That’s why repeal and other health-reform nullification efforts, which have gained media attention recently, are so disappointing. Business and political leaders who want to block the implementation of health reform are, in effect, turning their backs on this population.

Many people of color face poorer health than white Americans from the cradle to the grave, in the form of higher rates of infant mortality, chronic disease and disability, and premature death.

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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.

So what makes otherwise rationally thinking adults break up town hall meetings by spewing this nonsense?

According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, there are significant disparities in healthcare coverage by race: 14.9 of whites are uninsured, versus 19.7 of African Americans, 16.8% of Asian Americans, and 32.7% of Hispanic Americans. In listening to some of the specific concerns the protesters have raised, the common thread appears to be that those who are insured don’t want to pay for those who aren’t, even when it is estimated that we can cover everyone from waste, fraud, and abuse savings from the current system.

It is indeed curious why some Americans would rather see rising costs and excessive profits go to the insurance companies instead of their fellow Americans who are disproportionately people of color.

No other American President has faced so many direct personal, utterly baseless attacks on his character than Barack Obama. What is the root of this? It is hard to imagine that race does not play a role in this. It is hard to see this happening to George W. Bush, or even Bill Clinton.

But that is not the most disappointing part of the story. There is a small faction of the population that is racist, and thankfully it has been getting smaller and smaller over the years. What is disappointing is the active role some prominent Republicans are playing in giving the birther/deather/socialist/Nazi movements life even though they know they are born more out of racist attitudes than facts.

When given the opportunity to vote on specific legislation that would require them to take an on the record stand on Obama’s citzenship or government-run healthcare (Medicare), they prove that they don’t believe in these extremist movements. So it appears that the cornerstone of the Republican strategy for the mid-term elections and probably the next Presidential election is to foment racist extremism for political gain.

With the Republicans, all politics does appear to be racial.

Ethnicmajority Politics page.

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.