Reality Check

This is, to put it delicately, a message to Washington Republicans. Ever since the Obama Administration steamrolled ahead with Health Care, and put its astoundingly large, filibuster-proof majority (essentially 60-40) to "good" use, I've been right with the Republicans on Capitol Hill: screaming for a bipartisan bill. The idea of 12 members of either party locked behind 5 sets of doors locked down by armed guards, toasting each other and writing a bill that determines my future medical coverage does not remotely appeal to me. This needs to be a bill that has ideas from both parties, both ends of the political spectrum, both sides of the aisle. People viewed the Republicans as the "Party of No", citing their close-mindedness. I said the same for the Democrats. Their unwillingness to cooperate with their proverbial "little brother" was unnerving to me, seeing how Republicans were constantly pushing their ideas.

Finally, a break. The filibuster-proof majority was history. Scott Brown of Massachusetts had just been elected in the upset of the century over Democrat Martha Choke-ly (thank you, Joe). Finally, a chance for Republicans to get their provisions in there; to make Democrats listen. There was now a chink in the armor. President Obama, in a move that surprised me and struck me as open-minded, invited the GOP to a Health Care Summit on the 25th of February, where he would listen to their ideas.

How does the GOP respond to the offer? Well, John Kyl, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and other top Republicans are already crying foul. The general consensus among them is this: "We're walking into a trap up there."

A trap? A TRAP?! Listen, the only way this bipartisan summit is a trap is if you ain't got shit for plans. Since day one, you've been pleading for your ideas to be heard. All the way up here in Alpena, Michigan, so was I. I'm against complete partisan control of anything by either Democrats or Republicans, and Health Care is not an issue to put my fears to the test on. So, I went around apparently making a liar of myself and spewing the same message as you: "Hey, come on now, at least LISTEN to their ideas!".

So, Senator McConnell and Representative Boehner, come February 25th, you better come out guns blazing. If I find out you've got nothing to back up that mouth, I'll be one unhappy conservative.

That said, I am still against Obamacare, for my own reasons. I think the American public sent a message in various gubernatorial elections, and on a national stage in the Massachusetts Special Election. They wanted the 41st vote against Health Care in the Senate, and they got it with Senator Brown. Nancy Pelosi is proposing reconciliation (passing the bill with only 50 Senate votes instead of the usual 60), and other Democratic senators are pushing legislation to change the rules of the filibuster. I think both of the above actions are extremely unethical and a complete abomination of the democratic process, and both are simply a ploy to get a legislative victory on the left side of the aisle, one which polls show most Americans are against.

However, I digress. The point of this post is general unhappiness with the Republicans in Washington. They are on track to put a large dent in the Democratic congressional majority (My current prediction for after the 2010 Midterms is 53 D - 47 R, pending consideration of Independents).

Let's not ruin it by talking needless smack.

Pro populus, per populus.