Richard Nixon......Secret Socialist?

On February 6, 1974 President Richard Nixon went in front of the American people to introduce the Comprehensive Health Insurance Act (CHIP). President Nixon put forth a proposal that called for universal health insurance for every American. This CHIP bill was much stronger than the bill that was signed today by President Obama.

"I shall propose a sweeping new program that will assure comprehensive health insurance to protect millions of Americans who cannot now obtain it or who cannot afford it."
-President Nixon in 1974

Nixon proposed that ALL employers, not just large companies, offer insurance. He also wanted to have the government regulate the insurance industry and to have the government "approve specific plans, oversee rates and ensure adequate disclosure."

Nixon was born into poverty and he saw firsthand the devastating effects on families that could not afford health care. He was witness to the suffering of families and wanted to solve this problem while he was in office.

So why are the Republicans and the tea party loons going off the rails at a proposal that a Republican President tried to enact in 1974? As always, it comes down to money.

In 1970 insurance premiums were 1.5% of the GDP. The insurance premiums jumped up to 5.5% of the GDP in 2007. The insurance companies were spending $1.4 million per day to lobby congress to defeat this bill. Let me repeat that, they were spending $1.4 million a day to keep things the same!

So where does all this money go? It goes to Republican members of congress to keep up the status quo and it goes towards their reelection campaigns and their pet projects. So once again, we gin up outrage, call people "baby killers" and claim that we will have death panels. It is almost laughable at how you can get "conservatives" to be so upset about a program that Nixon, a real conservative, wanted to put into law in 1974. Please check the record and read about where Nixon wanted to take the country. If you hate Obama because of health care reform than please have the intellectual honesty to also extend this vitriol towards Richard Nixon. At what point due to the facts influence how you stand on a legislation?