When The Man Comes Around.

Hmmm-The Matzos were good. A few ducks and Canadian geese and a huge snapping turtle. Back to watch the Healthcare debate. Don't know whether can last the whole time. Obama to talk afterwards.

We're getting to the end of playing chicken. The GOP is now saying the Senate parliamentarian is going to kill the bill. OK, put Joe Biden in the chair and have him overrule him. At this stage, the debate is whether the GOP is going to kill health insurance for 36 million Americans and increase the deficit. Which side do you think wins?

The procedural votes are proceeding along the lines of my predicted last vote counts. The bill will pass and it will be historic in its importance. What it means is that health care now is a right, not a privilege. A one hundred year struggle will be coming close to a conclusion.

What is clear from the debate is that the United States right now only has one political party, the Democrats. The Republicans became prisoners of their ever-narrowing base. There is not an attractive face among the GOP representatives talking. By egging the demonstrator on, they basically threw in the towel on being a "loyal opposition". Their tea bagger friends even spit on members of the Hispanic caucus today calling them "wetbacks" and telling them to go home to Mexico. And why would anyone in their right mind vote for people like this?

David Frum at www.FrumForum.com writes a column today entitled "Waterloo". The former Bush speechwriter and Wall Street Journalist says that conservatives and Republicans suffered their biggest political defeat since the 1960s. He said that conservatives are overly optimistic about the fall because the economy is going to come back. He said conservatives and the Republican Party made a strategic decision believing that healthcare would be Obama's Waterloo like it was Clinton's in 1994. But he said the conservative echo chamber miscalculated because Obama was elected with 53% of the vote compared to Clinton's 42% and the liberal bloc within the Democratic caucus was bigger and stronger than in 1993-94. He also said that Democrats remembered the lessons of the 94 failure. "We went for all the marbles, and got none."

He chides Republicans who think the bill will be repealed because it won't. Not only will Republicans have a tough time winning back seats but that no one will repeal items such as carrying your child on your insurance until he/she's 26; no one will repeal exemption for pre-existing conditions. And the President retains a veto.

He ends with "we followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat."

He said majorities in Congress change but this bill is forever. He blames the rightwing echochamber of Fox news and talk radio for leading the Republican party to disaster. Bitterly, he concludes it is a "huge win for the conservative entertainment industry."

Well said, David.

I read several blog comments today how after watching the behavior of the Republicans they will never vote for another one in their life, even if she or he is the most qualified. The finger-pointing is already starting among the Republicans. Sensing political disaster and unfavorable optics, even the Tan Man had to chide his caucus to behave, as the Republicans all acted like Jacobins in suits. To have a Republican congressman from California defend teabaggers who used racial epithets against the Black caucus because of the reactions to the "totalitarian process" showed how low a once great party has sunk.

In the weeks ahead, it will be interesting to see how polls register the intensity factor for the upcoming election. So far it has favored the Republicans but I expect that will soon change. I think after the shambles of the last few days--the watching audience for this debate is huge, I think the GOP can kiss off hopes of taking back either chamber of Congress.

Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich said that the Democrats will pay for forty years for this bill like they did for the civil rights legislation. Nice racism, Newt. It's going to be interesting for you to explain to the middle class and working class how this is so threatening to them.

One of the fun things today was receiving an e-mail of concern over whether the military's tricare was in the bill. Obviously, President Obama sold the veterans out. Naturally, no such thing happened as was explained to the VA throughout the week and a statement was sent out from the House two days ago explaining the military benefits were in the bill. But I thought good conservatives were against such socialized medicine?

Oh by the way, even though Michael Steele says that Obama and the Democrats cooked the CBO books, the written report to the House showed that the savings on the deficit was even more--about $300 billion than the previous statement.

I think we should be concerned about not being aware when the Republicans these days say something that is actually true. So far they are batting 100% but one of these days soon they might actually be accurate. We'll have to keep on our toes.

President Obama brought Bart Stupak and his lonely pro-life holdouts along by promising to sign an Executive Order saying exactly what the bill actually says that federal funds will not be used for abortion. NARAL blasted Stupak for caving and NOW blasted Obama for caving. Rep. Sensenbrenner claims presidents can't sign executive orders. Bush practically governed with them.

A nice touch came today when Rep. Dingell gave Nancy Pelosi the huge gavel that was used to bang Medicare into law. I hope President Obama channels some LBJ after this bill. LBJ flew to Independence, Missouri to sign the Medicare bill so that former President Harry truman would become the first person with Medicare in the country. Truman said, "I'm lucky I lived so long." Then as Medicare was about to take effect one year later, LBJ made the media cover the elderly and the poor going to the hospitals for the first time. Republicans wanted this to be a failure, I'm going to show them success, he crowed.

Flawed Bill? You should read the original bill for Social Security. The progressives can keep their public option plans ready at a moment's notice. There will be changes to this as we move along. But, today is more than just a first step, it is an historic leap filling a void in our domestic affairs that has existed for 100 years.

Some 54 speeches later, not counting tonight, Barack Obama had the tenacity to see the process through. Few other political leaders would have had the courage to keep on going with this given the manufactured lies and the abuses heaped on him. So much for crippled presidency! He is the Man.