What does Joe Wilson really believe about health care?
Like most people, I had never heard of Joe Wilson until his angry outburst in the biggest town hall of them all, the U.S. Congress. Unfortunately for him, it's hard to see Wilson beyond anything other than a symbol of everything that's wrong with modern American political life.
Still--to be fair to Wilson--we ought to take a look at his record on health care:
Wilson does have some official positions on health care you can find at Project Vote Smart. What we find is nothing short of a legislator who toes his party's line. Among his positions are his support for health savings accounts, the right to purchase insurance across state lines to increase competition, medical malpractice reform, and increasing the use of information technology in health care:
Wilson, like most of his Republican colleagues, voted against expansion of health care for kids (SCHIP) and for expansion of health care for seniors (Medicare). He voted against a 2007 bill that would have given the government the power to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. He also voted for medical malpractice liability reform.
Finally, in recent comments on the floor of the House, Wilson noted his second largest contribution to current reform efforts (the first being his temper tantrum last week):
"During consideration of the over 1,000-page bill in the Education and Labor Committee, I successfully got an amendment passed that would provide that Congress Members who vote in favor of government-run health care would enroll in the plan themselves. The American people should monitor that this provision is kept in the bill."
In his speeches on the house, Wilson rails against a government takeover of health care over and over again. Yet Wilson himself voted for the biggest government entitlement this generation has seen--the Medicare Modernization Act. Ironically, Section 1011 of that bill authorized $250,000 annually to reimburse hospitals for treatment of illegal immigrants.
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Barbara O'Brien
thedrmommy
david edwards
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Comments
no surprise that he toes the party line - he didn't look like a guy who thinks outside the box. he just looked like a dude in the middle of road rage tantrum.
I'm also enjoying the last line of your post. someone ought to remind him.....
thanks for reading--if anything, Wilson's a good soldier for his Republican colleagues--too bad that quality doesn't help 48 million uninsured americans
thanks for reading and you nice words.
Not that I have a strong opinion.
As always, whenever you see the "encourage competition" there is an underlying clause, of avoid regulation.
Thank you for your calm recitation of the facts. I must say that I do not think Joe Wilson believes anything, though he probably thinks he does. Like most of his cohorts, he mistakes the flaring of anger for belief, and angry reaction for principled behavior.
funny and scary at the same time...
thanks for reading and commenting
thanks for sharing your thoughts--don't move to Mass--to damn cold and not enough primary care doctors!
The fact that Republican representatives did not denounce Wilson’s display of disrespect to the President is most telling. It will be years from now before we find out if this despicable incident was a major blow to the GOP as a viable major party. The south is in serious decline socially and economically.
Conservative ideology that seeks to inject hate, prejudice and fear has limited appeal and support nationwide. There are many good conservatives who would love to put distance between themselves and the hate infested radical right but realize that their base is already narrowing having lost progressives and many moderates. There are no good answers on how to grow the party because they have alienated so many mainstream people. Extremists are like terrorists in that a few can make a loud statement and do a lot of harm.
If you are a liberal as I am or a progressive or even a moderate, I beg you to step back away from the fray. Don’t lower yourselves to the hate mongering conservative right wing nuts. Let them hang themselves. Debate the issues, not the person. Focus on solutions not on what won’t work. Stay positive! Focus on community and the greater good and trust that the rest will take care of itself. Adapt a belief in trickle down kindness. I am not saying forget about what Joe Wilson did. Quite to the contrary - never forget because there will be a time to exercise your right for retribution.
Please don't move to "MA" without consulting me, o.k.? I seem to be on a gypsy trail in my life right now and though I haven't been to your state for a long time, I have _connexions_ (?!) there. As well as lots in "MA". [My happy connexions with your state are weddings, tennis and a one-time ?"youthful"? get away that I think only got me to your northern cousin; my "MA" connexions are full of stern Calvin stuff -- academic _and_ medical!]
But my ?"gypsy trail"? has wandered altogether too much "hither and yon"; right now celebrating my very first (well, second, any way) post to Open Salon.
Back in the pre- Open Salon letters sections I was getting to feel so browbeaten I "half to hell and gone" despaired of hangin' in there here but now that some ?Mysterious Beneficence? has finally guided me to know how to start posting here ... anyone reading this, do send me a post or two so that I know I'm really here?
I might even get brave enough to try to post the about one-and-only computer-stored photo of me I have!
It will mean a lot to me to be able to enter into exchanges with all of you here.
Thanks from this geographical gypsy-story
podunkmarte
On his other position - requiring Congress to enroll in the plan they create - I actually think that might be a good idea, if only because it would give them an immediate and personal incentive to fix any problems. Certainly open to hearing the other side of this argument, though.
Excellent post.
I'm sorry. But someone had to make that joke, right?
thanks for your comments--malpractice reform sounds like it may be on the table after Obama's speech last week. I think it would make many doctors feel more at ease about defensive medicine.