Your Daily Dose of Health Care Reform Stupidity

Better opponents, please.

I mean, really. How are we supposed to take these buffoons seriously?

Here we have RNC great Michael Steele, who either can't remember what he said five minutes ago or has attended the John McCain School of Flip-Flopping, putting Medicare cuts back on the table after having whisked them off.

There we have Rep. Joe Barton bluffing on a bad hand:

It's hollow bravado, but it's nevertheless interesting hollow bravado. (Faiz Shakir has the video.)

The health bill is "dead on arrival" in Congress, said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce committee, said during an interview on Fox News.

"If they somehow manage to get the votes and get enough Democrats to walk the plank and commit suicide, in the next Congress, I'll be chairman Joe Barton of the Energy and Commerce committee, and we'll repeal it," Barton said.

The far-right congressman from ExxonMobil added that passing reform would push Democrats into the "political wilderness."

As a practical matter, Barton is clearly getting ahead of himself. If health care reform passes, and if voters disapprove, and if there's an enormous Republican surge and the GOP reclaims the House majority, then Barton would help repeal the historic legislation.

And everywhere we have Teabaggers unable to show ten seconds' worth of respect to a dead man.

The McCain/McConnell Health Care Roadshow is invitation-only, because god forbid they have to face anyone who might actually call them out on their bullshit. People might bring up inconvenient points when McConnell waxes poetic over the "the finest health care in the world," such as the fact that we don't, actually. Not even close. Shall I go on? Oh, and Mitch? The reason you "can't recall the last time anybody suggested they ought to go to Cuba for a serious piece of surgery" is because it's illegal for Americans to "contribute to the Cuban economy in any way."

Shall we go on applying the Smack-o-Matic to shameless partisan hacks in the Senate? Then let us turn our tenderizing mercies upon Sen. Chuck Grassley, who while supposedly negotiating for health care reform as one of the Gang of Six has decided it would be a wonderful idea to send out a fundraising letter promising to defeat "Obamacare." His spokesperson then tried to claim he's only against the public option. Riiight, Senator. Pull the other one, it's got bells on.

How fed up are folks with Grassley? One of his constituents, a staunch Republican voter, recorded an ad bawling him out for his opposition to reform. You can contribute a little cash to keep it on the air here.

Meanwhile, the White House spanks Enzi for his pathetic weekly address. It seems the Cons have crossed a bridge too far, and if the White House continues to display some balls, the Gang of Six could end up becoming the Gang of Four by the end of the week.

About fucking time.