Healthcare: The Aftermath

Now that Obamacare is the law of the land, one would think the debate ended however; it has now really begun to heat up. The Democrats are travelling the land attempting to convince the electorate that this new federal program is just what the doctor ordered. The Republicans are promising to repeal the law if elected in large enough numbers to take over the House and or, the Senate. Meanwhile, amidst all of the tumult, the approval rating of Congress hovers in the low teens. The citizenry is left to shake their heads in disbelief as they observe the seemingly limitless buffoonery emanating from Washington D.C. Not too long ago, many of us viewed George W. Bush as a divisive figure however, when he is placed alongside President Obama, former President Bush seems more like a minor league ball player. President Obama's centralized policies have torn the land apart and left personal liberty asunder.

The ensuing months leading up to the elections of November 2010 should prove to be politically vicious. The Left and the Right have drawn lines in the sand and are now entrenched behind their political parapets and content on launching political invectives at one another. The rest of us are left to suffer the consequences of their inability to work together. That said, how long will we stand silent while personal liberty is crushed beneath the jackboot of seemingly endless federal usurpation of power? Not too long ago, the Left cried foul over the intrusion into personal liberty that they believed the Patriot Act guilty of and yet; they now clap their hands in glee as the federal government slowly gains control over more and more of their lives. Could it be that the Left is no more open minded than the Right? I think so.

The vast majority of us in this great nation lie trapped square in the middle of the conflict between the Right and the Left. Common sense tells us that a pendulum drift too far to either side of center is not good for the country. Each side of the political spectrum have aspects of their belief system which are good for the nation. The conundrum lies in finding the circuitous path through all of the hyperbole and picking and choosing those items which make us a more vibrant Republic. The inability of our Congress to detect and follow this path is why so many of us outside the Beltway are annoyed.

During the Antebellum Period, Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky, Senator John Calhoun of South Carolina, and Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts formed the Great Triumvirate. These three great statesmen with opposing interests, held our nation together through tumultuous times. The roaring fires of political diatribe threatened to overwhelm them on numerous occasions yet, they somehow always found a way to meet in the middle for the common good of all. The politicians of today would do well to study congressional history and show some personal bravery by stepping out from behind their parapet and actually sit down and talk instead of posturing. Where are the great statesmen of our time?

In closing, I must be totally honest. Since Obamacare passed on a strict party line vote and I wholeheartedly disagree with federalized control of health care, I hope that the Democrats pay for their actions in the upcoming election. As a conservative, I cannot support the objectives of President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, or Majority Leader Reid. My only wish is that somebody from either side of the aisle would rise above the stench of mediocrity and represent those of us who lie in the center.

De Oppresso Liber