The Campaign of Lies

This past week, Americans spoke, and they spoke Republican. No one should be surprised, as the president's party traditionally loses Congressional seats in the midterm election. Republicans took back the House of Representatives in an overwhelming fashion and sharply shortened the distance in Senate. Some 700 plus state seats and nine governorships went red. The most interesting part of the overwhelming transition from Democrat to Republican is that the platform on which many (if not all) Republican candidates for federal office ran is overturning the recent health care reform law. I cannot, in any feasible world, see how this can occur. Did voters actually think this could happen? Let's walk this through.


First, I will admit openly, the law is not perfect. President Obama acknowledges that this law will have to be "tweaked" in the future and is not perfect as is. However, he maintains that the law is beneficial to society and does not seek to have it replaced.


Republicans now have the majority in the House, but it boggles my mind how the newly-elected representatives will be able to repeal or enact a new law. Any form of repeal will be vetoed in the White House. Any law or alteration to the current law that the President ultimately disagrees with will be vetoed in the White House.


When the law heads back to Congress, Congress will not have the two-thirds majority needed to overturn the veto and make the bill into a law. The overturning of a health care bill under Republican terms simply cannot occur. Yes, alterations and small amendments supported by Democrats or the President can be enacted. Yes, there are items in the excessively long bill which should be modified for the benefit of the general public. There is already a starting point on the table, with the health care bill already passed and signed into law. A starting point is much better than scarping any work which has been done and starting over in a new Congress which is bound to be just as stubborn and partisan (if not more so) than the previous Congress.


Whatever your personal views on the current health care bill, there is no denying the Republicans were given a freebie on this election. There is simply no logical path for the party to repeal health care. There is no way. Making this promise to the American public is offensive to the intelligence of voters and of registered Republicans in particular. Did Americans not understand that the health care bill can not be repealed? Did they not care? Perhaps other issues were more important to voters this year, but I do not understand how Republicans were not called out on this preemptively broken promise.


I do not understand how this passed as their platform. It is simply not possible. This promise will be broken. That I can promise.