Malice McCain

Against my better judgment, I listened to the Healthcare Summit on MSNBC this morning. It goes without saying I was hesitant to tune-in because my expectations included typical right-wing denial and disagreement.

Of course I wasn't far off the mark, but I was still disappointed. I truly thought the right-wing would pull their fingers out for the public; to at least try and display a smidge of cooperation or a desire to legitimately participate in the summit. Even on live television, the Republicans cannot set aside their hatred of President Obama and work for the people who elected them.

However, there was an entertaining moment in the morning session. So far, it's my favorite scene from the summit:

In [another] sharp exchange, onetime GOP presidential nominee Senator John McCain suggested that Obama had broken his campaign promise to make the legislative process transparent.

"We're not campaigning anymore," Obama retorted to his 2008 presidential campaign rival. "The election is over."

Another irritation was the reference to the health insurance coverage currently enjoyed by members of Congress and federal employees. As taxpayers, we pay for the lot. Why should members of Congress have the best insurance coverage in the nation while others go without?

Perhaps senators and congressmen/women should forego their own health benefits and excessive pensions in order to save the average taxpayer a few dollars. The money saved could be put into a big pot to cover American citizens in need of healthcare rather than the over-privileged and self-involved members of Congress.