Obamacare Architect Retires

Weekly Standard: Representative Henry Waxman is retiring.  Waxman has been in Congress a long time. He got there in the aftermath of Watergate, back when disco was still cool, and he hung around, building seniority and an attachment to certain causes. Among them, health care and the environment.

Since he was one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act, he considered it his duty to stick around and:

… make sure the landmark health reform law is implemented in the best possible way because the decisions over the coming years will impact millions of American families. 

The supreme environmental issue is, of course, global warming and Waxman was saying, just a month or so back, that he intended to remain in Congress in order to devote himself to this cause, declaring with fetching modesty that:

I am leading a coalition in the House of Representatives that is focused on reducing the risk posed by climate change.  I’ve been deeply involved in this issue for many years and recognize it won’t be resolved by 2014.  But given the devastating consequences climate change has for our country and our planet, I intend to continue this fight.

Now, he has changed his mind.  One would not be going too far out on a limb in speculating that he has decided that the Democrats most likely will not regain control of the House in 2014 leaving him as merely a (very) long-serving member in the minority.  No committee chairmanship.  

Leaving the planet to look after itself.

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Famous $5-a-visit doctor hangs up stethoscope: Dr. Russell Dohner retires at 88

Examiner: When it comes to affordable health care, no one in America understands the concept quite like Russell Dohner. While medical costs and insurance rates continue to skyrocket and politicians and pundits continue to argue over the Affordable Care Act, a very special physician from a small town has been practicing affordable health care for nearly 60 years! But according to an NBC News article published on Nov. 1, after nearly six decades of practicing medicine, Dr. Dohner has hung up his stethoscope and closed his doors for the very last time. Sadly, just when we could use him and doctors like him the most!

Dr. Russell Dohner

Considered a local hero by many, the 88-year-old physician from Rushville, IL., has been the town doctor since 1955. He delivered more than 3,500 babies during his career (which is more than the entire population of Rushville) and treated generations of local families. And in all the years he's practiced medicine, he never took a vacation. He still made rounds at the local hospital and made house calls, too!

And if that weren't amazing enough, Dr. Dohner charged his patients $5 per visit. Yep, you read the right. He charged $5 since the fee was increased from $2 back in the 70s! You can imagine at $5 a visit, he was a pretty busy guy. In fact, patients lined up early to see him. With no appointments, it was strictly first come, first serve. And the fees weren't the only thing that stayed the same over the years. The office looked pretty much the same - wood paneling and all! With no computers, records were handwritten. You know - by hand!

Dr. Dohner didn't practice medicine for the money. He was there to take care of people. A life-sized bronze statue of Dohner was recently erected on the Rushville town square. The humble doctor was recently inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame at the Illinois Governor's mansion.

The end of an era has come. Please wish Dr. Dohner a happy and healthy retirement on his Facebook page.