"No good deed goes unpunished," is a pearl of wisdom attributed to Clare Boothe Luce, American author, politician and conservative public figure. This is contrary to advice that helping others, even in small ways, is a path to success and inner peace.
No doubt there is merit in both these homilies. But when it comes to politics, I'm uncharacteristically inclined to agree with the conservative Ms. Luce. In politics, beneficial actions often go unappreciated or even met with outright hostility. Look no further than to President Obama's Affordable Care Act for verification.
The benevolent intent of the ACA is to enable affordable health care for low-income people who, for whatever reason, have been left out in the cold with no affordable access to it. With no cooperation from Republicans, and against their fierce resistance, the ACA was passed by a Democratic Congress and signed into law by President Obama.
A law of this magnitude cannot be perfect. But it enabled a lot of people to attain medical help for the first time and saved lives. The ACA was a "first pass" toward achieving a noble objective. Instead of Republican cooperation to adjust the law to attain a commendable objective, they used it as a stick with which to beat President Obama and the Democrats bloody over three election cycles. Republican spokesmen attribute their strong resistance to the ACA to their takeover of numerous state houses, the Congress, and the presidency in 2016. Clearly, the Democrats' attempt at a good deed did not go unpunished.
But what about the people who benefited from the law? Thanks to the sleepwalking mainstream media, including National Public Radio, we heard nothing from or about beneficiaries. Rather than doing some even-handed investigating such as visiting big city emergency rooms, and reporting on beneficiaries, it was easier to engage in sloppy journalism and mindlessly repeat Republican talking points, emphasizing every flaw, real or imagined, of "Obamacare."
Republicans made over 60 votes to repeal "Obamacare," secure in the knowledge that it would not be signed by President Obama. Opposition to "Obamacare" was such a lethal campaign weapon for the Republicans - no need to come up with a replacement.
Enter Donald Trump, jumping in front of the parade, pretending he was leading it to end the "Obamacare disaster." It would be "so easy," and it would be accomplished "on his first day."
But whoa, boys - wait a minute. Even the sleepwalking mainstream media finally recognized beneficiaries who stood to lose their newly acquired access to health care. Previously invisible beneficiaries suddenly appeared with their testimonials on how the ACA had enabled them to attain medical care for the first time, and even saved their lives. Many of these were low-income folks from rural areas - prime Trump country. With that, Republican congressmen caught an earful from their home districts. Maybe "Obamacare" wasn't so bad after all; it was surely better than nothing at all, and better than an uncertain "replacement" that wasn't really a replacement.
So how could voters who benefited from the ACA cheer for Republicans and a presidential candidate who would eliminate it?
There were some who were "for the Affordable Healthcare Act" but "against Obamacare."
There were some who said, "Repeal Obamacare, but don't take away my health care." For these voters, "Repeal Obamacare" was merely a slogan, code for "We hate Obama." And they didn't like Hillary Clinton either.
Moving toward the marginally more "rational," somewhat anyway, many Trump voters simply took Trump at his word that he would provide a better plan. Never mind that it was obvious to anyone paying the slightest attention that he and his bellicose Republican cabal in Congress had nothing.
No good deed goes unpunished, especially in politics, and it has happened before.
In 1963, President Kennedy was pushing for legislation on civil rights for African Americans and other minorities. It was a tough order, as powerful southern Democrats who opposed such legislation dominated the Congress. JFK's assassination gave his successor, Lyndon Johnson, the moral imperative he needed. With a combination of legislative maneuvers, including bypassing Mississippi Senator Eastland's judiciary committee and LBJ's long experience in and mastery of the Senate, the southern white Democrat was able to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to his desk for signature.
As LBJ signed this historic act, he observed that he was conceding the South to Republicans for a generation. He was partly right; actually it conceded the South to Republicans for many generations and into the foreseeable future.
The Civil Rights act of 1964 was followed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And it was LBJ who got Medicare to his desk for signature. Can you imagine getting something like that through a Congress led by Paul Ryan who wants to eliminate Medicare as we know it and privatize it through issuance of vouchers?
Perhaps LBJ didn't get "punished" for Medicare, but he surely is largely unrecognized for it. How many patients recovering from a costly operation silently thank LBJ for what, but for Medicare, would have left them financially destitute? Medicare beneficiaries - and their children who also benefit from their parents Medicare - take it for granted because beneficiaries have paid for it during their working years. True enough, but if not for LBJ, we probably would not have it.
The Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, Medicare - were it not that LBJ was on the wrong side of American military escalation in the Vietnamese Civil War, he would be hailed as one of the great American presidents. Maybe revisionist historians will give him a break.
So now, Trump supporters who benefit from the ACA are likely to have Senator McConnell and the Republicans take it away. They punished Democrats for attempting a good deed. Will they punish McConnell and the Republicans for a bad deed?
