A Clean Bill of Health

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Inspired by the passage last night of the healthcare reform bill, stripped of those “dirty” provisions that Republicans (and Dems, and the American people) disliked so much. For more information, read Senate, House approve ‘fixes’ to health-care law (Washington Post 3/26/10).

Healthcare reform passed yesterday,

With the “dirty” provisions stripped away.

Everyone hated the bribes in the bill,

Which for some made healthcare reform too bitter a pill.

The Louisiana Purchase and Cornhusker Kickback

Subjected the bill to unnecessary attack.

Dems didn’t like those bribes either.

I and most other Dems supported neither.

Why, then, did the Dems do it?

Because, I’m afraid, they were forced to it.

As I’ve noted before

And will now discuss some more,

Those special deals were necessitated

By the need for concessions which the GOP created.

Usually on bills this important,

At least some from the opposing party give their assent.

Some Dems even supported Bush’s tax cuts,

Which any real economist will tell you were nuts.

With healthcare, GOP opposition was universal

And GOP talking points were given constant rehearsal.

That made margins so razor thin,

Making it easy for special deals to creep in.

The main purpose of reconciliation

Was the Purchase and Kickback’s cancellation.

It’s ironic that the GOP so viciously opposed it

When that was the reason Dems imposed it.

The GOP is now on record in favor of those deals,

As these House and Senate roll call clearly reveals.

The reconciliation bill was a vote to take those out,

And Republicans voted against that. (What’s that about?)

Will America like the bill better now that it’s clean?

That, of course, remains to be seen.

But one things for sure: Democrats are gaining ground,

And the public seems to be coming around.

***

Here’s Countdown’s 3/25/10 evening report on the reconciliation bill’s passage, live as the House passed the Senate’s technical revisions.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here’s Rachel’s 3/25/10 report, with outtakes from the floor debate and President Obama’s Iowa “victory lap” speech. As Rachel said, “where’s that old Waterloo fight, Jim DeMint?”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Tags: Healthcare, hypocrisy, Jim DeMint, Party of No, Rachel Maddow, Reconciliation, Republicans
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