Roskam, Ryan: Two peas in a pod

Roskam, Ryan: Two peas in a pod

The Daily Herald did the voters in the 6th Congressional District a great service by highlighting the similarities between GOP VP nominee Paul Ryan and our own Congressman, Peter Roskam, in a front-page article by Kerry Lester on Aug. 31 titled “Roskam, Ryan follow parallel leadership paths.”

The Daily Herald further informed the voters in the 6th District by writing this in “Our View” on their Opinion page: “Vice Presidential pick Paul Ryan’s stirring but assailable Wednesday keynote — which was long on pledges, short on details and loose with facts — demonstrated some of the concerns that remain about the outlook presented by the GOP.”

Peter Roskam and Paul Ryan are two peas in a pod. If you are at all concerned about the qualifications of Paul Ryan to be a heartbeat away from the Oval Office, you should also be concerned about returning Peter Roskam to Washington for a fourth term. Both men have worked their entire careers in the government, all the while assailing the government’s role in our lives. They have become millionaires by voting in accordance with their donors’ wishes, not their constituents’ needs.

Mr. Ryan and Mr. Roskam are both “loose with the facts” when they say President Obama took $716 billion from Medicare to pay for Obamacare. The savings in Medicare come from controlling waste, fraud and abuse and will help Medicare recipients, not harm them. Why would Ryan and Roskam distort the truth? Could it be because some of their biggest donors are health insurers and pharmaceuticals?

The PPACA is not just good for seniors; it is good for women, children and anyone in fear of losing a job and losing their health insurance due to a pre-existing condition. Re-elect President Obama, and send Leslie Coolidge to Congress to protect this important law for all Americans.

Diane Niesman

Wheaton