Civitas Review Online

Democrat Congressman Larry Kissell achieved notoriety as a school teacher in touch with the common man.  He campaigned as an outsider who felt the pain of folks who had lost their jobs.  He wore his liberalism proudly campaigning as the answer to the jobless woes of the 8th district.

But rhetoric and reality are catching up with the 1st term congressman.  Though liberal, Kissell has been rather difficult to read.  He voted against healthcare legislation and cap and trade. One has to wonder what he really stands for.  Of the districts likely to fall in the state this year, I’d say Kissell’s is squarlely within the GOP’s grasp.  It doesn’t hurt that most of the lamentations seem to be coming from his own team.

Dannie Montgomery, a teacher from Anson County who served as first vice chair of the N.C. Democratic Party, said in a news release that Kissell “has turned his back on the grassroots supporters who propelled him to office,” Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reports. She said Kissell has alienated some African American leaders in the 8th District, which could dampen black turnout. She said she has encouraged Charlotte lawyer Chris Kouri to challenge Kissell. Kouri ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2002 against Republican Robin Hayes

(comment correcting cap and trade appreciated)

Nothing disheartens more than to hear that your elected officials really don’t believe what they’re selling.  Rather than go back home, face constituents, get input and let their voters know what’s in their hearts, Congressional Dems chose a different path:

As the 5 1/2 -week break began July 31, Democrats handed out seven-inch-long pocket cards for their members to carry like political shields. The cards listed popular parts of the legislation to be emphasized at town hall meetings, including banning insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions and prohibiting them from dropping or declining to renew coverage for people who become sick.

Sadly, what is missing from the spin is an honest understanding of the free market, even a remote understanding would have helped them.  If there is a public option paid for by taxpayers there is no reason for a company to offer insurance.  They also fail to recognize that tort reform, insurance companies competing across state lines (banned by Fed legislation) and understanding the actual costs of healthcare (not insurance) could be useful in a true debate on the matter.

Instead, we get a 7-inch long pocket card from spin docs in DC?  And the ever intellectual Brad Miller is whining.

“A lot of what they’ve heard and they don’t like isn’t really in the bill,” said Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), who supports the legislation. “President Obama needs to start talking about what’s in the bill, not what’s not in the bill. Whenever I see him on TV, he’s talking about what’s not in the bill.”

Representative Miller, you’re calling your constituents ignorant and stupid.  They’ve done their homework, they just don’t like what you’re selling.  And then there are the mentally challenged members of Congress.

“Health-care reform without a good public option is not health-care reform at all,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (Calif.), a leader among House liberals. “We have to do this. That’s why we’re in the majority. That’s why we have the White House.”

Again, at least they’re admitting that they have no interest in bringing down cost, creating innovation/efficiency and they have no interest in reform that provides competition.  Where’s the public option on clothing? What about a public option on big screen TVs?  Don’t we have a right to liberal news coverage?

Of note, there is no “middle ground” on the public option period!  The public option IS government run healthcare.  This is a showdown that is literally putting the democrats on life-support.  If we did have a political public option, I’d say it’s time to pull the plug.