The same Republicans cheered when the United States lost its bid to host the 2016Olympic Games sought by Obama despite the economic bonanza the world eventcould have brought to Chicago, Milwaukeeand the financially stressed Midwest.
The angry opposition of Republicans to PresidentBarack Obama now has deteriorated into opposition to anything that is good fortheir own country under Obama’s leadership.
Republicans wouldn’t have been so baffled by Obama’swinning of the Nobel Peace Prize if they had bothered to read the citation. TheNobel committee, which unanimously awarded the honor to Obama, explicitlystated the prize was not being given for what Obama might do in the future, butfor what his election already has meant for the world.
The citation spelled out clearly the difference oneperson can make.
Obama’s election immediately transformed the world’sgreatest superpower from an arrogant nation acting unilaterally without anyregard for world opinion into a global leader in multinational diplomacyattempting to solve problems through negotiations.
The United States also immediately stopped feigningignorance over whether climate change existed and began working with othernations to take concrete steps to meet a grave threat to the planet’s survival.
The Nobel committee didn’t mention race, but Obamaalso pushed open doors and provided hope and new opportunities for people ofcolor not only in his own country, but around the world as well.
The lack of graciousness of Republicans toward aprestigious honor for our presidentand for the United States itselfcarries special irony for those of us whowere accused of being unpatriotic in the past for protesting the policies ofthe United Stateswhen it got off track.
Those same Republicans who said we should supportour country “right or wrong” now refuse to support it even when others aroundthe world are heaping praise upon us for moving in the right direction.
There’s a big difference between opposing apresident for escalating a war resulting in the loss of thousands of Americanlives and opposing a president for attempting to make affordable health careavailable to all Americans.
Spiting America
Anti-American Republicans oppose anything that wouldbe good for the American people because it would make Obama look good.
That’s what’s really behind their vociferousopposition to passing health care reform that would benefit the majority ofAmericans who already are experiencing exorbitant increases in insuranceco-pays and premiums coupled with disappearing coverage.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, PresidentGeorge W. Bush’s secretary of Health and Human Services, has now joined a smallgroup of pro-American Republicans such as former presidential candidate BobDole and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a physician, in advocatingsupport for health care reform.
But there is no indication that the tone-deaf,anti-American Republicans in Congress have any intention of dropping theirnearly unanimous opposition to anything that would reduce the overwhelmingfinancial cost of health care for every American, every employer in America and every taxing authority in America.
More and more Americans are starting to notice thatRepublicans have crossed the line into trashing America itself and opposinganything that would benefit the American people.
The last thing Republicans want is for Americans tostop being driven into bankruptcy by catastrophic medical expenses afterinsurance companies refuse to pay for illnesses and major surgeries. That wouldbe a victory for Obama.
Health care reform will pass because the majority ofDemocrats in Congress know defeat by the Republicans would be disastrous bothfor the country and for the Democratic majority.
After that, the next big battle between Democratsand anti-American Republicans will be over creating more jobs.
It’s widely acknowledged now that Obama’s firstfinancial recovery package pulled the country back from the brink of a secondGreat Depression. (Those who claim Obama hasn’t accomplished anything seem tohave forgotten that little item.)
But with economists suggesting the possibility of a“jobless recovery,” more needs to be done to provide assistance for those whoremain out of work and to create more jobs.
In order to fight health care reform to benefit allAmericans, Republicans had to make up outrageous lies about death panelsplotting to exterminate senior citizens. They’ll need to invent even scarierplots to convince Americans that being employed and earning enough money to supporttheir families would be a bad thing.
Republicans have to come up with somethingoutrageous to keep their supporters good and mad. If those angry mobs eversettled down and thought rationally, they’d realize their party had been takenover by anti-Americans who oppose anything that is good for their country.
