The Obama Health Bill

A popular television woman announcer interviewed a congressman. The announcer asked, "Are you supporting this bill?" The congressman responded, "It is hard to support or not support a bill that we have not seen yet." The announcer kept asking questions about the bill. The congressman said, "He still had not seen the bill yet, how could he comment?" She asked, "What pressure is being put on you to sign the bill? The congressman responded, "They are asking what must we put in the bill to get you to sign?

The interview was disarmingly frightening. Why? Because neither the announcer or the congressman had seen the bill, which has already taken up hundreds of hours of debate time on TV. Transparency in government has hit a new low when we must listen to a debate about a bill that no one has really seen, but we suspect is 1000 pages long. Are you confused? I am. Puzzled to say the least. The rubrics cube term for this puzzle is reconciliation.

Let me add some clarification. The term reconciliation means, please vote for this bill even though you have not had the opportunity to read it; and even though if you read it, we are reasonably sure you would not agree with its provisions. Trust us so says the senate. After you vote for such a bill, we will reconcile our differences with modifications to the bill that will suit your tastes. Can you understand this? if you do not, if you do not agree with my definition, then get your own, but be sure that you need to understand the concept of reconciliation as it used in our government. If you are married, try the administration's concept of reconciliation on an important family matter on your spouse and see how much reconciliation you get. None I bet. Nor should you. Yet we as citizens of this great country are being asked to accept the concept each day. I say. Let us see the bill. Let us read it. Let us vote on it.

For example, you are being asked to believe by some commentators that if the bill is passed, everyone who does not have health insurance now will magically have it. Really? Insurance companies will not be able to raise your rates and they will cover you for all conditions? And further according to Obama, we will have the same insurance options that congress and the Senate have. Somewhere in that reconciliation pile is a horse-if I just can get by the smell and keep looking, I will find it.