The Uncivil War

So once again South Carolina fired its volley at the Federal summit provoking uncivil war in a time of conflict. A white man insulting a black man in public is nothing new of course only this time the black man was the President of the United States addressing the nation. A perfunctory apology was strong-armed out of accuser by his party’s leadership. The President’s enemies mailed him checks.

The last time South Carolina protested a President it was Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican to hold that office, and the protest was cannon balls and rockets fired on Fort Sumter. The rebels won the day and lost the war. Some, obviously, never got over it.

Was the accusation correct? Was the President lying when he said that the Health Care Reform he was advocating would not cover illegal immigrants? In New York City where Satire1 resides most hospitals and clinics do not ask about a patient’s resident status. Whose fault is that? The Republicans did nothing to reform immigration when they were in power so the mess spills over into Health Care and Education issues. Congress could empower the President to cut off all federal health care dollars to states that don’t comply with the small print of whatever bill passes but South Carolina might see that as an intrusion on state’s rights.

I agree that the President pronouncing that illegal immigrants will not be covered strains credulity in practice. Some clinics and hospitals will probably find a way to cover abortion as well with the reform but is it a lie of the magnitude that the enemies of reform have spread? Death panels? Canadian socialism?

One politician calling another politician a liar is like a ram calling a bull horny.

Don Arrup
Satire1