Bipartisanship Porn

There are many kinds of porn. In the modern vernacular there's "food porn," which describes gastronomic perfection so delicious, it's practically obscene. There's also "torture porn," made famous by Mel Gibson's movies, Rob Zombie's movies, 24, Fox News Channel and, of course, the Bush administration. And then there are the too numerous to list forms of regular old "porn" porn.

I'm not so thrilled to announce that there's a new kind of "porn" in town. What we've been witnessing during this health care reform process can easily be defined as "bipartisanship porn." It's a display of bipartisanship so obscene and excessive that it borders on perverse. But unlike most of the other forms of porn, it's not even fun to look at chiefly because it involves the shriveled mugs of Chuck Grassley and Max Baucus.

Today, following a killer 12 hours of fresh air in which it looked like bipartisanship porn was dying, Robert Gibbs let fly in the White House press room:

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the administration remains committed to drawing Republican support for the bill, particularly in the Senate.

"I don't know why we would short-circuit that now," Gibbs told reporters.

He said the White House believes some Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee "are still working in a constructive way to get reform through the Senate and ultimately to the president's desk."

After everything that's gone down this month? Sheesh. Get a room.

Gibbs has dropped these comments on the same day when Rahm Emanuel finally admitted that the Republicans aren't at all interested in voting for health care reform.

It's the same day when the New York Times reported that the congressional Democrats are prepared to jettison the Republicans once and for all in order to pass a real health care reform bill.

It's within the same week when both Grasshole and Jon Kyl made it perfectly clear that the Republicans will not vote for any health care reform bill short of something that abolishes Medicaid, privatizes Social Security and replaces Secretary Sebelius with Carrie Prejean.

And it's following several weeks when the entire Wingnut-Industrial Complex injected numerous lies, distortions and actual firearms into the health care debate. This succeeded in scaring the white plastic belts and warm-up suits off scores of old people and convinced a supermajority of Fox News viewers that affordable, reliable and portable health insurance is somehow the Fourth Reich (because we all know how much neo-Nazis love mixed-race liberal politicians).

During the battle over the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we observed that the Republicans were only interested in sabotaging the president's agenda. Their goal was to play along with this notion of bipartisanship just enough to find gap through which they could drop their psycho-bombs into the legislation and dash away -- brazenly shouting "So long, suckers!" as they went. Like the well-known fable about the scorpion and the frog, it's their nature. This is what they do. Their only path out of exile is to sabotage anything and everything in the Democratic agenda. When the Democrats fail, the Republicans rise again. They've been perfectly honest and up front about this, too, as evidenced by the famous "fail" remarks from their impotent de facto leader Mr. Limbaugh.

So why are they being allowed to do it again, this time with something as critical as health care reform?

The answer can be illustrated by outlining the three biggest bipartisanship porn fetishists, if you will. The White House, centrist Democrats and the establishment press.

The last group first. The establishment press, the Villagers, believe that the only path to seriousness is bipartisanship. It's a leading ingredient in the conventional wisdom cocktails served at various inside-Washington media mixers. It goes without saying that this is a standard reserved for Democrats only. When the Republicans controlled Washington not so long ago, the establishment press was all about fetishizing Republican virility -- how masculine their packages looked in a flight suit and how easily the Democrats could be clubbed over the head with its sheer bulbous-ness. Now that the Democrats are in power, however, bipartisanship is mandatory for being considered "very serious." It's why very few members of the Progressive Caucus have managed to sneak onto a Sunday show. Not bipartisan enough and therefore not very serious.

The centrist Democrats, meanwhile, are obsessed with bipartisanship porn because it helps them to look more like Republicans. This has a dual benefit in that it attracts the establishment press, it appeases their more conservative states/districts and it calms the nerves of their financiers in the various lobbies and PACs -- in this case, the health care industry. I would lump Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, Evan Bayh, Blanche Lincoln, the Nelsons and Joe Lieberman into this category.

And finally, there's the White House.

While they appear to be leading the charge in terms of keeping bipartisanship porn alive today, I'm not sure how genuine they really are. It's difficult to believe that they're this blind to what the Republicans are up to. Rahm Emanuel appears to understand the scorpion-ish behavior as evidenced by his comments today. And the president is too smart not to see it. So what's their motivation?

