OPINION:
Abdul El-Sayed has public health experience and, among many positions far out on the political left’s agenda, his Medicare for All push may be the closest to the Democratic mainstream (“Shame on Democratic leaders for lining up behind El-Sayed,” Web, Aug. 11).
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont independent, is the main voice pushing for government-run healthcare for all Americans, and his backup chorus has been recently energized by the surging Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat — a politician so greedy for other peoples’ money that he proselytizes for taxes on unrealized capital gains — has followed his instincts to the goldmine of government healthcare control and the trillions of added revenue dollars it requires.
Can the weak normative leaders of the party, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries resist this siren call?
Our healthcare system is a messy and, for many, confusing tangle. Doctors have come to hate it and their patients are not far behind. That is why Medicare for All has gained such prominence. President Trump campaigned for a new system, but his promise was unrequited during his first term.
If the president and his party fail again, the doo-wop chorus in favor of tentacled healthcare will expand until there is no other choice.
PAUL BLOUSTEIN
Cincinnati, Ohio
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