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Capito v. Weiner

New York Congressman Anthony Weiner talks dirty and sends out lewd pictures over the Internet.

Our Congresswoman ? Shelley Moore Capito ? votes to end Medicare while more than 40,000 Americans die every year due to lack of health insurance.

Who should resign?

I’m no fan of Congressman Weiner.

Even though Weiner professes to be an advocate for single payer national health insurance, he sided with President Obama when push came to shove ? and with the rest of the Democrats ? pushed single payer off the table.

We wrote about this ? The Weiner Charade ? back in October 2009 ? during the heat of battle over health care reform.

Weiner’s job was to placate the doctors and nurses and other activists who support single payer national health insurance.

Meet with them, pacify them, hold their hands, calm them down, let them testify, have lunch with them, make sure they don’t make a ruckus.

Weiner was great at it.

So was Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).

So was Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan).

But at least Weiner made the argument for single payer national health insurance.

Now, he’s on the ropes.

Our Congresswoman, on the other hand, actually wants to preserve our pay or die private health insurance system.

Not only that, in April, she voted to end Medicare.

We know of people in the district who are in the early 60s who need medical care, but can’t afford it.

They are putting on hold that care ? hoping to make it to 65 when the Medicare safety net kicks in.

Congresswoman Capito voted to shred that safety net.

This was the last straw for many in her Congressional district.

This week, we launched a campaign ? capitoresign.org ? to get signatures on a petition urging her to resign.

Not just because she voted to end Medicare.

But because she consistently sides with the corporate lobbyists in Washington, D.C. over her constituents back home in West Virginia.

Already, the campaign is gaining some traction in the West Virginia media.

This morning, the AP picked up a story from the Beckley Register-Herald.

And yet there are liberals in West Virginia who believe ? yes Weiner should resign.

But not Capito.

One of them is a friend of mine.

He lives here in the Second Congressional district.

And he says that Weiner should resign because he sent out lewd pictures to young women.

But that Capito should not.

The voters voted her in overwhelmingly last November.

And they should be given the opportunity again next November.

So what if she’s beholden to the insurance companies?

Who isn’t?

I argue back that Capito’s misdeeds are worse than Weiner’s.

He sent out dirty pictures.

She’s supporting a pay or die private insurance system that leads to the deaths of more than 40,000 Americans every year.

Am I missing something?

Russell Mokhiber edits Single Payer Action.

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