411 Politics Fact or Fiction: Week 46
Posted by Ryan Latimer on 06.04.2007
Peace Mom quits, health care and good 'ol Roe
Good Monday, ladies and gents, and welcome to another edition of 411 Politics Fact or Fiction. I'm your host Ryan Latimer, and I'm still rehabbing that knee injury sustained in the protest riot last week in Venezuela. I get cranky when I can't get my news.
Good reception from last week's "generalized" questioning, but let's revert back to the standard process this week and save another round for later; there's some good stuff going on at the moment, and our fine 411 Politicos are ready to pounce. This week we have the lovable liberal Ray Church vs. I Can't Think of a Smart-Ass Nickname Joe Rivett taking on the proposed immigration bill, universal health care, Cindy Sheehan's stepping down, and of course, Rosie O'Donnell and The View. I'll die a happy man when Roe does the world a favor and becomes disinterested in world affairs.
Go…
1) President Bush and Congress have come to terms on the new immigration bill, which has resulted in both praise and criticism from all sides of the political spectrum. This proposed bill is a bad idea and will not help solve America's immigration problem.
Joe Rivett: FICTION - It is not a perfect bill but it has some good points. I don't think you can forcibly deport all 12 million illegal immigrants, it is better to give them a path to citizenship. So what if they broke the law, the US wasn't enforcing it anyway. I'm sure we all have broken the law at some point in our lives. The bill mandates a payment of back taxes. The bill will fund the proper enforcement of the border. Will it solve the problem? No. But it is an improvement over the current system.
Ray Church: FACT - The easy part of the question is "it won't solve the problem". When you have a mass of people living in impoverished conditions on one side of the border and another mass of people living in relative luxury on the other side, this problem will exist. This bill is a band aid, as any bill will be, because the roots of the issue are not even considered. It's pure chauvinism to think the US can solve this problem without the cooperation and the strengthening of Mexico.
It‘s something, and that‘s much more than what the government has usually done. Perhaps it may even lead to (gasp!) reasonable law enforcement and responsible immigration! 0 for 1
2) Michael Moore's health care documentary Sicko will be released in theaters this month, but the buzz and discussions have already started. The country's current health system needs the boot; a universal health care plan is possible and is the best way to go.
Joe Rivett: FICTION - The tragedy of Sicko is that it spotlights people that have insurance and still can't get proper coverage. The problem with Universal Health Care is that it would put the insurance companies out of business which I doubt will happen. I personally would love to not have health insurance of any type. Doctor and hospital visits would be much cheaper if they knew we had to pay out of our pocket, but they charge more because they know the insurance company will pay which leads to insurance bills that are unaffordable. For instance, my chiropractor did not take my insurance. He normally bills the insurance company 45 bucks per visit. I told him I wasn't going to pay 45 bucks so he now charges me 25 bucks.
Ray Church: FACT - OK, this is the foreigner telling you this, but most other Western Nations have a far superior healthcare system than America. Forget Universal Healthcare, how about just providing decent healthcare for the poor.
I‘m making a bold statement, but I don‘t believe any of us will see a universal health care plan in America in our lifetimes. The benefits of such a system are clearly there (as are the pitfalls), but it won‘t happen. However, here‘s to hoping that we do improve on our current situation somehow. 40 million people without health care is a lot. 0 for 2
3) "Peace Mom" Cindy Sheehan decided last week that she no longer wants to be seen as a leader of the anti-war movement and has returned home. Sheehan should be remembered as a patriotic, noble dissenter.
Joe Rivett: FICTION - I wrote a column about this, but my premise is that Cindy Sheehan cannot be taken seriously when she calls Bush the biggest terrorist in the world while speaking highly of Hugo Chavez. There is a lot to oppose about the Iraq War; Ron Paul is doing it in a dignified way, Cindy Sheehan didn't.
Ray Church: FICTION - That's not to say she wasn't patriotic or noble, but that the right wing hit machine has already pulled a number on her. Yes, she made some mistakes (Hugo Chavez, anyone), but her intentions were based on trying to make the world better (namely, to see no other mother had to go through what she went through).
Rivett did do a spectacular job on his column regarding this matter. Head there for a full scoop. 1 for 3
4) Although originally slatted to host for a few more weeks, Rosie O'Donnell prematurely quit The View last week following an on-air verbal spat between Rosie and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. ABC is far better off without Rosie and her departure will only benefit the show and the network.
Joe Rivett: FICTION - Rosie increased ratings 17% from what I heard. Whether you agree or disagree with her, she was more interesting than Star Jones. Rosie gave the View much needed exposure.
Ray Church: FACT - Frankly, I just don't care, but at least Rosie O'Donnell won't be held up as a representative of "The Liberal View" anymore. There are far better people to put forward the liberal views, ones who don't think they have a degree in Mechanical Engineering for example. The only people who are upset by this are Fox News. Who will they use to represent the loonie left now?
True that she did get ratings, but at what price? I believe that show has not only become a punch line, but it represents a recurring form of The American Conversation in a lot of ways - people who think they know what they are talking about but only make outrageous claims and weak arguments. Not to mention the unnecessary heat generated by just having a conversation concerning world affairs. Get a massage, people. 1 for 4
Not my best week, although it was a nice discussion. I'll regenerate my batteries for next week.
STAY CURRENT