Ted Ford, author of the Danger Democrat blog today thanked me for a news link that I sent him regarding Gov. Palin. He called me his, “Friend, fellow lefty, sole thoracic surgeon in Sackets Harbor and former congressional candidate.”

Yes, I am a good friend of Ted, Sackets Harbor’s (not to mention the entire North Country’s) sole thoracic surgeon and a twice former congressional candidate. However, I consider myself a moderate in the middle of the road rather than a “lefty”.

For example, take my concept of National Health insurance. Yes, I want to combine the best of the “left” by instituting Medicare for all, where everyone contributes and everyone is covered, with the best of the “right” by keeping the private nature of healthcare delivery where hospitals and doctors are still private entities along with each of us having the sole choice of our healthcare provider. I would call that middle of the road.

In my debates with Mr. McHugh, he continually invoked the “lefty” pinko red specter of “socialized medicine.” In fact, his almost exact phrase at a Watertown debate was that “you can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig.” Sound familiar. He knew full well that he was mischaracterizing the concept of Medicare for all. What he was really saying was that most of us that already have healthcare coverage (particularly those in congress), don’t give a damn and don’t want to help others who are not covered. Those without coverage are still a minority, one sixth of the population, whose votes he doesn’t need. His appeal was to the basest of our nature – I’ve got mine, I don’t care about you.

I knew that it was a good solution, because no one liked it. The young didn’t want to pay because they’re immortal and don’t get sick. The old didn’t want to pay because they’ve already paid through their Medicare withholding. The rich didn’t want to pay because they would pay more and the poor didn’t want to pay because they don’t have any money. The employed didn’t want to pay because some else was paying for them. So while everyone wants coverage, no one wants to pay. It’s a great plan. No special interests get special treatment. It sounds equal and very middle of the road to me.

Healthcare reform is coming, and my only regret is that I will not be at the table. It will be written by lawyers who are more interested in process rather than by surgeons whose success is measured by results. Hillary Clinton’s 1990’s debacle brought us managed care – the worst of processes. No surprise, written by someone trained in the law and not in medicine.

No one would argue today that Medicare is “socialized medicine.” Mischaracterizing a position, just like exaggerating, shading, stretching or embellishing, is not telling the truth. When you don’t tell the truth, you’re lying. Lipstick on a pig.