How Democrats Compromise

Right now the Dems are scrambling to get ducks in a row on health care to get something to Bama by Christmas. The Campaigner-In-Chief has met with the full Dem caucus twice in the last two weeks to address the concerns of "Problem Democrats." These half-dozen or so moderate Dems are holding out on a commitment to health care reform as it exists today because of some of the more controversial components, including federal funding for abortion and the so-called "Public Option."

The new tactic by Reid is to stuff the Senate bill full of ridiculous items only Russ Feingold could love, thereby creating a scenario where the subsequent removal of those items can be spun as a compromise.

Here's how it works:

"Conservative" Democrat senator from the Heartland says, "I won't vote for any bill with a public option." Some east coast snob senator retorts, "Don't worry about getting reelected, just vote for the public option." This statement gives away too much truth: constituent principles take a back seat to consolidation of power. Then Harry Reid steps in and says, "How about instead of a government run public option, we give everyone a big bar of gold, and they can use it to buy their own health care!" (Thanks to AlGore's "A Convenient Set of Lies" for the bar of gold idea.) Now this idea is obviously ludicrous, and yet the Dems spend a week debating it as if it were a plausible or practical plan. Now "Conservative" Democrat from the Heartland says, "I'll lead the fight against this unwise bar of gold idea," and Harry Reid responds, "Well if we can't give everyone a bar of gold I'm willing to meet you halfway. I propose a government run public option." Now the "Conservative" Democrat agrees, and will claim to have defeated the reckless bar of gold idea and agree to "compromise" and vote for the public option.

It's all smoke and mirrors - the Dems get what they want all along and the shifty "conservative" or blue-dog Dems from Republican-leaning states get to hold high the banner of principle and pretend to have represented their constituents, while what really happened was that they folded to the pressure put on them by party leadership and Bara Bama.

God, I hope John Stossel picks up on his one.