Don’t Wanna Slip, Slip, Slip, Slide, But I Do

"I don't want to slip, slip, slip, slide. I'm a (woman) understanding the plan."

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito first voted against the incredibly unpopular Senate health-care bill; later she voted to discuss how to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And, most recently, she voted for the Skinny Repeal, lacking the courage that her sister senators from Alaska and Maine showed. Your senator from West Virginia has slipped, slipped and slid, juggling the fears of West Virginians about to be thrown to the wolves on one hand and her security with the Republic Senate on the other hand; the third object in her juggling act would be the unknown.

What is known about the unknown is that both the House and Senate bills were catastrophic for West Virginians, and whatever the Republican-led Senate resurrects will be far, far worse than the Affordable Care Act, daily bludgeoned as "Obamacare."

After seven years of the Republican obsession to pound a stake into the heart of the Affordable Care Act and burn the accused at a congressional stake while dancing ring around the rosy with the president, it should become obvious that the lop-sided battle over America's most priceless treasure - its health - has begun. The red witch hunters, babbling about the evil they conjure up, will continue to boil the ACA in dark caucus cauldrons.

West Virginians have fewer than 1.8 million people in the state. Over 200,000 - most on Medicaid assistance - 500,000 overall benefiting from some part of the ACA, are expected to lose their insurance, and the state - struggling with budget woes - could lose $164 million in federal funding. That loss would virtually destroy the health plan in West Virginia. And future Medicaid applicants, after 2021 and like before the Affordable Care Act, can suffer through their pain until someone wheels them into the nearest emergency room.

The health of West Virginians is more important than President Donald Trump or putting every coal miner back to work or getting the highways fixed; the Republican Senate health-care bill will damage your cousin, your aunt and uncle, your bro and sis, your mom and dad, your grandma and grandpa, your neighbor, friend and foe.

West Virginians must focus on one particular U.S. senator and her name is Shelley Moore Capito. Will we laud her or dispose of her? Applaud her for saving the chronically ill and injured coal miners, helpless children, the handicapped, women, seniors, recovering addicts and the homeless or despise her for selling them down the road? Will she slip, slip, slip, slide or not?

Will Sen. Capito have the courage to stand up for needy West Virginians or will she capitulate to the perks and pressures put upon her by GOP Senate leaders. They are notorious for bribing, coercing and depriving those who do not follow their agenda. Recently she was appointed to head a committee - clean air.

The Republican agenda pertaining to the nation's health-care (Frankenstein's offspring torn from wantonness's womb) exceeds callousness; it is so heartless and self-centered. After reading about the cutbacks to Medicaid, to preventive medicine, and the intent to give outrageous gifts to the wealthy and insurance companies, we West Virginians could take individual baths in Pepto-Bismol, suck the contents to bare porcelain, and still not recover from the indigestion poured down our throats. And, if you think stomach convulsions will cease with White House wisdom, we have a detached president who can only say, "repeal (it) now."

Let us not forget the fat cats purring outside Senate doors: The money taken from the people of West Virginia and the other 49 states will buy some pretty big saucers of milk and some gourmet catnip for pawing around in their meow cathedrals. And certainly let us not forget the three Republican gremlins in the House of Representatives who supplied the body parts.

The GOP's lavatory of insensitivity has reopened; thereafter, lightening will strike from an ominous sky, and body parts from formaldehyde jars will piece together a new monster - Sister of Frankenstein.

It took only three Republican nay votes to fell the monster, and those saviors did not include Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, expert juggler and slip, slip, slide dancer. As in Mary Shelley's immortal novel, the monster has been chased to the Arctic Circle, awaiting a return. Will you be serving tea and crumpets upon her return, Sen. Capito?

Sonny Fair, Wheeling native, is a veteran novelist currently working on a novel featuring Wheeling and West Virginia.