Thursday, August 27, 2009

HEALTH CARE REFORM - A Final Lasting Tribute To The Lion Of The Senate

August 27th, 2009


My Dear America:

It has been a harrowing couple of days for Americans. On Tuesday Night after practicing with my Friend, Larry, for a gig we are playing for local Democrats tomorrow, I returned home and found myself watching a strange movie on the Lifetime Movie Network with my wife. After the movie was over my wife and I just put on CNN with the intention of seeing if there was anything significant happening in the news.

There Was.

CNN was reviewing the life of Teddy Kennedy.

"Good God", I said to my wife. "Teddy Kennedy must have died".

As we all know now, Teddy Kennedy had died and the tributes began even at that late hour to start pouring in, from Democrats and Republicans, alike. Clearly Americans of all kinds loved Ted Kennedy. His name had been included as a sponsor on thousands of legislative bills over the years he had served in the Senate.

Thousands of others he had simply worked to have passed. He had been one of the longest serving Senators of all time, running third only to Daniel Webster and Henry Clay.
Most of his Legislative Legacy had to do with helping those people who often could not help themselves. The Young, The Old, The Disabled, The Minorities all benefitted from his kindness and concern. Many of those Republican Conservatives who always seemed to have harsh words for Teddy Kennedy and his liberal agenda seem to be the same people who now, after the fact, are lining up to identify themselves as Good Friends and legislative partners of Ted Kennedy. John McCain and Orrin Hatch are two who insist that they loved Ted Kenndy. Orrin Hatch even allowed NPR to broadcast a song he had written for Ted.

Much has been written and broadcast over the past couple of days and nights about Kennedy's incredible ability to engineer compromises over his lifetime of legislation. It seems to me that at this very sad time when we are saying Good Bye to Ted Kennedy that it would be a great time for everyone in the Senate and The House to get together when they return to Washington shortly. It is time for them to stop their bickering and do what it was that Ted Kennedy wanted most to do since first coming to the Senate in 1962.

He made no secret over the course of his life that passing single payer Government controlled Health Care Coverage for all Americans was the most important legislation and "the Cause of his life".

In his honor, This congress should immediately start working together toward a compromise and put together a real Health Care Reform Bill that Ted Kennedy would have been proud of.

Full Coverage Health Care for All Americans just as good and comprehensive as that which covers Congressmen and Women is what Ted Kennedy wanted for all Americans.

In Ted Kennedy's name let us pass a Health Care Reform Bill that he would have been proud to have voted for.

Lets see all those Democratic and Republican buddies of Ted Kennedy step up to the plate and deliver the best tribute of all to Ted Kennedy.

Worthwhile, All Inclusive Health Care Reform.

The Edward M. Kennedy Health Care Reform Bill.



Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher