Has it occurred to the Democrat majority – or to anyone else, for that matter – that it is impossible to govern a democracy when 2/3 of us have to agree on virtually every policy?
Just think about this for a minute, in the light of that question:
In its first vote on health care overhaul, the Senate Thursday narrowly approved an amendment to safeguard coverage of mammograms and preventive screening tests for women under a revamped system.The 61-39 vote on an amendment by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, would allow the Health and Human Services secretary to require insurers to cover preventive health screenings free of charge.
Under special provisions agreed to prior to the tally, 60 votes were needed to pass the amendment. The margin underscored the fragility of the coalition Democrats are counting on to move forward on President Barack Obama’s signature issue.
Fragility?
Question #1:
Why do we need 60 votes – a filibuster-proof majority – in order to approve something as non-controversial and obviously necessary as mammograms and cancer screening tests?
Question #2:
Why did something as obvious, necessary, and minor barely squeak through this cloth-headed Congress?
Question #3:
How “fragile” is the Democrat “coalition” (between Democrats and Blue Dogs, presumably) when it takes that much effort to pass an amendment this bland?
Question #4:
How “fragile” is our democracy when it takes that much effort to pass an amendment this bland?
Just curious.
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Peter K. Harrell
BOKO
RARobertsJr.
Enemy of the State
John George Archer
Dennis Loo
Salon.com
Comments
They're trying to make the companies who are lobbying them and supporting their campaigns happy. They're trying to posture for the segment of their districts that voted for them to prove they're different from their opposition. They're trying to cater to other politicians, whose votes they'll need for their own proposals later on.
In other words, they're playing politics instead of being representatives.
switzerland is a democracy. there are no others. america is an oligarchy, one dominated by money, so you could call it a plutocracy. it is also a moribund empire, in which the various bureaucracies, notably department of defense and the cia, have taken control away from politicians.
you are right about the 'last days,' though it will be many years of fading power and collapsing economy. let's hope the collapsing economy saves the planet, for the american government is incapable of planned greenhouse reduction.