'Shameless political pandering'

I like this Letter to the Editor originally published in The Pottstown Mercury about the desperate measures Democrats are taking to get their socialized medicine plan passed.

Shameless political pandering

With Senator Ted Kennedy's passing, we honor the life of a long-serving public official. We should not, however, condone the shameless political pandering that occurred within hours of his passing. It is disgraceful to use the death of a colleague for political gain to pass legislation that is failing on the merits.

Health care reform should pass or fail on its merits, not be tied to one man's legacy. Let's have an honest debate on health care reform, and let's debate all of the ideas that have been brought forward, some of which have received scant coverage in the media.

Ideas like competition across state lines, tort reform, dismantling mandatory policy coverages, exclusion of non-citizens, portability across jobs, favorable tax treatments for individuals, and other private sector reforms should be debated openly. Let's see how these ideas compare against the public option in cost savings and insurability of those that truly want insurance.

BUD JENSCHKE
Pottstown