by ‘Phineas Fahrquar’
‘Sister Toldjah’
Public Secrets
12/21/2009
Late last night, Senator Harry Reid found the last vote he needed and forced through a cloture motion to cut off debate over the Senate’s version of a health-care “reform” bill. Under the rules, the bill is now scheduled to come to a final vote and all-but assured passage sometime on Christmas Eve. (And if you noted the profound irony of voting for a bill that includes federal money to fund abortions on Christmas Eve, you’re not alone.)
It wasn’t easy for Harry. Republicans are unanimously opposed, while Several “moderate” Democratic senators had qualms about the bill because of the cost or (try not to snicker) over principles. So, the Majority Leader from Nevada had to wheedle and bribe work for his 60 votes. In the end, he got what he wanted, and we learned how much it would take for thoughtful moderates to set aside those concerns about wrecking the US budget costs and violating the Constitution principles. Don Surber shows us the price tags for a six-pack of senators…
…Michelle Malkin has the complete list of bribes needed to get ObamaCare through the Senate.
Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and the rest of the Democrat leadership are counting on creating a fait accompli, that once a national medical entitlement is in place, no matter how poorly crafted or harmful to the nation, the public will resist having it taken away. They may be right: one of the great weaknesses of democratic government is that the people can be bribed with their own money – and the Democrats know that. Speaker Pelosi is so sure that this reform will in the long run create a large class of voters beholden to the Democrat Party, thus ensuring that party a long-term majority, that she is willing to sacrifice Democratic seats in the near-term, even her majority, to get it.
She may get the first part of her wish.
Jay Cost of Real Clear Politics thinks we may be approaching one of our country’s periodic “Jacksonian moments,” when the public grows so disgusted with the ruling party in Washington that they throw the bums out en masse:
People in Congress and the lobbyists who court them have pretty good gigs. They have nice offices, make big salaries, and have lots of people hop to at their say so. Yet ultimately, all of their money, power, and prestige come from the people. The people are the sole source of sovereignty in our nation. Our Constitution opens, “We the people of the United States” – not “We the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of the United States” or “We the senior members of Congress with plum committee assignments.” Everything about our system is the way it is because the people allow it to be that way. This is why it’s best for the entrenched interests and the politicians to keep their under-handed means and particularistic ends from affecting the people. They can take it all away in a single instant – so the smart approach is not to give them a reason.
This Congress and this President seem hell-bent on ignoring that maxim. It started last year with TARP. It continued into this year with the pork-laden, wasteful stimulus bill. It moved to the auto bailouts, reckless deficit spending, and coziness with Wall Street. And now, it has moved to health care “reform.” The people are taking notice, they don’t like it, and they’re starting to blame the government for the weakened state of the union.
We might be on the verge of another Jacksonian moment: a time when the people awake from their slumber, angrily exercise their sovereign authority, and mercilessly fire the leaders who have for too long catered to the elites rather than average people. The first time this happened was in 1828…
This entire article with video is at Public Secrets.
