senator makes "kamikaze" remarks on health care reform

Here's Congressman Mike Honda in the Huffington Post speaking out against Senator Lindsey Graham, who recently made remarks that Speaker Pelosi has Democratic Members "liquored up on sake" to make a "suicide run" to pass health care reform: Senator Graham's Inappropriate "Kamikaze" Remarks on Pelosi's Health Care Efforts.

As a Japanese American who was interned along with my family during World War II, I am personally disheartened that Senator Graham chose to use racially tinged rhetoric to express his opposition to health care reform. There is a way to engage in healthy debate without ostracizing the 16.2 million AAPIs in this country, who are an important part of this democracy and health care reform. Many face barriers to quality health care, such as the high cost of health care, racial and ethnic health disparities, cultural isolation, and language barriers, to name a few.

We must pass health care legislation now, and we must show respect for our fellow Americans as we do so. This bill is an important starting point for efforts to improve quality of health care, increase access to health care for more Americans, lower costs for working families, and protect small businesses. I am also proud that it includes provisions that begin to address the racial and ethnic disparities that so many vulnerable communities face.

This is no drunken "kamikaze" mission, but a thoughtful and essential one that will serve all working families in this country, and return control from the health insurance companies to the American people.

No matter where your opinion falls on health care reform, or what you think about the proposed plan, there's no reason to invoke such insensitive, "racially tinged rhetoric." It doesn't help anyone in this situation. More here: Lindsey Graham: Pelosi Has Dems 'Liquored Up On Sake' To Make Health Care 'Suicide Run.'