If I were Obama and Pelosi,
And if I knew I had the votes to pass the legislation, I’d call the first Democratic Representative (in roll-call sequence) who is expected to vote “No.”
I’d say something like this, “We have the votes now, and we know the measure will pass. And, as you know, when it passes, some of the benefits will be felt immediately—no more recission, no more pre-existing condition, money to small businesses—and certainly will be evident long before November. So people are going to like it, and they are going to remember how you voted.
“By far the best outcome for you individually, for the caucus as a whole, and for the American people, is for this measure to pass with a unanimous vote from Democrats: by standing together, we can credibly portray the enactment of the legislation as a great victory, which it is. And since it will be a victory, don’t you want to be on the winning side and not the losing side?”
I think you could talk him/her around (and, if not, go to the next in line—in fact, the same conversation should be going on simultaneously with the top three). And when the nation is watching with bated breath as the vote is taken, and the first “certain” Democratic vote for “No” votes “Yes” instead, imagine the impact. And then when the second follows, and the third… It would be a rout.
And, speaking of rout, think about November: by then, people will be seeing the benefits—and news media will be seeking out stories of big impacts on various individual lives for their human-interest feature stories. And if the Democrats all voted “Yes” and the GOP all voted “No”: it could wipe out the GOP right there, especially as the country in general sees the Tea Party and extreme right as the hate-filled small minority that they are.
I am delighted to read your inspired comments. Your writing talents appear to come so easily to you. I remain in awe.
In my frustration I woke up friday morning at 5:00am and struggled to pen the following remarks. Note they were composed prior to the Democrats dropping the self executing rule.
* * * *
I suggest that if Kurt Vonnegut was to close the debate on the rule he would say this.
Some say that in today’s climate of opinion the use of the self-executing rule presents a political risk. Mr Speaker, I submit that the greater danger is to risk the failure of the health care bill. This risk will be incurred without use of the controversial self-executing rule. That’s just the way it is.
The rule is merely about process – a process that has been used and challenged unsuccessfully for many years. We must not forget that the sickest patient in America is the health care system itself.
The miracles of modern medicine are currently treated as commodities –commodities accessible only to the relatively healthy and wealthy among us. And even then in often wasteful and irresponsible ways. The status quo harbors predatory pricing, anti-trust collusion and unnecessary medical procedures . The hypocrites try to convince Americans that this exemplifies free market competition.
The best that can be said about competition in insurance is that it compels providers to shuck themselves of the sickest of our fellow Americans. “The American dream has gone belly-up.” * We are left in a Dickensian society – the unlucky suffer and die . They confront bankruptcy, home foreclosure, destruction of family units. The nation under the present health care burden has become unable to compete effectively with the rest of the world. Such conditions are unworthy of a great modern nation. Indeed they may be suicidal.
Although the bill we have painfully produced is manifestly inadequate, it does significantly mitigate some of the conditions we now suffer under. Most importantly it is a start. The move we make tomorrow will require the courage to work for years to improve it. “To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.”** I look forward to the day we will look back on the struggle for health care in America. . That we can then can say of it “You were sick, but now you are well again, and there is work to be done”. ***
*Kurt Vonnegut, GOD BLESS YOU MR ROSEWATER
**Tennyson
***Kurt Vonnegut. Kilgore’s Creed, TIMEQUAKE
Bob Slaughter
21 March 2010 at 7:33 am
Good post. Many thanks.
I was disturbed to read of the brick being thrown into the window of Rep. Slaughter’s office. I hope the FBI finds the miscreant.
LeisureGuy
21 March 2010 at 7:49 am