Redirecting the heat, Woot

At the gym they had the live health care debate on so I hopped on a cardio machine close enough that I could read the closed captioning.  I watched the debate go on, alternating between both Republican and Democratic participants.  Both sides made some good points and Obama seemed to be genuinely interested in taking in all opinions.

Then it was John McCain’s time to speak.  McCain was not interested in talking so much about the health care issue itself.  He was more interested in grilling Obama about the lack of transparency, secret backroom deals and obvious lobbyism that created the 2,400 page piece of legislation.  Obama refused to discuss the process and instead stressed that their time today was meant to be used to talk about the issues that are preventing an agreement being reached.  I actually was on both sides of the fence on this.

Yes Obama is right, the summit isn’t about mudslinging, it isn’t about rehashing what was obviously a f’d up process that was utilized to give birth to this bastardized health care proposal. Yet, I yearned for him to directly address McCain’s questions.

Why was the health care bill process such a mess?  Why were the promises of open, televised debate on the issue not kept?  Why is it ok to fill the bill with kickbacks to various legislators special interests to ensure their support? Why would certain states make out better than others? All of this shit really pissed me off.

Now I already know some of the answers to those questions.  Obama lacked the power to do it, plain and simple.  Now whether he knew all along he was promising something he knew he couldn’t deliver (transparency) or he actually thought he had the momentum to do it is up for debate.  He simply can not declare that Congress televises all aspects of their proceedings.  He can ask nicely but there is no law saying they have to abide by any of it.  Congress, both Republicans and Democrats do NOT want the general public to see just how disgustingly dirty the legislative process is.  They would never agree to full transparency.

Perhaps I would have felt better about it if Obama would have just fessed up and said something like ” John, I did make the promise that the health care reform process would be more transparent.  I agree with you it has not followed the course I would have liked it to and I regret some of the compromises that were allowed to find their way into this bill. I want to fix it.  I am hoping that today is the start of true transparency”

Despite what some blog readers may assume, I do not have political blinders on by any means.

Today is a WOOT OFF by the way.  Nothing like blowing a few bucks on geeky junk to make you feel better.