Bipartisan Health Care

Yesterday after work, I was taking the queen to one of her regular doctor appointments when the topic of Congress' current efforts to rape and pillage the American public. Oops, I meant to say "pass a health care reform bill." I really must watch those Freudian slips.

I've been trying to keep abreast of the news regarding the various plans currently surfing their way through our Byzantine legislative process, and there has been one little tidbit that never really clicked into place until last evening's discussion with the queen. Specifically, I've been seeing several news articles mentioning that hardcore, rabid, ultra liberal Democrats are increasingly frustrated with President Obama's, Nancy Pelosi's and Harry Ried's efforts to compromise with Republican members of Congress on key elements of the health care reform bills currently on the table. Apparently, these hardy souls seem to think that, when your party controls two thirds to three fourths of the government, you should be able to damn the torpedoes and enact every piece of liberal progressive legislation your heart has ever desired without having to cater to the demands of poor, pitiful, misguided, evil Republicans.

As much as I hate to admit it, they are technically correct; however, these die hard Democrats ignore one seriously fundamental law of nature: Actions have consequences. That's exactly why the Democrat party leadership is desperate for some level of significant support from Republicans on controversial legislation. Try being an incumbent and showing up at the midterm elections next year after having ignored a majority of Americans and passing a budget busting disaster that sends the economy into a death spiral from which it may not recover WITHOUT having the Teflon coated armor of bipartisanship to protect you. They wouldn't just be voted out of office. They'd be lynched.

However, if Democrats can get enough Republican support to label health care reform as a BIPARTISAN measure, suddenly Republican challengers in the midterm elections won't be able to demonize their opponents for supporting a disastrous, DEMOCRAT health care reform plan because their own party will have supported it.

Will the Teflon coated protection of bipartisan support be fool proof? I doubt it. We Americans have the technology and the know how to make bigger and better fools. Will bipartisan support balance out the elections? More than likely. Disaffected voters will throw out Democrats and Republicans in equal proportions leaving the balance of power in Washington relatively unchanged. Not that there is a nickel's worth of difference between the two parties as it stands now anyway.

Regardless of who is in power, the government will continue to grow, the deficit and the national debt will continue to rise, new entitlements will continue to be enacted. No matter how many elections take place, no matter how many people stand up and say "Yes, we can" without a clue as to what the rhetoric means, no matter how many horse thief scandals are uncovered in the media, those in Washington will continue to do what they have been doing regardless of the names, faces or party affiliations of those in power. The erosion of the Constitution and the American way of life will continue until there is nothing and no one left to remind us that there ever was anything different.

In my opinion, despite all its flaws, American is still the greatest place to live on the planet. We are greatly privileged to have a multitude of freedoms. However, we must always remember that with great privilege comes even greater responsibility. It's time for all freedom loving Americans to stop abdicating their responsibility or face losing their privileges.