Fuck. Yes.
A new study by Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Queens & Brooklyn), member of the Health Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Caucus on the Middle Class, revealed that 151 members of the House and Senate currently receive government-funded; government-administered single-payer health care - Medicare.
On the list of recipients are 55 Republicans who have steadfastly opposed other Americans getting the public option, like the one they have chosen.
The list of congressional recipients of Medicare who also oppose the public option is below:
Rep. Ralph M. Hall
Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett
Rep. Sam Johnson
Rep. C.W. Bill Young
Rep. Howard Coble
Sen. Jim Bunning
Sen. Richard G. Lugar
Rep. Don Young
Sen. Charles E. Grassley
Sen. Robert F. Bennett
Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch
Sen. Richard C. Shelby
Rep. Jerry Lewis
Sen. James M. Inhofe
Rep. Ron Paul
Rep. Henry E. Brown
Sen. Pat Roberts
Sen. George V. Voinovich
Sen. John McCain
Rep. Judy Biggert
Sen. Thad Cochran
Rep. Harold Rogers
Rep. Dan Burton
Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon
Rep. Frank R. Wolf
Sen. Christopher S. Bond
Rep. Michael N. Castle
Rep. Joe Pitts
Rep. Tom Petri
Sen. Lamar Alexander
Rep. Doc Hastings
Rep. Cliff Stearns
Rep. Sue Myrick
Rep. John Carter
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Sen. Jon Kyl
Rep. Phil Gingrey
Rep. Nathan Deal
Rep. John Linder
Rep. Kay Granger
Rep. John L. Mica
Rep. Walter B. Jones
Sen. Jim Risch
Rep. Ed Whitfield
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner
Rep. Virginia Foxx
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite
Sen. Saxby Chambliss
Sen. Michael B. Enzi
Rep. Elton Gallegly
Rep. Donald Manzullo
Rep. Peter T. King
Rep. Ander Crenshaw
You know, I think there are two types of Republicans who oppose "government-run health care." There's the base, which is opposed to it on principle, as they think it will destroy the ability of health care providers to efficiently provide health care access (and think it's a slippery slope toward socialism). Then there are Republican politicians who are probably afraid of universal health care because they know it will work. They don't want to see universal health care gain the same kind of political untouchability that Medicare has earned, and make no mistake, that's what has happened with Medicare; if your platform is "I will abolish Medicare," expect your campaign to be torpedoed pretty quickly. Because Medicare has worked.
This is just a prediction right now, but here's what I honestly believe: a successfully administrated universal health care system in the United States will have similar political repercussions as other countries have experienced when universal health care came to their countries. Parties that identified themselves with the conservative ideology were forced to remake their platforms in order to support UHC systems (e.g. the Tories in Britain support universal health care). This is because that parties that see themselves as conservatives now believe that assaulting these universal health care systems is an unthinkable prospect.
I predict that after a universal health care system is in place, and after it's been demonstrated to be successful based on criteria concerning cost savings, coverage, amenable mortality rates, etc., the Republicans will have no choice but to remake their political ideology to incorporate support for universal health care if they want to compete in future elections. Or else they'll face a state of long-term regionalism. Hell, given how delusional their leadership is right now, the latter could feasibly happen.
Thoughts on this theory? Because this happened with Medicare; the GOP adamantly opposes government run health-care, but they won't turn their guns specifically on Medicare.
The Republicans don't want to see their connections with the insurance & pharmaceutical industries falter. That's what this is really about.
Update: On the off-chance that you haven't seen Weiner's past exploits of battling Republicans on health care, this is a must-see: