The Great Thing About the Health Care Law That Has Passed? It Will Save Republican Lives, Too

To My Fellow Citizens, the Republicans:

Thanks to last night's vote, that child of yours who has had asthma
since birth will now be covered after suffering for her first nine years
as an American child with a pre-existing condition.

Thanks to last night's vote, that 23-year-old of yours who will be hit
one day by a drunk driver and spend six months recovering in the
hospital will now not go bankrupt because you will be able to keep him
on your insurance policy.

Thanks to last night's vote, after your cancer returns for the third
time -- racking up another $200,000 in costs to keep you alive -- your
insurance company will have to commit a criminal act if they even think
of dropping you from their rolls.

Yes, my Republican friends, even though you have opposed this health
care bill, we've made sure it is going to cover you, too, in your time
of need. I know you're upset right now. I know you probably think that
if you did get wiped out by an illness, or thrown out of your home
because of a medical bankruptcy, that you would somehow pull yourself up
by your bootstraps and survive. I know that's a comforting story to
tell yourself, and if John Wayne were still alive I'm sure he could make
that into a movie for you.

But the reality is that these health insurance companies have only one
mission: To take as much money from you as they can -- and then work
like demons to deny you whatever coverage and help they can should you
get sick.

So, when you find yourself suddenly broadsided by a life-threatening
illness someday, perhaps you'll thank those pinko-socialist,
Canadian-loving Democrats and independents for what they did Sunday
evening.

If it's any consolation, the thieves who run the health insurance
companies will still get to deny coverage to adults with pre-existing
conditions for the next four years. They'll also get to cap an
individual's annual health care reimbursements for the next four years.
And if they break the pre-existing ban that was passed last night,
they'll only be fined $100 a day! And, the best part? The law will
require all citizens who aren't poor or old to write a check to a
private insurance company. It's truly a banner day for these
corporations.

So don't feel too bad. We're a long way from universal health care. Over
15 million Americans will still be uncovered -- and that means about
15,000 will still lose their lives each year because they won't be able
to afford to see a doctor or get an operation. But another 30,000 will
live. I hope that's ok with you.

If you don't mind, we're now going to get busy trying to improve upon
this bill so that all Americans are covered and so the grubby health
insurance companies will be put out of business -- because when it comes
to helping the sick, no one should ever be allowed to ask the question,
"How much money can we save by making this poor bastard suffer?"

Please, my Republican friends, if you can, take a quiet moment away from
your AM radio and cable news network this morning and be happy for your
country. We're doing better. And we're doing it for you, too.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com

MichaelMoore.com

P.S. I'll have more to say on this tonight, live on CNN, at 9pm ET. I'll
be talking with Larry King
about the health care bill and where we go from here, considering we
still don't have universal health care.

P.P.S. In case you missed these photos in yesterday's NY Times Sunday
Magazine... That's the results of seven years of madness. The Iraq War
began its 8th year this weekend. How can we remove more of those
responsible for this tragedy in November?