I agree with you, Don, because the Grand Old Party is far from grand these days and as undemocratic a political party as I've ever seen.

Now... to the issue of health care in America. After college, I spent 10 years working for minimum wage or slightly above and no health insurance, partly because I was involved with the horse business and my husband had a union job and some coverage for me. And until the Conservative wing of the GOP started its campaign to gut unions, that was common throughout America. It was the unions that either negotiated employer provided health care or else it was through the union itself. That is why union jobs "cost" more... they could ensure that the memebers had a livable wage and health insurance.

Now we have the working poor... minimum wage that was originally to ensure that full time or part time, non-union workers and kids that worked summer vacations could earn wages that were at least more than slave labor. And make no mistake, it was needed because history is full of examples of how the wealthy still begrudged fair treatment of their employees. A mine worker was forced to live in company houseing, accept payment in company script that could only be used at over preiced company stores. If a worker was sick with black lung or injured at work.. they got no pay and their entire family could be evicted. Nice... "Just who are the takers?" I ask.

I sold my soul for a pension & health insurance... took a state job where my pay and benefits were still manipulated by what union I was allowed to join. But it was still way better than what I had before.

But what this country needs is a single payer system... period. And regulations that limit the abuses possible when profit is the sole interest of a company...