I Don't Have Time To Discuss This In A Committee

Someone should draw a comic of Barack Obama shouting that at Nancy Pelosi while she shouts the classic response, "I am not a committee!" Would Joe Biden be Chewbacca? (I would cast Harry Reid play C-3PO and Olympia Snowe play R2-D2 (not to say that Ms. Snowe is a little person but referencing her minority status as a Republican and the character being the lone voice of reason that nobody wants to listen to) The Millenium Falcon could have the word Healthcare on it since the two were both standing on shaky ground at the time of the exchange. I digress.

The Senate came in to work on Christmas Eve so that they could vote on the most important issue of the year: healthcare. The headlines on Christmas morning read that the Senate had passed landmark legislation set to go to committee in the new year. They didn't even need 60 Democrats or any Republicans to move on to voting and the 58 Democrats and 2 Independents also voted yes on the actual bill, moving the bill into the next stage of the legislative process.

I'm blogging from my work computer so if you read this before I can fix it, look up 'I am a Bill' on youtube and enjoy the video.

The link in the title takes you to an article from the Washington Post that compares the House and Senate bills on some of the major points.

I'd like to give the Dems kudos for muscling a bill through both houses of Congress. It's been a long time since a Democratic majority in Congress actually meant anything other than creating a sitting duck. I'm going to hold off my commentary on the healthcare bill until a final version is passed by Congress simply because there are too many facets to explore and I don't want to write a thesis (that's a lie, I don't mind writing it but apparently nobody would read it).

Hopefully the next piece of life-altering legislation that comes through Congress will see a more productive response from the GOP. While "You Lie" activates the base, garners some campaign money, and wins some elections in off-years, giving 30 million Americans health insurance improves the quality of life in our country and might win the Presidency (again).

In he dream world I like to think we might create some day, the moderates will split off from both parties and then nobody would have a majority and would have to form coalitions to get anything done, much like.... almost every country in Europe has to. (Aren't they making an international President soon? We'll talk about that later)

I think that's where I'm going to end this one. I'm glad that something got passed and I'm glad that the Dems flexed their muscles. I hope that the GOP does more in committee to help mold a more cost-effective and private-run bill and I hope that people will realize that higher taxes aren't always a bad thing. Merry Christmas to all of you and thank you for reading!