There's no way they'd deliberately allow this legislation to fail altogether. And a crappy, watered-down reform bill would haunt their legacy for decades to come. I mean, if we're not looking at significant relief in how we deal with health insurance by 2012, there's no amount of campaign platitudes that will ameliorate the continued pain and anger. After all, there are experts who are good at math and they'll be able to track whether the reform bill allowed health care prices to continue to skyrocket, further subsidizing the health insurance mafia, or whether the reform bill actually did something, you know, positive.

The only justification I can see for what Gibbs said today and, to a certain extent, what the president and Secretary Sebelius said over the weekend is that with or without the public option, the White House doesn't have 60 votes to break a Republican filibuster.

Unless Senators Kennedy and Byrd are well enough to turn up for two floor votes several months from right now -- one to break the filibuster of the reconciled Senate bill and another to break the filibuster of the conference report -- the White House will need two Republicans to flip and vote against their own party's filibuster. Twice. And this scenario depends on zero Democrats voting with the Republicans (they'd be insane to do that). Ultimately, the only way to get those two Republican votes for cloture is if the White House at least attempts to seem "bipartisan." This possibly explains the continued posturing amid all of the obvious crazy. (Reconciliation is a way around, but, by some accounts, reconciliation would blow giant holes in the bill, perhaps taking the public option with it.)

At this still early stage I'd like to think that the White House's express preference for bipartisanship porn is purely tactical and not reflective of what can only be described as political ignorance and stupidity. If it's the latter, the White House will have ultimately succeeded in its utter self-destruction -- limping across the threshold with a health care reform bill that's been brazenly cut to pieces by marbled-mouthed Glenn Beck disciples like Chuck Grassley.

I sincerely hope this is the last time I write about porn and Chuck Grassley in the same essay.

Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! Go!

 

Comments

[squarebird]

Bob,

You aren't going to win any support for any of the five bills by demonizing half the population and their representatives. What would it take to prove that a particular bit of criticism is in good faith and that some anger is genuine. It also does not win support to have Pelosi refer to one sign held by one person (who may or may not have been a plant, since the press did not manage to actually locate that person) to make a sweeping statement about "swastikas" being burnished by the opposition. The day that Pelosi takes on Nat Hentoff's serious concerns about 'death panels' rather than the easy target of Sarah Palin is the day that we will begin to trust that health care reform is truly about creating a better system and not about making health care providers more dependent on the favors of politians (i.e. concentrating power).

Robert in DC

[jotunloki]

What really gets me are the great minds who don't understand that the only thing national socialism and socialism have in common is the word socialism.

[dieselis]

Fully moderated is this when conservatives do all the moderations. I thought I could be quite conservative however, some rethinking is necessary I've been told to stay in my place. Its a little to late now.

[OswegoKayaker]

During the campaign candidate Obama seemed to take a lot of punches and didn't appear to fight back. I wanted him to come out swinging and was sure I was seeing another Kerry Swiftboat fiasco. Luckily he had a plan. I think that he has a plan now. We have Max Baucus' finance committee running this show and he has huge campaign contributions from the healthcare industry and we have the Republicans who are not going to vote for it in any way, shape or form. The Republicans have to make sure that he fails so they gain seats in the next election. The Blue Dogs are holding up the 60 vote deal. BUT we do not live in a totally liberal Democratic country and healthcare is a very important for ALL Americans -- so they might save us. They gave us real input into small business needs, real conservative fears (not the phony paid-for ones) so in the end they will make it a better, more inclusive bill. President Obama is a very smart man and I think he probably plays a great game of chess. Nancy Pelosi will somehow play a great part in this too because she doesn't back down and doesn't seem to be afraid of anyone. So somehow the bill will pass with a Public Option and the Republicans will look like the obstructionists they are and have mud on their expensive suits.

[Hansharriet]

If Democrats want the all the 60 Democrats voting for a Healthcare bill, without help from the Republicans, why don't Senators Kennedy and Byrd resign because of poor health and let the Governors of those two States appoint other Democrats to the Senate who are committed to Obama's Public Option?

Listen to Howard Dean! He is the man of the hour and can make it happen. He can get the Senate Democrats on the Finance Committee to back Obama's Public Option.

[Roses]

Did you see Howard Dean on Morning Joe?

A lot is happening behind the scenes.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/17/768013/-Howard-Dean-schools-Morning-Joe-on-public-option-strategy-(UPDATED-wvideosaction-item)

[Bettysdad]

Bi-partisanship is for people who think the difference between right and left is a difference of opinion, like scotch vs. bourbon.

