EthnicMajority

Tip O’Neil famously said that “all politics is local”. I’m beginning to wonder whether his quote needs to be updated to account for the political strategies being deployed in the Obama era.

They started during the Presidential campaign, with attempts to create racial animosity from African American Reverend Jeremiah Wright, to questioning whether Obama was a Muslim, to doubting whether he is a legitimate U.S. citizen. The “birther” movement continues in spite of clear evidence that Obama is a U.S. citizen and that it is a hoax.

The attempt to reform the healthcare system is the latest example of taking perhaps the most important issue of our time, and reducing it to a fight along racial lines encouraged by enough mainstream Republicans to keep the insanity movement going.

To believe in this movement, you would have to believe that Obama: a) is a socialist, communist, and Nazi, b) is a racist and hates white people, and c) wants the government to make all of your medical decisions for you

You would also have to believe that the health insurance companies always put your best interests first, leave medical decisions to you and your doctor, and aren’t interested in making a profit.

If these are your true beliefs, you need to a psychiatric evaluation, assuming your insurance company doesn’t reject the claim.
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You would think that if the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has concerns about healthcare reform, it is because people of color are getting screwed in the process. Guess again.

Instead, the Commission has questioned whether some of the provisions provide racial preferences that are unconstitutional. Say what? It became clear where the Commission was coming from after looking at its members – four appointed by George W. Bush, two independents, and two Democrats appointed by Congress.

It is no surprise that the Commission has come under fire from the Leadership Council on Civil Rights, a coalition of 200 civil rights organizations, for becoming too political. That would seem almost a prerequisite for working in the Bush administration. Apparently the Commission has taken issue with programs in the healthcare bill that would provide incentives for physicians to practice in underserved areas by forgiving medical school debts, and education for underserved populations about public health issues.

This is exactly the kind of thing the Commission should be advocating for, instead of opposing in such a blatantly political way.

Ethnicmajority healthcare page.