After a year - decades, really - the debate over health care reform came down to a climactic vote in the United States House of Representatives. Many people of good faith in both political parties were separated by a genuine - and fundamental - ideological divide. But as their ferocity revealed, for the GOP the […]

Rule #1: No one displaying the Confederate flag gets to lecture any American about patriotism. Rule #2: For a Republican Party intent on co-opting the Tea Party protests it helped foster, silence is golden. So while Democrats Tim Ryan (D-OH), Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Barney Frank (D-MA) rushed to denounce the racist and homophobic slurs […]

When it comes to the health care reform bill, perfect is the enemy of good. But Republicans are the enemy of everything. And on Sunday, every member of the House GOP will likely vote against the final health care reform bill that will bring coverage to 32 million more Americans, end insurance company abuses involving […]

For many Republicans from Dixie, the old times there are not forgotten. But in equating the health care reform bill to the "Great War of Yankee Aggression," Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) has served up a double irony. For starters, Broun is among the growing legion of Congressional Republicans trying to kill Medicare through privatization. More […]

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates for the final health care bill are bringing smiles to Democratic faces. Over 10 years, the $940 billion package will cover 32 million more Americans while ending insurance abuses including rescission and the use of pre-existing conditions to deny coverage. But the ersatz deficit hawks of the Republican Party […]

As the health care reform debate heads into its final days, the Republican opposition is turning on the sick themselves. This week, the right-wing echo chamber blasted an 11 year old boy whose mother passed away due to lack of health insurance. And a day after the conservative blogosphere protested that Obama insurance reform case […]

While the U.S. continues its pushback against Israel's humiliating settlements announcement last week, Republicans in Congress predictably rushed to defend the Netanyahu government. House Minority Whip Eric Cantor branded the Obama administration "irresponsible" and claimed its treatment of the special relationship with Israel "jeopardizes America's national security." Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) parroted Likud Party talking […]

As Ron Reagan Jr. made clear to Frank Gaffney and Pam Geller, the relatives of political icons don't always echo their views. (Gaffney went so far as tell Reagan, "Your father would be ashamed of you.") Now, as the health care debate nears it climax, the Washington Times has trotted out Dr. Milton Wolf, "Barack […]

Back in 2007, former House Majority Leader Tom Delay explained the Republican emergency room health care plan to a British audience. "There's no one denied health care in America," he announced to laughter, "there are 47 million people who don't have health insurance, but no American is denied health care in America." Which makes Tom […]

For years, Republican leaders including President George W. Bush, former House Minority Leader Tom Delay and current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have insisted that "no American is denied health care in America" because "you just go to an emergency room." But while Mitt Romney reminded Joe Scarborough that the funds Massachusetts used to pay […]