Playing Politics Instead of Making Informed Policy

The American people are buffeted by political forces too often driven by narrow partisan goals that focus on irrelevant side issues calculated to delay and disrupt any serious reform or far-reaching legislation. You do, however, have to hand it to the Conservative wing of the Republican Party; they are masters at disseminating fear and misinformation, and their supporters eagerly spread the word.

One of their most deplorable gambits is the use of racial innuendo many Republicans still seem to find useful in pursuing their larger objectives. The "birther" issue is a not-so-subtle attempt to use Obama's African heritage to undermine his presidency. By refusing to accept publication of his birth certificate stating he was born in Hawaii they question the legitimacy of our first black president - - although that exceedingly strange black man, Alan Keyes, is working feverishly to keep the "birther" thing alive.

But it seems perfectly acceptable once again to 'pound the table' about "reverse discrimination" and talk about the merits of a dominant white leadership as if we had suddenly been thrust back into an earlier historical moment. The presence of Senator Jeff Sessions on the Senate Judicial Committee is insult enough, he being a known bigot and southern strategist who only turned on the KKK when he learned about members' use of marijuana. He is "disturbed" he says about some of Judge Sotomayor's past comments and will not vote to confirm her. What a travesty.

Most distressing, however, when people like Sessions hold positions of importance on congressional committees and consume so much time on the public stage, is that they provide cover for the seething racial animus that continues to roil our society. A caller to Sunday's Washington Journal, for example, faulted the media for not pointing out that Harvard Professor Gates was a member of the NAACP, harrumph - - proof that prejudice and stupidity are still operational mindsets across the political spectrum.

A further indication of our lame political condition is the numbingly partisan belief that Sarah Palin was done in by a vindictive media that asked incredibly difficult questions like "what magazines and newspapers do you read?" Even someone as inarticulate as George Bush was able to offer up Jesus in answer to a question about his favorite philosopher. The truth is that Palin was about as unprepared as anyone could be to hold the highest office in the land. Yet one current supporter said he would vote for her next time around "because she's a Christian and against abortion."  In a world as diverse and complex as the one we inhabit, there must be better reasons for choosing a candidate.

And when the subject of health care is broached, the burning question appears to be 'what's in it for me', financially or politically, not what's best for the economy and most Americans. We are told repeatedly that our system provides "the best care in the world" - - a position enunciated in Congress and on panels by members of the "GOP doctor caucus" who dominate the debate. An article in the NY Times this July reported there are eleven Republican doctors and five Democrats in Congress, many of whom serve on committees developing a health-care bill and who, for the most part, oppose, a "public option." Representative Kagan, D. WI, an allergist said a prescription he wrote for a patient went unfilled because she lacked adequate coverage and was "not old enough for Medicare...not poor enough for Medicaid." Apparently people like that patient aren't eligible to receive the "best care."

It is proving extremely difficult to make progress in important areas of national concern. Instead of addressing matters of substance, the minority's goal seems to be to deride the president and regain power in the next election cycle. Rush Limbaugh, who insists his strong point is being "positive", says he wants the president to fail and Senator DeMint hopes that attempts to reform health care will be Obama's Waterloo. How can anyone find such observations constructive? The fact is that the Republican version of bi-partisanship is to do things their way.

At a time when progress seemed possible, it is dispiriting to find so little willingness to engage in responsible dialogue. Shakespeare's Macbeth ranted that life was a "tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Unfortunately, a lot of idiot politicians and pundits engage in mindless bluster that offers little of significance to a public hungry for real answers.