Goodman”s letter
Astroturf, I think not. The Tea Party movement may be different things to different people, but the common thread seems to be; embrace the values laid down in our founding documents, live within our means and protect our childrens” future. I doubt that most Tea Party folks would embrace the greedy corporatists on the right any more than they would the arrogant socialist elites on the left.
Mr. Goodman claims the Tea Party”s “first task was to protect the highly profitable health insurance industry,” by “sabotaging” the Democrats” efforts. President Obama promised “The toughest measures ever to hold the insurance industry accountable.” If memory serves, there were lobbyists for big pharma and big health insurance trekking through the White House and Congress for months while the Democrats were conjuring their health care bill behind closed doors.
Let the facts, rather than rhetoric, explain how tough they were on big health care and big pharma. The House passed health care, the Dow Jones went up 200 points. The Senate began debate, up it went another 100 points. The Senate voted for cloture ? up another 100 points.
Goodman fears that the Tea Party will embrace the Republicans. If the president and his sycophants in Congress continue to push their socialist agenda, his fears may be justified. My hope is that Tea Partiers will stand fast on the Constitution and support only candidates who embrace those values. Our votes aren”t for sale.
Deanna Shireman
Lower Lake
