Sen. Gaham compares US government to Middle East
Lindsay Truax
Issue date: 10/9/09 Section: Campus
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"No matter how many problems we have in our country, if you try to be everything to everybody, you will fail," Graham told a group of students, faculty and concerned citizens at a town hall meeting at Francis Marion. "This country needs to stop Mid-East politics. When President Obama, who I campaigned and voted against, won the election, then I give him deference. I am worried about our country. We can't get along and agree on anything."
Although The New York Times had just reported the night before on how Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. commander over Afghanistan, was seeking an additional 40,000 U.S. troops to assist with the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the ongoing healthcare debate dominated the conversation and questions from the audience.
"How many people believe that insurance companies have a control over you that is unhealthy?" Graham asked, with virtually everyone in the audience raising their hand. "I believe that health care in America is too costly. Doing nothing about Medicare, Social Security, and healthcare is a recipe for disaster."
Graham told the crowd, which included a number of senior citizens, that introducing a public option would be devastating for people who enjoy the benefits they receive now, including those on Medicare. Although Graham acknowledged that current programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, are in need of an overhaul, he said that the cost of those changes would be much more manageable than a new government program.
According to Graham, healthcare should not be run by the government because there would be no reasonable way to put a cap on the amount of tax payers' money that would go into such a program. Although the Obama administration has suggested that their proposal would include a trigger that would allow Congress to stop appropriations if they were to reach a certain amount, Graham said that idea would not work for lawmakers.
Graham explained that by leaving Congress responsible for pulling a trigger on spending, the plan is doomed to fail, since doing so would directly affect the constituents that politicians count on to get re-elected. Therefore, Graham said, the trigger would never be pulled, leaving future generations with an even larger debt than our country already faces.
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