Idaho Mountain Express: Minnick's conditions for health care reform are poison pills

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Friday, August 7, 2009

Minnick's conditions for health care reform are poison pills

Idaho's titular Democrat in the Washington congressional delegation, Rep. Walt Minnick, is at it again opposing his own party's agenda.

Minnick has published a blueprint of his conditions for voting for health care reform that can only be charitably described as a sham.

Among the conditions, President Obama's trillion-dollar proposal must be "fully funded" and with "no socialized medicine." Health insurance must be "private—not run by the government."

Those points alone qualify Minnick as one of the reddest Blue Dog Democrats.

They put him in company with Republican naysayers who want to sink the Obama reforms with ridiculous obstacles. They put him pandering to far right-wing voters in his heavily GOP District 1.

Fully funding the nation's government health plans is as absurd as fully funding the vast array of other Washington programs. The phrase explicitly means money in the bank to pay for expenses, even those that are unanticipated.

Why does Rep. Minnick think the federal government's $11 trillion in debt and $400 billion-per-year in interest payments on debt exist?

It's because programs are not "fully funded" and the government must borrow—something Minnick also opposes as supporter of a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not fully funded to account for surprise costs. Hurricane Katrina's costs were not fully funded. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are not fully funded.

As for demanding no government insurance option, that's more Minnick snake oil. Government insurance is everywhere—government insurance covers bank deposits and FHA mortgages, and military service personnel can buy government life insurance. And, what about Medicare or the new GI Bill?

One final example of Rep. Minnick's arrogance: After the Mountain Express editorially chastised Rep. Minnick for voting against President Obama's climate change legislation, one of the congressman's staff complained the newspaper had no right to criticize a congressman whose district doesn't include Blaine County.

Gall is not in short supply in Rep. Minnick's repertoire. Without blinking, he's announced he'll be outside of his district in Blaine County next Wednesday for a noon "town hall" meeting at Smoky Mountain Pizza in downtown Ketchum to listen to voters who can't vote for him.

Still, it's certain he wouldn't turn down a campaign donation from a county full of Democrats.

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There are 9 comments

The comments below are from the readers of mtexpress.com and in no way represent the views of Express Publishing Inc.

David Thouvenel – Neskowin, Oregon

08/10/09 - 10:52

This sounds like Pat and the editor of the Mountain Express doesn't approve editorial, the publisher does. Pam either writes them or has Pat write them.

It is very doubtful that either of them will ever need Medicare or other other government assistance. Both are financially well off and enjoy using the paper's bully pulpit to pick on those on the other side.

But I say go for it. The owners of a newspaper should have the right to use their paper for whatever political means they want.

For those that don't like it, buy your own newspaper or start one. You'll find out it is a very tough thing to do. So enjoy yourself Pam, Pat and the Express owners.

Reply to David Thouvenel

brian mcnary

08/11/09 - 21:52

Dave;

You are an adherent to the belief that the only opinion that counts is that of the owner of the newspaper. Personally I can't wait for newspaper to become a fossilized memory.
If you want an opinion, buy a newspaper company. Sorry, I'm selling that stock short.

Catya

08/09/09 - 21:06

Minnick is voting for the health insurance profiteers, not for health insurance for his constituents. Accountability has nothing to do with it, unless it's the political reality that he's more accountable to his lobbyist friends than Idaho residents without health care.

RMS

08/09/09 - 19:39

Brian Mcnary has it spot on! We are very fortunate to have Walt Minnick in Congress...one of the very, very few sane, objective, intelligent members...on either side of the aisle. The Express Opinion piece was one of the least informed and least insightful attempted hit pieces that I have read in a long time.

Michael Blain

08/07/09 - 12:38

Let's face it, Minnick is just another liar who is primarily interested in re-election and advancing the interests of his corporate / conservative friends.

One needs to translate Minnick's rhetoric to get at its true meaning. So-called "fiscal conservativism" really means a strong commitment to the interests of the people at the top of the class system at the expense of the rest of us.

In other words, Mr. Walt Blue-dog Minnick is a shill for the social upper class. Fiscal conservatism is just another refuge for scoundrels! You have to be pretty ignorant to buy into its logic -- unless, of course, you stand to benefit!

brian mcnary

08/07/09 - 10:01

I think I've seen just about every stupid thing imaginable and then I read this piece.

We finally get a politician that is demanding some accountability from a government awash in debt and he is being called titular, arrogant, galling.The article even goes so far as to state all of the examples of unfunded government programs and debt and then ridicules Minnick for not continuing this insanity and signing on. As though all those failures make one additional failure ok.

This government is totally out of control-made so by the kind of sheep that write this crap. The climate control bill was one of the worst examples of a government out of control with many politicians admitting they had not even read the full bill.

I'd bet a couple hundred that none of you have read that bill or even an abstract of it. If you are going to quote from Aesop's Fables-you probably should read the book first.

I try not to be mean spirited but the author of this piece and the editor that allowed it to get to print, need to do a little due diligence. This is a perfect example of garbage in-garbage out- of passing a poorly thought out and unresearched opinion as a matter of fact.

If Minnick shows up here, you'd do well to go listen. Judging from your knowledge of the situation, there appears to be plenty of room to squeeze a few fundamental facts in. Not that you'd listen...

Reply to brian mcnary

Hailey Mom – Hailey

08/11/09 - 22:00

Brian - you are spot on with this one. Your writing echoes my thoughts. Shame on the editor AND the publisher of this newspaper.

mpc

08/07/09 - 00:27

My god, do these editors realize why we are in the position we are in. Thank god, Minnick does know. We cannot take money that nobody has, to pay for programs nobody wants. Everything that the government does should be fully funded. If everyone in the country gave all of their money to the government, how long do you think the governmnet would stay afloat. WE ARE SINKING!!!

After reading this article I am going to the town hall meeting to shake this mans hand. If he is against non funded mandates, I am for him. Let us all reduce the size of government; republicans, democrats, and libertarians. The political party does not matter; integrity does matter.

Please Rep. Minnick, do not help to desroy our country. Do you want to go down in history as the worst congress in the history of the Uninted States? Please I implore you, save us from those that would destroy us!

As a post script I would like to say; how can someone that writes an article like this not be ridden out of town on a rail.

mpc

08/06/09 - 23:51

I am totally flabergasted