I have no doubt the Blue Dogs aren’t the brightest lights on the porch or the sharpest knives in the drawer (yeah, I know it’s trite, but so is brain dead), but what really bothers me is their avarice, their total lack of empathy for the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims who suffered and died because the health insurance companies refused to authorize necessary medical procedures, denied coverage, or priced coverage so high that it was unaffordable. Such callousness is a form of reckless homicide because the decision makers could not have failed to be aware that their decisions placed people at risk to die. Recklessness is defined by law in most jurisdictions as being aware that your conduct creates a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm to another person but going ahead and doing it anyway. Playing Russian roulette is the standard example used in many law schools to explain the definition.

What kind of a human being engages in such ethically, morally, and legally reprehensible conduct? Rhetorical question, right?

The Blue Dogs obviously don’t have a problem with that behavior because they support it and are trying to preserve and protect it as though they believe people have a right to behave that way. Worse, they clearly do not respect or fear the voters in their respective districts because they are willing to act in a manner contrary to the preferences of the majority as if their opinions are irrelevant and represent no threat to their re-election because they always can lie their way out of trouble by bashing the liberals. So, they continue earning their filthy lucre playing their delay and derail game without shame or fear of suffering unpleasant consequences.

I’m hard pressed to determine who is worse — the decision makers in the insurance companies or the Blue Dogs.

But then I arrive at the quintessential question for me. What does this deplorable state of affairs tell us about the priorities, ethics, and morality of Rahm-Obama-Bing-Bang who, despite knowing all these things, decided to assign Baucus and the Blue Dogs to come up with the final legislative solution to achieve what Obama assured us would be his signature bipartisan accomplishment during the first term of his administration? The man is not stupid and he’s been in the Senate long enough to figure out how to maximize his chances of success. How could he have failed to realize that his strategic decisions all but torpedoed any chance of success? Wouldn’t any reasonable person conclude he deliberately did the best he could to prevent meaningful reform? Yet, if he did, why did he set himself up to fail by characterizing health insurance reform as his most important legislative priority?

Holy twilight zone, Batman!

Finally, how can any person of good conscience struggling to follow the Golden Rule not judge Rahm-Obama-Bing-Bang, Baucus and his five amigos, and the private health insurance companies with extreme scorn and contempt?

Nothing about this mess inspires confidence, except the significant possibility that the refusal of the progressives to vote for a bill that lacks a public option will result in a final bill that has it and Congress will pass it.

Thanks to Jane and her heroic efforts whipping the progressives into shape, Congress might pass a bill with a public option. If it does, Rahm-Obama-Bing-Bang cannot legitimately claim any credit.

Win, lose, or draw, Jane has been the impeccable and indefatigable warrior keeping hope alive. You’re my hero and truly one of the few people in this country who have the right stuff.

Many thanks and many blessings to you.

(that felt good. I haven’t done that in awhile. been lurking too much)

BEFORE THE FDL DEATH PANEL
IN AND FOR THE INTERNETS
In Re: Blue Dogs

Per curiam.

Sorry guys.

It is so ordered.

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