The Real Death Panels

Yesterday I read an article of a husband and wife who endured a real life death panel, not one invented by Betsy McCaughey or dreamt up in Sarah Palin's feeble brain.

Froma Harrop's ex-Marine husband was denied the treatment they needed by United HealthCare for liver cancer, but always gave them the impression that help was just around the corner. The time they wasted waiting for the bean counters at their insurance company may or may not have made a difference, but we'll never know. They just waited out the clock for him to die.

Today, with the passing of Ted Kennedy, I can't help but compare the waiting game by insurance companies to the waiting game of certain members of the Senate. Ted Kennedy was a huge proponent of health care reform, and the cynical side of me feels that some were just waiting for him to expire from his brain cancer to knock off one more Democratic vote for reform. I had mentioned it to a relative a few weeks back and promptly dismissed it, but the memory flooded back as I heard of Senator Kennedy's death.

Now, I know that it's a pretty callous thing to think about. That such a thing could possibly be considered is pretty cold-hearted. And maybe I thought the same thing after comtemplating it. After all, this "august" body always boasts of friendships and respect. Then I saw Senator Tom Coburn (R-Hell) at his health care town hall meeting.



So Coburn says his office will help, but "the government is not the solution." Uh, does he know he is the government? And he suggests to look to your neighbors. Look to your neighbors to help your husband whose had a TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. I would suggest that Coburn is not the solution.

So with Ted Kennedy, there goes another humanitarian in the Senate; something that their chamber is solely lacking. Ted Kennedy had his problems, he had his scandals. But he also worked his tail off for decades for the common good of the people. I'd take one Kennedy over 50 Coburns any day.

"The work goes on,
the cause endures,
the hope still lives
and the dreams shall never die."