Conservatism is a documented personality disorder.

[billhodges]

Really, Believing in accepting responsibility for your actions, work to improve your life, never resort to violence, never look to government for things you should be doing for yourself, Help others when ever you can, The government is not responsible for my life I am, sucess comes from hard work not handouts from the government. Do you mean things like that?

If you do then I will take conservatism over progressive liberalism any time because government is not the cource of making any person successful only they are individually with help from family and friends. What is the sayioong " A government big enough to give you everything is strong enough to take everything you have"

Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
George Washington

[nowhereman100]

So,if you have a child born with a birth defect you should just suck it up and accept the financial ruin let alone the extra hours of care the child will need your or your child's death?If you contract a terrible disease tough shit!Deal with all the pain and bankruptcy because your health insurer didn't cover everything if you were even fortunate enough to have health insurance to begin with.If you were to fall riding your bike and sustained a serious and expensive head injury and you couldn't afford health insurance to begin with to bad!You should've lived your life in a plastic bubble.What kind of country do we want to be?Health insurance should be a right not a luxury

[ceindependence]

Last I heard there was a Democrat majority and of course the progressives and the messiah will blame the "right wing conspiracy". Of course I remember that 66 million voted for the annointed one and 58 million voted against the annointed one. With the media on their knees for the messiah, he won by only 8 million votes. You call this a mandate. Your so out of touch its quite entertaining as you spin like a top. To bad that Obama wasn't the leader that people thought he was. Guess he and the democrats will be one termers.

[OswegoKayaker]

I really wish you would be stop being sarcastic for a moment and check up on the difference between to and too and your and you're.

We do not think he is the messiah, and you must be forgetting the total infatuation that the press had for GWB.

[coach777b]

I am absolutely appalled at this rush to bipartisanship. The Republicans are holding true to what their fearless leader, Limbaugh stated early on. We hope he fails. Now I'm not from the streets of Chicago but I am from the streets of Philadelphia. When someone states that they are on your side and then go behind your back to destroy you, you drop them like dog sh** !
The Democrats controll the Houe. They control the Senate. Take a head count boys and pass these bills. The President should call in the so-called Blue Dogs and let them know that they will receive little or nothing from this Administration unless they get on board. Screw the republicans! They lost an election and the winner was elected to establish a new healh care system.
NO PUBLIC OPTION = ONE TERM IN OFFICE.

[Roses]

Only problem with your idea (though I like your spirit) is that the Democrats are not entirely united and they need 60 votes in the Senate or 2/3 in the House to pass any bill that requires money appropriations. That's what the hang-up is now.

[sb250guy]

It seems that the ultra conservatives have one big fear. Rush Limbaugh summed it up. They're afraid of the the black president succeeding (at anything). Their heads would explode if he did. The actual issue (health care in this case) doesn't matter. It's very very ugly. I'm ashamed.

[billhodges]

When you pull the race card it is because you have no true argument to support your beliefs.

I oppose the government health care because of what I have seen the government do in the past. It has nothing to do with Race. If people would stop labling everything racist we might actually be able to move beyoind the racial divide.

View this sight for a true rational Black mans idea of what needs to be done to solve the race issue.

http://atlah.org/media/index.html

[dieselis]

Please expand on your post for I should welcome any rational explanation of your post as fact. Its apalling that the race card and republican policies fit like a hand in glove. Your
site didn't come up, but I'll bring him up straight to youtube.

[dieselis]

Mr. Hodges sir, where did you find this preacher. He got saved from being black. I thought the Honorable C. Thomas S.C. justice took the cake. You've outdone yourself with this guy. Sir only a moron sits around smokes his weed up with his buds and whores yet doesn't feed his kids. Your party and the likes have found all new ways of degrading Blacks. You might as well just call us what you used to before. The man did need JESUS but being black didn't make him walk out on his kids,wife,familly and job he did on his own. Let me leave you with this. Yes Black men have issues that only they can address. This crap this pastor spews isn't CHRIST teachings, he'd be the perfect co-anchor for Sean Hannity I'd love to see this, put him on Fox. I can only guess from your output on this thread that you've never been a friend to any Black nor do you ever intend to. You have very directly implied by what you stated and through this pastor for me to STAY IN MY PLACE!!!!!!!!!! JESUS said how can you love me whom you've never seen and hate your brother that you see everyday. hard somtimes

[Janelynne]

Today the President commended Grassley for his hard work. It isn't like the public hasn't seen Grassley showing his real colors. The President does not serve us by tossing out bipartisan BS.

