Intelligent Republicans, Take Back Your Party!
At some level, it's been satisfying to watch the Republican party becoming increasingly paranoid and extremist during recent years. Surely, they're not going to win any national elections anytime soon running like that. Why not let them consign themselves to political irrelevance, if that's what they want?
But then comes along an important issue like the health care debate, and you realize how much we need contrary voices. We need people out there searching for flaws in the current proposals and calling attention to them. We need to hear alternate points of view. The Republicans are right about one thing: This is a huge industry we're messing with and we need to be as sure as possible that we're making positive reforms.
Unfortunately Republicans are not playing a constructive role in the current debate. They're proposing no alternative, they're not being honest about the gaping holes in the current system and they're criticizing a plan that nobody is proposing. Their only goal seems to be to shut down any reform effort.
Sure, that's politics as usual. It's hardly a new tactic. But these are not usual times. And here's where the President is right: The current health care system is not sustainable. It places too high a burden on businesses, too many people are left out, and it's too expensive and getting more so. We need to fix this. We need a competing party not trying to shut down the reform effort but trying to make it better. That would be the patriotic thing to do.
So, Republicans, I'm not sure I'm going to agree with you completely, but I want to hear your constructive arguments and proposals. Stop calling names. Stay away from the Nazi allusions. Give up the death-panels-for-grandpa nonsense. Stop trying to drown out the debate and instead join it. Present your arguments rationally and trust the American people to decide.
We need you.