If so, it would be well deserved.
- John Waelti of Monroe, a retired professor of economics, can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in the Monroe Times.
No doubt there is merit in both these homilies. But when it comes to politics, I'm uncharacteristically inclined to agree with the conservative Ms. Luce. In politics, beneficial actions often go unappreciated or even met with outright hostility. Look no further than to President Obama's Affordable Care Act for verification.
The benevolent intent of the ACA is to enable affordable health care for low-income people who, for whatever reason, have been left out in the cold with no affordable access to it. With no cooperation from Republicans, and against their fierce resistance, the ACA was passed by a Democratic Congress and signed into law by President Obama.
A law of this magnitude cannot be perfect. But it enabled a lot of people to attain medical help for the first time and saved lives. The ACA was a "first pass" toward achieving a noble objective. Instead of Republican cooperation to adjust the law to attain a commendable objective, they used it as a stick with which to beat President Obama and the Democrats bloody over three election cycles. Republican spokesmen attribute their strong resistance to the ACA to their takeover of numerous state houses, the Congress, and the presidency in 2016. Clearly, the Democrats' attempt at a good deed did not go unpunished.
But what about the people who benefited from the law? Thanks to the sleepwalking mainstream media, including National Public Radio, we heard nothing from or about beneficiaries. Rather than doing some even-handed investigating such as visiting big city emergency rooms, and reporting on beneficiaries, it was easier to engage in sloppy journalism and mindlessly repeat Republican talking points, emphasizing every flaw, real or imagined, of "Obamacare."
Republicans made over 60 votes to repeal "Obamacare," secure in the knowledge that it would not be signed by President Obama. Opposition to "Obamacare" was such a lethal campaign weapon for the Republicans - no need to come up with a replacement.
Enter Donald Trump, jumping in front of the parade, pretending he was leading it to end the "Obamacare disaster." It would be "so easy," and it would be accomplished "on his first day."
But whoa, boys - wait a minute. Even the sleepwalking mainstream media finally recognized beneficiaries who stood to lose their newly acquired access to health care. Previously invisible beneficiaries suddenly appeared with their testimonials on how the ACA had enabled them to attain medical care for the first time, and even saved their lives. Many of these were low-income folks from rural areas - prime Trump country. With that, Republican congressmen caught an earful from their home districts. Maybe "Obamacare" wasn't so bad after all; it was surely better than nothing at all, and better than an uncertain "replacement" that wasn't really a replacement.
So how could voters who benefited from the ACA cheer for Republicans and a presidential candidate who would eliminate it?
There were some who were "for the Affordable Healthcare Act" but "against Obamacare."
There were some who said, "Repeal Obamacare, but don't take away my health care." For these voters, "Repeal Obamacare" was merely a slogan, code for "We hate Obama." And they didn't like Hillary Clinton either.
Moving toward the marginally more "rational," somewhat anyway, many Trump voters simply took Trump at his word that he would provide a better plan. Never mind that it was obvious to anyone paying the slightest attention that he and his bellicose Republican cabal in Congress had nothing.
No good deed goes unpunished, especially in politics, and it has happened before.
In 1963, President Kennedy was pushing for legislation on civil rights for African Americans and other minorities. It was a tough order, as powerful southern Democrats who opposed such legislation dominated the Congress. JFK's assassination gave his successor, Lyndon Johnson, the moral imperative he needed. With a combination of legislative maneuvers, including bypassing Mississippi Senator Eastland's judiciary committee and LBJ's long experience in and mastery of the Senate, the southern white Democrat was able to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to his desk for signature.
As LBJ signed this historic act, he observed that he was conceding the South to Republicans for a generation. He was partly right; actually it conceded the South to Republicans for many generations and into the foreseeable future.
The Civil Rights act of 1964 was followed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And it was LBJ who got Medicare to his desk for signature. Can you imagine getting something like that through a Congress led by Paul Ryan who wants to eliminate Medicare as we know it and privatize it through issuance of vouchers?
Perhaps LBJ didn't get "punished" for Medicare, but he surely is largely unrecognized for it. How many patients recovering from a costly operation silently thank LBJ for what, but for Medicare, would have left them financially destitute? Medicare beneficiaries - and their children who also benefit from their parents Medicare - take it for granted because beneficiaries have paid for it during their working years. True enough, but if not for LBJ, we probably would not have it.
The Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, Medicare - were it not that LBJ was on the wrong side of American military escalation in the Vietnamese Civil War, he would be hailed as one of the great American presidents. Maybe revisionist historians will give him a break.
So now, Trump supporters who benefit from the ACA are likely to have Senator McConnell and the Republicans take it away. They punished Democrats for attempting a good deed. Will they punish McConnell and the Republicans for a bad deed?
If so, it would be well deserved.
- John Waelti of Monroe, a retired professor of economics, can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in the Monroe Times.
