So you want Real Health Reform?  You better also be thinking about some political reform.  Listed below is a commentary on Harry Truman.  Truman was a machine politician, but at least he knew the truth about himself and his profession. When one looks at the list of the top 10 current longest serving Senators and Representatives, one can ask only a single question . . . don’t these folks have ANYTHING else to do?  Apparently not.   Being in office for so long has so many perks, benefits, as well as power levers that these folks cannot stand the thought of actually having to live a life under some of the arcane and insane laws that they call euphemistically: legislation.   It is time that we began to realize that the only way to make meaningful changes is to force this privileged elite to live a life in the real world of America, under the same laws, rules and structures that they love to put in place, but also love to exempt themselves from.  The idea is called term-limits.  It is time Congress faced the same rules as the President, most governors, state and local officials.

We have called for simple, basic actions which would achieve meaningful reform of health care delivery almost immediately.  But entrenched interests, most particular the heath insurance lobby, have much of Congress on the line (financially that is).  So we find that neither they, nor sadly the President, is able to muster the courage to act NOW, and get some of the most basic items taken care of.  Items such as: open market sales of health insurance policies; total subscriber base rating, not sub-group rating; elimination of any exclusions on coverage save for failure to pay (in which case the citizen can apply for Medicaid).  These are simple, uncomplicated actions which could be made to occur now.  Why do we need a major health “overhaul” to accomplish even this little – no doubt because entrenched interests, along with entrenched politicians have other ideas about how money should be funneled . . . obi jo

SENATE

Robert Byrd (D) West Virginia (1959-present)

Ted Kennedy (D) Massachusetts (1962-present)

Daniel Inouye (D) Hawaii (1963-present)

Joe Biden (D) Delaware (1973-2009) Now Vice-President

Richard Lugar (R) Indiana (1977-present)

Orrin Hatch (R) Utah (1977-present)

Max Baucus (D) Montana (1978-present)

Thad Cochran (R) Mississippi (1978-present)

Carl Levin (D) Michigan (1979-present)

Chris Dodd (D) Connecticut (1981-present)

HOUSE

John Dingell (D) Michigan (1955-present)

John Conyers (D) Michigan (1965-present)

Dave Obey (D) Wisconsin (1969-present)

Charles Rangel (D) New York (1971-present)

Bill Young (R) Florida (1971-present)

Pete Stark (D) California (1973-present)

Don Young (R) Alaska (1973-present)

John Murtha (D) Pennsylvania (1974-present)

George Miller (D) California (1975-present)

James Oberstar (D) Minnesota (1975-present)

What happened to Harry Truman after the presidency–very interesting!

Harry Truman, from Missouri , was a different kind of President. He probably made as many important decisions regarding our nation’s history as any of the other 42 Presidents. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.

Historians have written that the only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence, Missouri . On top of that, his wife inherited the house from her Mother. When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an ‘allowance’ and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves.. There were no Secret Service agents following them. When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, ‘You don’t want me.. You want the office of the President, and that doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it’s not for sale.’ Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, ‘I don’t consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.’ He never owned his own home and as president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.

Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale.  Harry Truman was correct when he observed, ‘My choices early in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference’

Harry S. Truman – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/HarrySTruman/

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/

Term Limits: The Only Way to Clean Up Congress – http://www.heritage.org/Research/GovernmentReform/BG994.cfm

Seniority in the United States Senate – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seniority_in_the_United_States_Senate

List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Congressmen_by_longevity_of_service

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