Right now we’re not just watching sausage being made—it’s excrement that’s in the works.
Read about the compromises being considered in an attempt to put a bit of room freshener on the stinking pile of garbage that health care “reform” has become.
I don’t usually use such strong language. But I think it appropriate in this case, which involves the possible exemption of unions from the excise tax on all other “cadillac” health plans. Even the commenters at the ultra-liberal TPM are not pleased by that one:
And that’s supposed to make the taxed non-union middle-class workers happy?
This is a tax on the middle-class. Obama has broken a huge campaign promise. The Republican will and should campaign on that theme. It is a fact. It is true.
Politics ain’t beanbag, and most people realize that. But most people would like to see at least a modicum of integrity, from their own side as well as the other one, even if it’s only the appearance of integrity.
The topic of health care and what to do about it is the subject here. But the real subject is the process we are seeing—which indicates that our government has lost all sense of decency and fair play, and is not even trying to hide it.
Previously a lifelong Democrat, born in New York and living in New England, surrounded by liberals on all sides, I've found myself slowly but surely 
January 14th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
From the evergreen internet file called “The Plan:”
In the beginning there was the Plan
And then came the Assumptions
And the Assumptions were without form
And the Plan was without substance
And darkness was upon the face of the people.
And they spoke amongst themselves saying, ‘It is a crock of crap and it stinketh.’
January 14th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
The liberal Democrat leadership sees this bill, in any form, as its chance to get nationalized health care. They don’t care what it looks like or who it hurts. This is the holy grail of socialism.
January 14th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
ASSUMPTION is the Mother of All F*** Ups.
Been my #1 Rule in TV Producing for..ohhh…30-years, plus or minus. If it works with Industry Infantile Temperaments, it’ll serve anyone well in gov’t dealings. Trust me.
January 14th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
So, once again, as in the other cases where what the executive and legislative branches appear to be attempting are not favored by the public they purport to represent, we see that these guys don’t seem to care. They’re again acting as though there is some reason why public disfavor doesn’t matter to them.
And we are once again moved to wonder just why this might be. Why might it not matter, during an election year in a democratic republic, whether the public’s opinions are against a given government action?
Inquiring minds want to know.
January 14th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
The money quote
“But the real subject is the process we are seeing—which indicates that our government has lost all sense of decency and fair play, and is not even trying to hide it. “
January 14th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
What a show.
“Two thousand dinars for the throne of Rome!”
“Four thousand dinars for the throne of Rome!”
January 14th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
And apparently that whole “equal protection under the law” thing doesn’t mean a whole lot any more either. You from Nebraska? Your deal is different. You a member of a union? Your deal different. You (insert x exception)? Your deal is different.
January 15th, 2010 at 12:19 am
Your post reminded me of Walt Whitman’s pamphlet “The Eighteenth Presidency” about Franklin Pierce. Here is the most vivid and memorable sentence: “The President eats dirt and excrement for his daily meals, likes it and tries to force it on The States.”
Increasingly that is how some of us are beginning to feel about our current administration.
January 15th, 2010 at 1:08 am
Kurt: Your comment inspired me to look up Pierce, since I was pretty sure he came before Lincoln. He was in fact the fourteenth President, so I don’t know why Whitman titled his pamphlet the way he did. Maybe he was counting terms of office instead of individual Presidents.
I did find this historical tidbit on Wikipedia:
January 15th, 2010 at 1:29 am
I’d be impressed if the Congresscritters would agree to subject themselves to whatever…excrement they ultimately put forth.
January 17th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
How can this be a health care “reform” bill when it stinks like dead meat? The lawmakers are supposed to realize this. But it seems that they have put on face masks. Maybe, the only way for people to get rid of this is to stop the dems from winning.
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:37 pm
rickl: Thanks for filling in more information about Pierce. I was also puzzled by the title of the Whitman piece because I also read that Pierce was the 14th president. Like you, I theorized that he was counting terms, but that would mean that there were only four two-term presidents in the first 14. I just checked, and that was, in fact the case. The two term presidents were Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Jackson.
I meant to check back last weekend, but kept having computer issues then.