Yesterday, BOR reported on Chris Boyle, the "teabagger" activist planning to protest the opening of a VA clinic in La Grange because pro-healthcare Congressman Lloyd Doggett will be there. A Fayette County judge suggested to Boyle that maybe protesting a VA clinic wasn't the best idea. It might give the wrong idea to the veterans and all. As the Statesman reported, Boyle replied to the judge as follows:
"I said bull... no it's not, [the veterans] know better than that. After all Doggett didn't have a damn thing to do with having this clinic. You did it, judge. He said that's besides the point. He just told me to stop it. I said maybe you've forgotten about the First Amendment. He said it's going to disrupt the dedication for the clinic. I feel like that's my right."
So the teabagger alleges that Representative Lloyd Doggett had nothing to do with getting a new VA clinic in La Grange. In what should be a surprise to no one, this is not true: Doggett did have a damn thing to do with this VA clinic! In a statement received by BOR from Representative Doggett, the Congressman detailed his work in bringing this much-needed clinic to Fayette County:
With meetings in both Washington and Texas, I have been working on getting this clinic to La Grange since 2006. Last year I invited the VA to a meeting with veterans at the Fayette County Courthouse to involve them in the planning for this clinic. Some may call government provision of doctors and clinics like this "socialism," I call it fulfilling our responsibility to those who defended our freedom.
With no effective argument against our reform legislation, Chris Boyle has sought to stir up a protest with the bizarre lie that I am "supposed to be bringing Acorn, La Raza" to La Grange for this opening. These Teabag extremists have every right to protest my unwavering commitment to health insurance reform anywhere that I go, but I hope they will do so in a way that respects the service of our veterans to whom my success in getting this new clinic open is very important. (emphasis mine.)
Wait, so let me get this straight. Veterans in the Fayette County area need more medical care, so their Congressperson works to bring them a VA clinic. As a result, some crazy anti-tax protester claims that said Congressperson had nothing to do with it and decides to show up and protest him. Thus, the most excellent and progressive Congressperson, Representative Lloyd Doggett, uses facts and reason to illustrate the spuriousness of the teabaggers and all of those who protest health insurance reform. Chalk up another win for the good guys.
Texas is lucky to have a tireless progressive advocate in Lloyd Doggett, working hard in D.C. to make sure that government works better for us ordinary folks. Providing veterans access to medical care is just part of how our progressive Congressperson works hard to make America live up to its promise. And now a bunch of anti-tax secessionist loons want to protest him for it? I can understand why Rep. Doggett reiterated across the district this past weekend that these protests "have not weakened my commitment but only strengthened my resolve!"
Thank goodness Texas and its veterans have Lloyd Doggett on our side, because we need more efforts just like this. According to Physicals for a National Health Program, veterans are one of fastest-growing groups of uninsured veterans:
Almost 2 million of the uninsured are veterans, along with almost 4 million of their family members, so that one in every eight uninsured is a veteran or member of a veteran's household.
The number of uninsured vets is up 290,000 since 2000, and many are barred from VA care because of a 2003 Bush administration order that halted enrollment for most middle-income veterans.
Here in Texas, one third of our veterans are uninsured. Many more lack access to VA facilities where they can receive health care, simply because they live too far away. So not only do we have the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation, we have one of the highest numbers of uninsured veterans. Rep. Doggett's hard work has helped remedy this problem, through bringing his constituents a new VA clinic. I know that our Congressperson's hard work on health care reform will continue back in D.C. to help all Americans access this level of care.
As for Chris Boyle? Well, what Rep. Doggett said across the district this past weekend holds true yet again: these teabaggers are brewing pretty weak tea! |
