Just when we thought the health care debate could not get any more tortured or bizarre, enter Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.). The now former Congressman from upstate New York resigned yesterday amid charges of sexual harassment allegations from a male staffer.
But the Massa drama is far from over. Massa wants his pound of flesh from Rahm Emanuel and a Democrat leadership he says forced him out of Congress because of his staunch opposition to Obamacare.
Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck told his TV audience yesterday that he’d spoken personally to Massa who’s ready to talk even more trash on the behind-the-scenes thuggery taking place on Capitol Hill.
Beck announced Massa would appear live on his TV program at 5:00 pm Eastern on the Fox News Channel for the full hour today. Pop the popcorn. From the White House to Capitol Hill, the Democrats’ circular firing squad is performing an ammo check, metaphorically speaking of course.
On a side note, with Massa’s resignation, retired General and failed Democrat presidential candidate Wesley Clark has lost his “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” buddy in his fight to torpedo the policy barring homosexuals from serving openly in the military.
Clark was hawking campaign donations for Massa on his “WesPac” blog just two weeks ago:
“I've written to you a number of times about Eric Massa. He's doing great work in his first term in Congress. He's been a strong advocate for health care reform and working tirelessly to get our economy going again.
“I'm proud he's a co-sponsor of H.R. 1283, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the bill that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Eric knows that those who want to serve our country in uniform deserve to do so honestly, openly, and proudly. And frankly, with our military strained fighting two wars, we simply cannot afford to discharge soldiers due to this unfair policy.
“The first re-election campaign for a Congressman is usually the toughest, and in this political environment, Eric is in for a close race. He needs our help.
“Eric is an ally we can't afford to lose in Congress. Please contribute to his campaign today.”
Obama On the Trail – Again – Pushing Healthcare “Reform”
President Obama launched his Healthcare Quagmire Talking Tour Monday in Glenside, Pennsylvania, repeating the same failed arguments he’s been making for the past year. Trouble is the only people who haven’t completely tuned him out are the bussed-in audience. The American people aren’t buying it.
Wasn’t it just last week draped in lab-coated doctor props in the East Room of the White House Obama told us the time for talking was through?
“Every argument has been made,” Obama said. “Everything there is to say about health care has been said and just about everybody has said it.”
Apparently not. The endless sales pitch continues.
Obama told the staged Pennsylvania audience yesterday that politicians simply need to disregard the will of the people they represent and try to salvage his presidency.
“You want people in Washington to spend a little less time worrying about our jobs, a little more time worrying about your jobs,” the President had the audacity to say.
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If the American people actually wanted federal government bureaucrats to run a leviathan, nationalized health care program from Washington, making long-distance, cookie-cutter health care decisions for their families, politicians wouldn’t be worried about their jobs.
Yet that’s where the American people are right now: worried about their jobs. Welcome to the Era of Obama. No one’s job is safe. Especially his own.
If you’d like a more complete lesson in abject anxiety, a transcript the President’s speech is available here.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) responded immediately from the Senate floor to the President’s remarks and yet another arbitrary deadline, this time March 18:
“The administration recognizes the weakness of its argument. That’s why it’s trying to create a sense of inevitability about this bill. Once again, it’s imposing an artificial deadline to put pressure on members. It’s talking about how we’re in the middle of the final chapter of this debate. The administration wants members to believe they’re characters in a screenplay, and that the ending of this play is already written. This is an illusion. House members aren’t buying these arguments any more. In fact, many of them are already walking off the set. And my guess is that a lot more of them are about to.
“They know that we may be nearing the final act for this bill and the legislative process, but that it’s just the beginning for those who support it. Americans don’t want this bill. They’re telling us to start over. The only people who don’t seem to be getting the message are Democrat leaders in Washington. But they can be sure of this: if they cut their deal, if they somehow convince enough members of Congress to come on board, they’ll get the message then.”
McConnell’s full floor remarks yesterday can be found here.
Cartoon courtesy of Brett Noel
