For the past couple weeks I’ve been so preoccupied with the Christmas tree, the shopping, the lights and the gift wrapping that I almost forgot to pay any attention to the marathon poker match dressed up as healthcare reform being played in Washington. Long ago, I gave up regarding politicians as anything other than pathological liars, but even I am disheartened by the circus that took place over the weekend as I sat at home, enjoying the candles and Dolly Parton’s Christmas CD. To Harry Reid’s credit, he told reporters that the unsavory deals made to pass the Senate bill were not unprecedented. “This is how legislation happens,” he mewed on Monday morning in response to the word bombs hurled by Republicans, who were outraged at the special deals even though the very people shouting have been on the receiving end of such deals themselves, many times. The Democrats, after all, are in no danger of being accused of doing anything original, including sleaze.
And when it comes to mastering sleaze, I can think of no better teacher than Louisiana senator Mary Landrieu, a “moderate Democrat” from a state that consistently lands near the top of the list when it comes to things like poverty, adult illiteracy and chronic disease. No matter, though: she has been one of the most vocal opponents of the public option part of healthcare reform, claiming that she’s concerned that people will confuse the concept of a public option with free healthcare. That’s a great way to show your stripes, so to speak, and prove that you’re no bleeding heart when it comes to people on welfare or immigrants. But it wasn't until it came time to vote over the weekend that the senator stopped fueling the flames against reforming healthcare in the spirit of fiscal responsibility. Instead, Mary Landrieu gladly accepted $100 million in free, public Medicaid funding for her constituents in exchange for her ‘yes’ vote. For the sake of contrast, the two senators who represent my state have supported – sort of – the public option from the beginning. And as a result, Oregon didn’t receive any of the newsworthy bribes over the weekend, so when the healthcare reform effort disintegrates in earnest as election season rolls around, the two senators from my state will likely be smeared for supporting socialist legislation and perhaps be replaced by a more business-minded Republican or "moderate Democrat."
Mary Landrieu, on the other hand, should have no problem being reelected, and there, I think, is the lesson. She managed to soothe the rattled nerves of the insurance industry by seeing to it that it doesn't have to endure any real competition while at the same time throwing a considerable amount of free cash – a public option if ever I’ve seen one – at the poor folks she's exploited shamelessly for her own purposes, standing, throughout the entire process, for nothing at all except herself.
And when it comes to mastering sleaze, I can think of no better teacher than Louisiana senator Mary Landrieu, a “moderate Democrat” from a state that consistently lands near the top of the list when it comes to things like poverty, adult illiteracy and chronic disease. No matter, though: she has been one of the most vocal opponents of the public option part of healthcare reform, claiming that she’s concerned that people will confuse the concept of a public option with free healthcare. That’s a great way to show your stripes, so to speak, and prove that you’re no bleeding heart when it comes to people on welfare or immigrants. But it wasn't until it came time to vote over the weekend that the senator stopped fueling the flames against reforming healthcare in the spirit of fiscal responsibility. Instead, Mary Landrieu gladly accepted $100 million in free, public Medicaid funding for her constituents in exchange for her ‘yes’ vote. For the sake of contrast, the two senators who represent my state have supported – sort of – the public option from the beginning. And as a result, Oregon didn’t receive any of the newsworthy bribes over the weekend, so when the healthcare reform effort disintegrates in earnest as election season rolls around, the two senators from my state will likely be smeared for supporting socialist legislation and perhaps be replaced by a more business-minded Republican or "moderate Democrat."
Mary Landrieu, on the other hand, should have no problem being reelected, and there, I think, is the lesson. She managed to soothe the rattled nerves of the insurance industry by seeing to it that it doesn't have to endure any real competition while at the same time throwing a considerable amount of free cash – a public option if ever I’ve seen one – at the poor folks she's exploited shamelessly for her own purposes, standing, throughout the entire process, for nothing at all except herself.
