Last Sunday's editorial, "Accountability - anyone?" brought a resounding, "The Truth and the Whole Truth" to mind.

The editorial recounts a public meeting with former South Carolina Rep. Bob Inglis responding to a senior citizen's position on Medicare that raises the hair on my neck.

So, in my humble opinion, only half the facts were revealed. The half that benefits the position of former Rep. Inglis and other current members of Congress. Shame on Inglis for putting the burden of the financial deficit of Medicare on hardworking citizens who put their trust in government.

In 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Medicare act, hospitals largely were "NON-PROFIT" institutions. Drug companies were not allowed to advertise their prescription drugs on TV or magazines or newspapers. Few people were forced into bankruptcy as a result of health issues. An aspirin in the hospital did not cost $10. The Hippocratic Oath was sacred among all health care providers. Drug companies were not major funders of Congressional campaigns such as Rep. Inglis running for office in the '90s and 2000s.

It's interesting that members of Congress who have free health care for life would never think for a moment that perhaps their own greed in bending over for drug companies' $$$$ to win their own lavish "Social Security" (life-long government pensions), "Medicare" (free health care for life) via being elected to Congress, might ask the drug companies and/or the for-profit hospitals to contribute substantially (share the wealth) each year to the Medicare program. After all, it is their greed (selling drugs in the U.S. for as much as 10/100 times what they sell for in other countries) that is partially responsible for causing huge deficits in the Medicare program. Ever been shocked reading a five-page hospital bill?

The editorial is so right ... Congress is no place for people who encourage stupidity! However, in fact, many members of Congress rely on the stupidity and ignorance of their constituents. They actually encourage ignorance by swearing to half-truths to encourage constituents' support.

At a public function, I sat at a table with what appeared to be middle income, comfortably retired folks and enjoyed pleasant conversation until the wife of one of the men asked me if I had ever been to Australia.

"No, on my bucket list, however," I said. She began telling me how much she wanted to go but it seemed daunting getting from one side of the country to the other.

Her husband banged his fist on the table and said in a loud, boisterous voice, "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's the size of Hawaii - you can drive across it in a day."

Another person at the table chimed in that he was very mistaken; Australia is about the size of the United States.

"I was in the military, I've traveled. I know the size of Australia," the woman's husband bellowed.

I decided to be quiet. My southern grandma said, "You just can't fix stupid."

Shortly the conversation turned to politics and again I decided to be quiet until someone asked me who I voted for. Pretty sure I was a minority I softly said, "Obama." The yelling and finger pointing stunned me and others in the room.

"You need to get educated. You need to come to a tea party meeting and learn the truth." This from "Australia is the size of Hawaii." His wife pulled him - yelling and waving his arms - from the room.

A retired U.S. military man who thinks Australia is the size of Hawaii may be an accurate representation of tea party members, but he probably couldn't pass the citizenship exam and should not be allowed to vote. (He does get my gratitude for his service.)

I try to remember that what comes out of the mouths of Congress is only about half the story and every word is wrapped in corporate $$$.

Shirley Thagard is a Hayden Lake resident.