To these conservatives: are we to drop his charge to us all to finally deliver healthcare for each and every American? Nonsense I say. Note to conservative Americans, Senator Ted Kennedy even wanted you to benefit, so you would never have to worry about going to the doctor, being hospitalized or taking your next dose of medicine.
Senator Kennedy along with Senator Orin Hatch even sponsored the SCHIP program to insure America's children, including those born to conservatives. It was none-other than former President George W. Bush who vetoed its expansion. Coming to the aid of America's children was President Barack Obama who signed it into law.
If you are a poor conservative whose child is covered under this program, you have Senator Ted Kennedy to thank.
Question to be asked is: How many Americans who are presently covered by private insurers have died when their coverage does not pay for their needed care? Many CEOs of these private insurance companies make millions of dollars per-year.
Sean Hannity warned: "Remember Paul Wellstone's death? You know, 'Let's do everything for Paul.' And we're now being implored to get behind Obamacare because it's what Ted Kennedy would have wanted, First of all when Wellstone died, it was a different time with conservative Republicans in charge. So there was very little any of us who believed like Paul did could do at that time. We were simply outnumbered and out of power.
Today, it is a different story and yes elections have consequences which means that the Republicans were rejected in the past election. Americans wanted a new course and it is up to our Democratic leaders to deliver, even if it means going it alone. Make the case to the American people. 47 million Americans who presently go without are depending upon such leadership.
Senator Ted Kennedy's life-long passion while serving in the senate was healthcare for everyone, but I do not remember him using the term 'Obamacare'. He was championing this cause when the president was a child.
The late senator was often referred to as the 'Liberal-lion' of the senate and lions are not timid. I do not think he would think less of anyone pushing his dream forward to finally deliver healthcare for all Americans in the wake of his death. I do not think he would think this final push to get it done as politicizing his death. The roar of the lion screams out to all of us to put the spines back in our back and to confront these racist fear mongers at these divisive town hall meetings.
In the below piece I wrote after Senator Paul Wellstone's death, I wrote: "If you are a liberal, stand up and proudly say, "Yes I am! So what?" Paul did." Let us go forward to help realize the senator's dream and make it our reality. The vulnerable of this country are dependent on we liberals to do so.
To Senator Edward M. Kennedy, I want to thank you for 47 years of service to God and country. It will be hard to find another senator like you, but then again, no one can fill the big shoes you left behind. All they can do is to measure up and lead a charge that all Americans deserve quality healthcare.
I will leave you to read my celebratory piece written after the death of Senator Paul Wellstone who too was one of America's greatest senators in our lifetime. It is my hope that you see a similarity between the two late and great senators.
The Night We Celebrated Liberalism: The Paul Wellstone Legacy Ignited
By Mary MacElveen
Oct 31, 2002
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a liberal as "one who is open-minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways," and "an advocate or adherent of liberalism especially in individual rights."
Synonyms for liberal listed in the Merriam Webster Thesaurus include: free, generous, munificent, openhanded, and unsparing. They cite these related words: advanced, broad-minded, progressive, radical, tolerant, exuberant, prodigal, benevolent, charitable, and philanthropic.
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