are many other villians you might have mentioned as well -- including the whole of the Republican Party in Congress. While I'm sure some of them are legitimately against healthcare reform for ideological reasons, there are far more against it because the other side isn't.

And those who claim to reject reform on ideological grounds should demonstrate their sincerity by refusing to accept the "socialistic" insurance and pension benefits offered them -- don't bet the farm -- or the future -- on that happening.

As to those you do mention, Coburn is the kind of guy who gives even traditional Republicans a bad name -- the Igotminefuckyou crowd. If reform was a legal matter, which of course it is, Bayh should recuse himself due to a conflict of interest. Double-ditto for Liebermouth and a host of others on both sides who have been bought off by the insurance companies and Big Pharma.

I've posted several pieces on the healthcare reform that isn't, including my latest:

Canaries in a Cathouse
.
I agree with Tom Cordle. You were already forgiven.
All furry sheep dogs and people are forgiven on Friday.
I can't keep up with all the flee, lice, and greedy politicos
Lies.
Lobby mutts,
and they itch,
yucks,
O gag,
O vile,
they do:`
make us sick!
In a op-ed in the New York Times (10-28)
`
Sabra Klein, the assistant immunology professor at John Hopkins Bloomsberg School of Public Health:`
and
`
Phillis Greenberger, President & CEO of:`
`
Society For Women's Health Research:`
`
Argues that the standard HiNi dose is wrong?
It's too large a dose for women. Beware, I say.
Thanks OEsheepdog. O, rely on sound advice.
In a multitude of wise counsel we can decides.
Sad sigh tho - It seems Capital Heels sold soul.
Ya would not believe the thousands who lobby!
Maybe You already know? They are scrounges!
The lobby class look like stuffed stray poodles!
or;
WORST!
Plastic mannequins.
It's pathetic too watch.
They smirk. Awful. Sad.
O awe. They are hellholes.
Health issue battles weary me.
I rely on informed human beings.
These DC Greedy mongers howls!
They wear satin suits and groan bad!
They soon will lift their legs on farmers!
I am trying to me nice. They need a potty!
Mommy and Pap never poop train `um right!
They look pale, ashen, and snarl at farmer too!
They need to walk on all fours? Lease all whores!
What a big bunch of MESS. MESS MESS MESSES!
You aren't wrong. For too long the Fools have been on the Hill. We need term limits. ~R~
New day... same ol' shite!
Merchants of death, every one of them. 44,000 Americans die each year for lack of health care, another million lose there homes due to bankruptcy and this is what they do? No wonder they have no problem voting to send young Americans to die in war. Life means nothing to them. Nothing.
I read about how" proud this guy" is of his no's. What a dope. You are right.
Tom -- Thanks for your comments and for the link to your post too.
I don't tink Evan Bayn could accomplishe a whole lot if his last name was different. Too many OOPs (offspring of pols) are part of the biggest entitlement program.

Art -- thanks for the poetry and vote of confidence,

Chuck -- I can't wait...can't wait, just can't wait to cast my vote agains Joe Lieberman in 2012. Did I tell you I just can't wait.

Trig -- Stupid is as stupid does.
My question right along has been one that nobody is either willing or able to answer...

WHAT precisely will the excuse be when everyone HAS insurance and people are STILL dying hand over fist (more than 200,000 people a year) due to either side effects of medications or medical error?

What IS the excuse that people are going to hand me when my child DIES due to the side effects of medications and I start DEMANDING to know WHY their wallet was more important than a child's life?
I don't think it's possible to be too cynical about the motivations of Congress. Besides Coburn, Oklahoma inflicts Jim Inhofe (in the running for the 2nd stupidest Senator) on us.

As HuffPost reports, new polling shows that majorities in Indiana and Arkansas favor a public option. We'll see how Bayh and Blanche Lincoln respond (not holding my breath). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/30/yet-another-public-option_n_339709.html
I came back because @ 11:58 rated you.
I believe in the proper good jest intents:`
We are to be a human who irritates too:`
We are forgiven if we annoy each other:`
My silly rule is to try and irritate 2- folk:`
Irritate Stella (heh), sheep, politico Ya:`
tease.
@ 11:59 I notice we bumped @ OS feed:`
JK Brady
odetterette
Frank Indiana
O, and @ Stella
@ 11:58? tease:`
She no irritate.
Michael -- Merchants of death is an excellent metaphor.

stellaa -- Dope is right.

Mrs. Raptor -- Opponents of reform will blame reform. Proponents of reform will say reform didn't go far enough.

Stim -- I know there are smart people who live in OK. How do these losers get into office?

Art -- Thanks again.
Lieberman is a religious Jew. What the fuck does he pray for? God hates him.
On a less cynical note, I heard to day that Arlen Specter now supports it.
R
John -- The end times? Look up the word Schmuck in a dictionary and Joe's photo is next to the definition.
Spot on. I couldn't agree more. BTW, love the Joe = Schmuck observation.
You did a fine job of ripping them a new ass and giving them a righteous "What For". Understanding anything these pathetic parasites do or say they are going to do is basically impossible. Great post/rated....o/e
I hope you're wrong, but I can't say your suspicions are unfounded. SIGH.
You should be cynical when it comes to politicians!! ~nodding~ :)