This is usually a medical blog. This weekend I have thought a great deal bout politics. As I tweeted earlier today, I greatly admire Joe Scarborough’s comments on Meet the Press yesterday.
I consider myself a Scarborough Republican in general, although, with reservations I hope we get meaningful health care reform. What I oppose is extremism on the left and the right. What I oppose is hate speech, obfuscation and hyperbole. What I oppose is Nancy Pelosi and Sarah Palin.
We desperately need a centrist party. We need politicians who understand the art and necessity of compromise. We need strength coming from the middle rather than from the sides.
Unfortunately, the passion resides in the extremes. We in the middle feel very strongly, but we do not express those feelings with passion. Our willingness to listen to both sides and compromise may be signs of maturity, but they are not characteristics that rally the troops.
The current health care shouting match (I refuse to call it a debate) epitomizes our governing problems. I hope some readers out there can provide solace for this blogger who finds the current discourse so unpleasant and without serious thought.
If you are still reading, thanks for allowing me to vent. We should resurrect Henry Clay – known as the Great Compromiser.
All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue, and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter.-
Edmund Burke
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Amen! We need to hear more from the moderates. I’m hoping the Republicans will come to their senses and realize that Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, & Dick Cheney won’t bring them back to the majority. Looming problems on the left as well, despite 1200 pages, there was no room for malpractice reform (So, willing to take on everyone except trial lawyers?). I was frustrated & wrote a similar oped in my local paper.
http://www.journalstar.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/article_26fd0d84-8f76-11de-8bb5-001cc4c002e0.html