Prescription for Controversy

A few weeks ago, Minnesota's Seventh District Congressman Collin Peterson told the website Politico that he rarely holds town hall-style meetings to discuss the concerns of his constituents. Because, he said, 25% of those who attended were conspiracy theorists who believed the government was behind the 9/11/01 attacks. The Democrat was forced to backtrack after the Republicans complained.

Given what's been going on recently, with public forums hosted by other Congressional Democrats on President Barack Obama's proposals for health care reform turning into organized shouting matches, maybe Peterson should take back his apology.

People have been crying out for a way to take care of skyrocketing medical bills without going bankrupt or dying needlessly, only to find that insurance and pharmaceutical companies are raking in the big bucks to keep things the way they are.

So when they hear from conservative talkers, bloggers and corporate front groups that the Obama plan would (among other things) take away their doctor, impose government insurance, and legitimize "end-of-life" care (read: Euthanasia)--none of which are true, according to the White House--they get scared. Scared enough to march down to the nearest open forum and express their hostility to their elected representatives, shouting down (and sometimes threaten with violence) anyone who disagrees with them.

(Where was this passion when the United States invaded Iraq and Afghanistan? Were people too busy saluting the flag and glorifying the troops, because to do otherwise was considered unpatriotic?)

Truth is, Obama tried to rush through his health care reform before Congress took its annual August break. The President figured he'd better get this done now while the Democrats still had a majority. But Congressional leaders were so worried about bipartisan support--which they weren't going to get from the Republicans, anyway--that the bill stalled. And no one counted on so-called "Bluedog" Democrats to take a step back and consider what they're voting on. Obama still wants the bill to pass before the end of the year.

What's being lost in the shouting are the millions who don't have health insurance at all, often through no fault of their own. When they get sick, they crowd the emergency rooms of local hospitals at government expense. And they raise rates for everybody, whether you're insured or not. Why aren't we hearing from these people?

In the end, we'll get some kind of health care reform, but it won't be too much different than what we have now. Oh, there'll be some tweaks here and there, but Big Medicine will still be in control. And partisan politics is alive and well, having sent civil discourse into critical condition.

UPDATE: It sounds as if Rep. Peterson has changed his mind about public forums. He's scheduled two--Willmar on Friday and Bemidji on Monday. You've been warned.