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Alexander can relax
 Congressman Rodney Alexander most likely will encounter little flak when he hosts a town hall meeting later this week in Monroe where it's about ivory soap certain health care reform will surface as a topic of discussion.
Since Alexander declared long ago he opposes a government-run health care concern to insure millions of Americans who currently don't have health insurance, he can relax. At the very least, Alexander probably won't be verbally accosted by irate constituents who oppose Uncle Sam taking over the health care industry in America.
That situation, or many of them like it, has played out in other regions of the country where town hall meetings hosted by Democratic members of Congress have attracted scores of unhappy people. They, the people, apparently fear a government-run health care program could lead to rationed health care, increased costs, higher taxes and the like. All of those angry folks are correct, though they should be reminded Uncle Sam has been in the health care business for years. Remember Medicare?
Though we've been told for as long as I can remember that millions of American don't have health insurance because they can't afford it or don't have access to it, I am not convinced the media is correct or more than forthcoming in reporting the number of uninsured in the United States totals some 45 million-50 million. Instead, it's plausible to suggest the number of uninsured who choose to remain uninsured would total no more than 15 million.
That's a topic for discussion for another day, though.
What's relevant now is Barack Obama rolled the dice, meaning he staked the fate of his presidency on forcing the Congress to approve some sort of health care reform legislation. That must occur by the end of the year or the issue will fall by the wayside for the remainder of the 111th Congress.
Why?
Because 2010 is an election year, and no Democrat in Congress—in his or her right mind—will touch the health care issue the same year members face the voters. If they, the Democrats, attempt it, we could witness an election cycle similar to 1994.
Remember 1994?
That's the year Newt Gingrich and his Contract With America paved the way for Republicans to capture 52 seats in the House en route to taking control of the Congress.
While a repeat of 1994 serves as wishful thinking, or dreaming, among Republicans, it's highly unlikely it will occur next year. It won't occur because Obama is no dummy. Instead, he's a savvy politician who knows when to hold and when to fold, and he'll fold if he believes for one moment that the health care debate will cost him his presidency or cost his party control of the Congress.
That's right, Obama will sell out his core constituency in the Democratic Party for the sake of his own political hide quicker than you can say Merry Christmas or Geaux Tigers. You can bank on it.
That brings us back to Alexander.
When the enlightened and the peckerwoods alike gather at Monroe City Hall Friday afternoon for Alexander's town hall affair, he'll probably repeat his opposition to anything and everything to do with a government-run health care program, and he'll have 'em eating out of his hands.
Beneficiaries of Medicare included.
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