ONE: Vanilla on My Hands

8: Showing an Interest in Your Internal Organs

"Well, go on, Frank." Way set his cutlery down and took a small sip of coffee. He unbuttoned the two cufflink buttons on his white, faded black polka-dotted shirt and began to skillfully, deftly roll up the sleeves of his shirt up to beneath his elbows. Frank nodded quickly and reached down into his bag, pulling out his tape recorder, showing it to the older man across from him who smiled, "Professional, I like."

"Okay, so." Frank cleared his throat, clicking the 'play' button on the recorder before taking in a shaky breath, noting that there were still eyes on him, "Right. The first question I have for you- well almost all of them- revolve around your health-care campaign and the bill that has recently been put up for Congress."

"You pay attention to current politics." The Congressman smiled, taking another sip, "Impressive."

"The government has been 'reforming' health-care for sixty years: tax breaks for employer-provided health insurance. Do you agree, Mr. Way, that Medicare, Medicaid, encouraging HMOs and managed care, and government health-insurance at the state level in Massachusetts, Maine, Oregon are all in a plateau. Government health-care has expanded until it is now more than 50% of all health-care spending. Yet after sixty years of government 'reform,' the problems with health-care are just getting worse. So why should we believe that even more government is the solution and why you?" Frank asked and he looked at Gerard, who was staring at him, a slow smile spreading on his lips as he steepled his fingers and readjusted.

"You really know your politics, more than I expected, I might add. Well to answer your question we have to look at why it would take so long, why it would take sixty years to 'reform' as you so structurally put it- the health-care issue. Not many people are aware that there are five hundred and thirty-five people in total in Congress and," Way stopped, cutting a piece of toast, popping it in his mouth and chewing swiftly, "Getting them all to agree on one thing is a highly difficult prospect on its own. There are a total of 535 Members of Congress. 100 serve in the U.S. Senate and 435 serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. And as far as your question is concerned, boy, I'm well aware of the 'reform' of healthcare that the government is trying to put out and personally I believe that the public should grasp onto the idea of more government and involvement simply because of the statement 'power in numbers' and with a higher number, it will be a lot easier to enforce a better constituency in the HMO's and in Medical care than if there were fewer with a more fastened and impermeable mindset."

Frank nodded, his cheeks still slightly flushed at the compliment he had received, taking a sip of his coffee before he marked off the question on his notepad, "Second question, Congressman."

"Frank," He interrupted, making the latter look down, "You can call me 'Gerard'."

"Well- Well, not in the interview, I can't."

"Saying 'Congressman' every two seconds is a mouthful, though. Rather a mouthful of food than a mouthful of stumbled word, boy." Gerard took another stab of egg into his mouth, "Call me 'sir' then, hmm?"

"Yes, sir." Frank replied with a nod, biting his lip, "President Obama keeps telling us that he's not trying to get rid of private health insurance. But the current bill being debated in Congress would require all new insurance policies to be offered through a government-run exchange. In saying this the rates that can be charged and the coverage that has to be provided will be dictated by the government's so-called 'Health Choices Commissioner.' Employer-provided health-insurance will fall under the same regulations in five years. In your opinion, sir, how is this insurance going to be 'private' if the government controls everything about it?"

Gerard eyed Frank from over his sunglasses for a mere pause before clearing his throat, "How many questions are you asking me?"

"Twenty."