I’m sure you’ve heard the line that a child only touches a hot stove one time. Well, it appears that Democrats in Washington haven’t, because they don’t seem to be learning from their mistakes.
President Obama has instructed the Democrat leadership in Congress that he'd like the Senate to invoke a little-used procedure called "reconciliation" to pass a health care reform bill. That means they would bypass the normally required 60-vote super-majority to stop a filibuster and pass the bill with a simple majority.
Almost immediately after Obama’s request, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby came out swinging, vowing to fight it.
Senator Shelby issued the following statement, which is as direct and to the point as you can get:
"If the majority truly had the support of the American people and their representatives in Washington, then reconciliation would be unnecessary. The message from Democrats to the American people is clear: Government knows best. The Democrats are determined to force government-run health care upon the American people regardless of whether they want or need it.
"Reconciliation is intended for important budgetary items, not legislation to overhaul one-sixth of our economy. In pursuing this course, the Democrats would establish a precedent for future partisan majorities to eliminate thoughtful debate and pass reckless and partisan legislation by any means necessary. Should this legislation pass, especially by these means, it will be a day our country will long regret."
Senator Shelby is right on point. Not only would the maneuver be heavy-handed and precedent-setting, it would force something on the American people that they clearly do not want.
With the recent embarrassing defeats for the Democrats in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races and, of course, the most recent one in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race, one would think the President and the Democrat leadership in Congress would get the message. But it appears they believe just the opposite –they know better than the American people and they are going to give it to them like it or not.
I firmly believe the voters will give it right back to the Democrats at the polls this November. And they should.