Dear Senator McCain

I had been at first baffled, then irked, by Senator John McCain's speech on the Senate floor about how the current health care bill is being handled and then his vote on said proceedings. So, through his web site, I sent him an email:

“Dear Senator McCain:

I am very disappointed in you and I want you to know why.

As I write this, the US Senate is debating a health care bill that will affect millions of Americans. My concern here is not about the attributes of the bill ( though I could likely go on and on about that ), rather it’s about you.

The speech you gave as part of your vote on sending the bill to the floor was impassioned, might have taken a little guts ( more on that later ), and, for the most part, contains words and thoughts that I’d wished I had said. It was right on.

You said,

“We’ve tried to do this by coming up with a proposal behind closed doors in consultation with the administration, … . I don’t think that is going to work in the end. And it probably shouldn’t.” Amen to that; even if the process is successful it likely should not be.

and

“Why don’t we try the old way of legislating in the Senate, the way our rules and customs encourage us to act.” I commend your suggestion here.

and

“Merely preventing your political opponents from doing what they want isn’t the most inspiring work.” Again, thank you for saying that. It does seem to me that this is the most common thing Republicans have done for some time.

But talk, even words as brave-sounding as these, is cheap; I would have had much more respect for you and hope for our country, if, instead of all this, you would have uttered just one, different, word: “Against.” You voted to continue the process currently underway; to continue the process you don’t think will work and think probably should not work. An “Against” vote would have stopped the current process, accomplishing, I believe, far more than your ( now empty sounding ) rhetoric.

Your party and the POTUS wanted a “For” vote, and you gave it to them. The “bombastic loudmouths on the radio and television and the Internet” wanted a “For” vote and you gave it to them. Your vote aided and abetted a process your words cry out to be changed. …  Who is going to change it?”

Indeed ... if not you, who? ... if not then, when?

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