Silly Me!

Sometimes a single phrase buried in a news story speaks volumes. Page one of yesterday’s Times carried a story that tells us that “Democrats Grow Wary as Health Bill Advances.” (There’s a surprise.)

Deep into paragraph three of the story, we are told that, “…some in their (Democrat) ranks, nervous about…proceeding without any Republican support, were pleading to slow down (emphasis mine).”

Earth to Democrats!

In a two-party system, the idea is to make the opposition party look bad. You want to embarrass and humiliate them. The more egg they get on their face, the better it looks for you. Force them into a corner; make them take an unpopular position in direct opposition to the will of the people.

What we need is a Senate majority leader with the cojones to force the Republican to filibuster against the Health Bill. Make them speak 24/7 against a bill that seventy percent of Americans favor. Force them to sputter and rail against extending health coverage to the 45 million Americans without it.

I mean, come on, people! We’re talking about the Republicans, here, that discredited party that sent the economy down the tubes and has us mired in two imperial wars. This is a party reduced to the ravings of Rush Limbaugh…

Whoops!

Silly me.

I keep thinking we’re a political system in which two or more parties go at it in a political arena where issues are vigorously debated. Politics are indigenous to a democracy, which is why the establishment looks down its nose at them. “Playing politics” has become a slur because it implies smoke-filled rooms in which hacks pander to the mob.

The truth is, politics have no place in an oligarchy where “consensus” is all, and consensus is determined by the fattest checkbook.

So, rather than get upset over the Democrat’s lack of a backbone, it’s better to pop a Prozac and kick back in the recliner for another episode of “Dancing with the Stars.”