Congress gone wild

The "Girls Gone Wild" videos are a distressing metaphor for the health care legislation that was ramrodded through the Senate at 7 a.m. on Thursday. Senators - like the young women in the videos - really exposed themselves for what they are.

Likewise, both exposed themselves in familiar surroundings away from home. Within the confines of the Beltway, senators are among their own and seem to lose touch with the real world of their constituents back home. Similarly, the women in the videos expose themselves in venues frequented by their peers and are horrified when the folks back home find out. Both the "girls" and the senators are drunk (some literally) with power; and flaunt it.

What is interesting about this latest chapter in Obamamania is that it represents the ultimate in earmarks (which our president committed himself to reducing during his campaign) in that some of them are perpetual, not the familiar one-time hit at the public trough. Something new is happening in Congress that goes beyond out-of-control spending and is best explained by the "Girls Gone Wild" metaphor.

Cuts in Medicare Advantage were all but promised by President Barack Obama during the campaign. In fact Obama told AARP on July 28 that he considers Medicare Advantage an example of "wasteful spending." Yet, to show how determined the administration is to get control of health care once and for all, the Senate carved out a sweetheart deal for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., to placate his south Florida Democratic base. The Miami Herald reports Nelson as saying: "I was able to pass an amendment to the bill that excluded some 800,000 policyholders all across Florida from cuts to Medicare Advantage."

Wow!

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., is a more interesting example of how power corrupts. This seemingly decent guy had the critical 60th vote that Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., needed. Among other goodies offered to Nelson, it was agreed the federal government would pick up the tab for the full cost of Nebraska's Medicaid expansion.

So similar to Florida's deal, everyone else in the U.S. would be paying for Nebraska's increase in Medicaid costs. States are so strapped for cash, they can't even pay for Medicaid now, much less the increase in costs, which are in this legislation, and then they're supposed to pick up the tab for Nebraska? Nebraska's governor said he didn't want to take any responsibility for Nelson's deal. If readers of the Lincoln Star Journal are any indication, even the good citizens of Nebraska are aghast, referring to "Benny boy" as one of 10 senators who got special deals.

And to prove that lobbying is alive and well in the Senate chambers, big Pharma beat off proposals to allow the importation of less expensive drugs, and according to Reuters U.S., "biological drug makers won a 12-year period of exclusive sales for brand-name drugs before facing competition from generic rivals."

More breathtaking, and as further evidence of the "Senate Gone Wild" is Section 3403 of Reid's amendment on page 1,020 that reads in part, "It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection."

Talk about mind boggling arrogance. The Supreme Court has said it will not meddle with the internal affairs of the Senate or House of Representatives, but this is beyond the pale. One has to wonder whether this abuse of power is constitutional, because, if it were, every majority party would put this language in all their legislation. Reid's language would rise to the Biblical level of the Ten Commandments - only God could "legislate" a change.

If Obamacare becomes law with its current language, with all the sweetheart deals and earmarks, it would be fair to say America would have crossed the political Rubicon. Whatever label you want to use for the government of this Democratic majority - socialist or otherwise - government would be big enough and have enough control over our lives to where we could never return to a constitutional republic.

The only good news is this: Independents put Obama into office and gave the Democrats majorities in both chambers of Congress. According to Rasmussen's latest poll, 62 percent of Independents now disapprove of his performance. A sea change in political polling. But it may be too late because Democrats have the kind of majorities in both houses that Republicans never had (not to compliment Republicans) and Democrats seem to not care about public opinion, what with the joy of having their historical goals of total government control within reach.

David Brinkley was on to something when he concluded after years of observation and reporting that "The essence of the political animal is the pursuit of power."

And these guys have gone wild in its pursuit.