Joe Lieberman, John McCain and Colin Powell were the unholy trinity who sold their souls to President Bush and enabled him to turn Iraq into a gigantic open sore of human suffering and waste. Their credibility is gone. And yet, Lieberman and McCain are now shilling for the soulless monster of greed that is the insurance industry. Their voices are joined in the chorus of hate, divisiveness, selfishness and greed that we are subjected to every evening on our TV sets.

It is a national embarrassment and an unpardonable sin that the entire Republican party has refused to engage in meaningful discussion of so momentous an issue. The healthcare industry is a parasitic monster eating away at our family budgets and our national budget. Everyone with half a brain and half a heart knows that it needs serious fixing.

This is why I applaud Congressman Pomeroy for his hard work on critical healthcare reform. The bill he helped craft and pass is fair, effective, and morally responsible. I only pray that his two North Dakota colleagues in the Senate will be as successful.

Thank you Mr. Pomeroy for representing all of us, even those of us with small, powerless voices. You are standing on the right side of history and the right side of God.

Voynovich is a Rugby resident