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Cracker Squire

THE MUSINGS OF A TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN DEMOCRAT

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Location: Douglas, Coffee Co., The Other Georgia, United States

Sid in his law office where he sits when meeting with clients. Observant eyes will notice the statuette of one of Sid's favorite Democrats.

Monday, December 21, 2009

I wish I could say that this too shall pass. But it won't. Rather this bill is becoming one that many in the Democratic Party won't survive.

I was sickened to read the details of the provisions that Republicans justifiably slammed today that were inserted at the last minute by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) in the far-reaching health-care overhaul bill to win over individual senators.

Was he embarrassed by such? You wouldn't know it. Reid defended the provisions, saying this was how lawmaking has always worked, including when Republicans controlled Congress. "That's what legislation is all about -- it's the art of compromise," he said. "It's no different than other pieces of legislation."

The buy your vote special provisions are discussed in this Wall Street Journal article.

The aftermath of this legislation -- that probably will pass (and my readers know I feel strongly that we need health care reform legislation, but not this sausage in the making on the fly way of going about it) -- will be as stated in the following column from the admittedly very conservative Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel. I sure do hate it, but I fear her prediction is as true as grits are groceries.

Barack Obama emerged from his meeting with Senate Democrats this week to claim Congress was on the "precipice" of something historic. Believe him. The president is demanding his party unilaterally enact one of the most unpopular and complex pieces of social legislation in history. In the process, he may be sacrificing Democrats' chances at creating a sustainable majority.

Slowly, slowly, the Democratic health agenda is turning into a political suicide pact. Congressional members have been dragged along by momentum, by threat, by bribe, but mostly by the White House's siren song that it would be worse to not pass a bill than it would be to pass one. If that ever were true, it is not today.

Public opinion on ObamaCare is at a low ebb. This week's NBC-WSJ poll: A mere 32% of Americans think it a "good" idea. The Washington Post: Only 35% of independents support it—down 10 points in a month.

What's extraordinary is that more Democrats have not wised up to the fact that they are being used as pawns in this larger liberal game. Maybe Mr. Obama will see a bump in the polls if health care passes; maybe not. What is certain is that this vote is becoming one that many in his party will not survive.