In 2008, I felt compelled to create this blog after Sarah Palin entered the presidential race when John McCain ran against Barack Obama. Many of my friends who have children with disabilities -- including many who typically don't follow politics -- thought that Palin would be an advocate for children with disabilities, because she herself had a son with Down syndrome. However, her record indicated otherwise.
While being transparent about my bias toward Democratic candidates and the fact that I had worked in the Clinton White House, I attempted to report objectively on issues like special education, the economy, and health care. After President Obama was elected, I continued to advocate for these issues, so campaign promises would become real action. If you look back, you'll see that I was critical of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, for example.
In 2012, President Obama ran for reelection on his strong record, which included passage of the Affordable Care Act. The legislation had direct benefits for people with special medical needs -- such as removing lifetime caps on benefits, ensuring that everyone could get health care, and eliminating denial of benefits for people with pre-existing conditions. But Governor Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan (now speaker of the house) pledged to eliminate the ACA, which would have had disastrous effects. Today, that is even more true. No one thinks the legislation is perfect, but rescinding it altogether would mean that people would lose their coverage and maybe never get it back again.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be reporting on the issues from the perspective of how they will impact people with disabilities. And unlike 2008, the purpose of this blog will not be to give a balanced view. I am biased, and the content will be biased -- but as factual as I can possibly be.
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