The colors, Duke! The colors!Dear Republican(s),

First off, I hope you had a Merry Christmas. I know some of you aren't fans of the politically correct "Happy Holidays" line so here you go, straight up. I don't mean to interrupt your holiday with politics. If you want to bookmark this article and revisit it later when there's less holiday cheer, you won't hurt my feelings. But if you're a hardcore politico like me, you won't be able to resist a politically themed open letter. So, if you're still in, on we go!

Alright, I bet you're pissed. I would be too if a bill that I was diametrically opposed to passed. I'm not writing this letter to gloat. I just want to air some of my concerns as well as settling a few concerns you may have. We may even have a few concerns in common.

As you probably know, the Senate Democrat's healthcare bill passed Thursday by a 60-39 vote -- straight down party lines. Note that the Senate bill did not include a public option, and because of how narrowly it passed, a public option is unlikely to survive the House and Senate compromise bill. My problem with Republicans is that many seemed to ignore the fact that the revised bill didn't include the principle object of their ire -- the public option. You may not see it as a large concession, but it was, especially for someone as liberal as I am. If the government is going to mandate coverage, it troubles me that they're going to force everyone onto the same private insurance companies that have committed so many grievances in the past. But besides that, the fact that I didn't hear any Republicans acknowledge the change and adjust their rhetoric is problematic because it draws into question the reasons behind their opposition.

You didn't like the public option? Okay, now it's gone. But if your opposition to the bill persists for the same reasons, then there's a problem. When people oppose policies regardless of the conditions of the policies, it leads me to believe that you're not paying attention to the issues and you're just being an obstructionist. The same rule applies to policy supporters, but many Democrats voiced their concerns regarding a lack of a public option. They voted for the measure either because they thought there was enough good still in the bill or because they were part of the few Harry Reid bought off (this is a tactic used on both sides so for the sake of length, I'm going to save the relationship between Congress, pork, and Obama for another article). Either way, it looks like some Republicans are obstructing important and meaningful legislation because they're trying to create setbacks for the current administration that could impair the Democrats ability to be re-elected. I get it; you're not a fan of the guy. But can we keep the kitchen sink in place? Unfortunately there are those in your party who have amassed a sizable quarry of kitchen sinks and are prepared to throw them at will. Some don't care about the facts and what this healthcare bill could accomplish or fail to accomplish. Instead of arguing the merits or demerits of the bill, some Republicans attempt to persuade voters using lies and bad information so that the bill will fail, Democrat approval ratings will slip, and Republicans can win seats in Congress and better their chances of winning the presidency in 2012. 

Before I move on, let me reiterate my use of the term "some." Note that I didn't say "most" or "all." I think most Republicans understand the issues, acknowledge the bill's evolution, and oppose it because they don't trust government, don't like where the money is going, or another reason that may be debateable but at least makes sense. The problem is the "some" got on television and purposefully clouded the debate with misinformation, thus confusing the "many." Now the "many," maybe even "most," have thumbed their noses at the Democrats' bill based on information that's misleading at best. Sure, both sides disseminated misinformation, but if you compare the lies from both parties there's a clear difference between the two. A Democrat's lie would be the high cost of healthcare "causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds" when really it's maybe once a minute, or that the bill is paid for when it's probably going to cost $239 billion over 10 years (averages to $24 billion a year and that includes the defunct public option). A Republican lie is "illegal immigrants will be covered" or "government is going to pull the plug on grandma." Do you see the difference? Some will say "a lie is a lie" but there's a difference between numbers not quite adding up and scare tactics meant to illicit a strong, negative emotional response.

The bottom-line is that your party is increasingly utilizing misinformation to oppose legislation; however, I want to be clear that you are not on trial here. I do not hold you responsible for the actions of every member of your party. I do not hold you responsible for the actions of any member of your party. However, you are a Republican, so your opinion is going to mean more to other Republicans than mine. So, if your conservative buddy mouths off at healthcare reform because "Obama's a socialist," please speak up. Let's just debate the facts, and maybe, if you're feeling particularly ambitious, the fundamental political theories behind the facts. I know I probably don't have to tell you this. Chances are you know what's going on, but many of your peers don't. Trust me, it's going to be a long four years if every time Democratic legislation arises, officials have to waste time and money arguing against "facts" that were made up wholesale. The worst part is there are some who heard about some of these outrageous claims, made their decision based on bad information, and refuse to change course because there are pundits and TV personalities that will feed their misconceptions. I know you don't like it, but I have to throw out a lot of these statistics regarding how much of the country is opposed to the Democrats' healthcare reform because there's no way to quantify how much of their opinions are based on pure fiction.

I'm doing what I can here. Feel free to read the articles on this site. I support my opinions with facts and I scrutinize the information I share. I might be a little overdramatic for comedic purposes, but I'm not spreading lies. Although Ant.Lion isn't particularly balanced, we are fair. If you've kept your nose out of the bad intel and made your decision to oppose the Dem's healthcare reform based on the facts, then I applaud you. I wish I could say the same for those who blindly supported the Democrats' initiatives and those who blindly disputed them. We've got a minimum of three more years of Democratic leadership left. Let's try to make the best of it.

P.S. Have a happy and safe New Year!

Your friendly neighborhood blogger,

Chris Jr. aka "Killah Tophu"