It's been quite awhile since I've been on DKos; it's college football season AND the Dems are boring me with their inability to move the healthcare ball down the field. So, if someone else has already said this, I apologize. That said ...
... have you noticed one of the main mantras of those opposing healthcare reform for the country is to say, "don't put a [financial] burden on my children and my grandchildren"? These people claim that the cost of healthcare reform will fall on their kin to pay that bill.
Now, don't we also almost always hear parents say they want their kids to have a better life than they had? That they want their kids to have more opportunities and better success than they experienced?
(jump the fold)
So, why is it that no one from the Democratic side has ever responded with
"Well, as we're sure you've told your children and your grandchildren, there are no such things as free rides. So, stop placing the idea that the cost of reform for what WE have lived thru to exploit is now going to be passed onto your children and grandchildren. If you're still walking amongst the living (since we can't tax the dead anymore), YOU are going to have to help foot the bill long before you need to worry about pushing this expense onto your kids and grandkids."
Why? WHY?!
I mean, the hypocrisy of the Congressional Republican'ts to claim that they're fiscally responsible people and to rail against anyone who gets government assistance ... and yet they're fine with "don't raise my taxes and don't raise the taxes of people making money far and above the income level I'll ever see", thus they're pushing the debt of change onto their kids and grandkids by such a stance.
Aren't these the same people who claim, "freedom ain't free"? Well, living in a country with the most/best paved highways, largest electrical grid, and the best water/sewage methods in the world isn't free, nor free from the cost of maintenance, either. So, when these aforementioned things have been ignored (thanks Ronnie Reagan) and put off because it would cost money and, thus, taxes to do something about - and Republican'ts have opposed such taxes for so long - then the same tired, ridiculous, infantile argument about cost should be slapped down by some adults in the room that can clearly articulate, "getting America healthy ain't free!"
This is just so infuriatingly annoying that the Dems in Congress (other than Alan Grayson) can't find a way to say things (1) clearly, and (2) in fewer words in order to make solid points no one could argue.
Here's an example of a Republican getting a message out clear as a bell in few words
Last week on Hardball with some prodding from Chris Matthews, Chritie Todd-Whitman stated:
There is a thing called climate change. Humans don‘t cause it, but we exacerbate a natural trend. And we better start doing something about it now.
Why, in all the years Dems have been trying to make THIS POINT have we not had one person from Congress find these exact words in such a short statement?? And, at what risk are the Dems of losing the ownership of the attempt to mend Earth's atmosphere to the Republican'ts?
If the Republican'ts can do the same thing with healthcare, the Dems could lose ownership of the reform AND the glory of getting it done. Now, that's probably not coming anytime soon - but we've all seen how Republican'ts do an about face on issues with no regard to what's been captured on tape in recent past.
Arrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!