We didn't vote for someone to lead the nation in denial. We need health care reform. We need a President who will lead the charge. This takes clarity and courage, not platitudes and pretend.

Obama needs to step up and write the American Plan with a public option for a healthy America.

[bilding]

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

[OswegoKayaker]

Exactly, and that is what he is doing. We all know we elected a VERY smart man for president and probably no one in the betting world would have given him very good odds for being where he is today. And yet, somehow, he pulled it off. It could be that he is letting the Republicans think they won and gloat like the fools they are and then he will drop the hammer on them. He knows exactly who Grassley is and the more the Dems seem to retreat the more these guys crow that they will not vote for reform no matter what changes are made. The lemons we have been seen stacking up might turn into the sweetest lemonade ever.

[WireDolly]

It's one thing to go "bi", but it's who you go "bi" with that counts. The republican party ain't the one.

[triplbee]

Bill Clinton most assuredly had a bipartisan fetish. He tried to be the good ole boy from Arkansas who Republicans would love because he was tough on crime and fiscally conservative. All that got him was impeachment for a mutually consensual affair. Obama is a smart man. Even his detractors will admit as much. He'd better start using those smarts and understand that these crazy ass, racist, backwards, 19th Century, still fighting the Civil War Republicans hate him.

[PartisanLove]

Funny that you mention Clinton, I posted a while back but it didnt make through the censors. I just said that the Bipartisanporn started in the clinton era, using taxpayer money for that nonsense political agenda.

[triplbee]

Yep.

[Chickasaw962]

I am so sick of the base of the GOP using health care reform and legislation designed to stop medicare waste fraud and abuse, to attack President Obama, I am so discouraged the the base of the GOP with their hatered of democrats and President Obama are trying to derail health care reform on any level, single payer public option, co-op or what a potential solution to stop wast fraud and abuse and include most all Americans in health care. It is getting so sad to watch the base of the GOP think if they can stop health care reform they can beat President Obama Personaly. Fix health care, come up with a plan, and a plan to do nothing is no plan. Of course the insured Americans arent feeling a strong desire to fix the b roken health care system, they don't have a problem borrowing money and running this fradulant medicare system as long as they are insured even if we have to borrow money from other countrys to pay for them only to have health care. It is so obvious the base of the GOP care only for themselves, and this idea they dont want to run up bills for their grandchilren is stupid because that is exactly what the absence of health care will do. I am waiting for the base of the GOP to offer a fix to waste fraud and abuse, and I dont care if they hate democrats or Obama.

[Nancy VanTwistern]

LET'S BE FACTUAL HERE CHICKA, THEY ARE JUST 'MAD AS HELL' THAT THEY LOST!!! IT'S ALL 'SOUR GRAPES"...SPOILED CAREER POLITICIANS WHO SHOULD "GET A JOB">>>

[billhodges]

There are no sour grapes folks. It is a lesson in elections have consequences and nothing more. As for hating dems, that is really shallow as hate gets one no where. Dislike of policies is another matter. Giving the government control over your life is the most foolish of goals any person could ever have as government will only seek more and more power over your life until you have no freedoms at all.

Think it through folks!

Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
George Washington

[dieselis]

Yes we have to love Republicans even though they talk honey sweet, but only work toward our defeat. Here lately their true colors are more prononced.

[mmfleming]

The Republicans just have one goal, as noted in the post, to ensure that the President fails at whatever he proposes. Not even pretending to have ideas, for them his failure is their only option.

[smpj]

You're probably right about them hoping for failure. But this issue has been mishandled by Obama and the Dems from the beginning. Too much, too fast. They seemed to desperately want to pass this thing before anyone had a chance to really see what was in it. When you look like you're trying to hide something, you probably are.

[exhale09]

Consider the news about Tom Ridges new book.

That should be an enlightening indication, even to Republicans, about just what some on the Republican party are willing to do to the PEOPLE for power and their own political gain.

[billhodges]

So lets see, when a book espouses things you like to hear it is truth but when books state things you do not agree with it is lies and horrible to say such things.

Read Common Sense as well as Tom Ridge's book, then the 5000 Year Leap

[wrabbitt]

Where was bipartisanship for the last 8 years? While King Cheney and his court jester George w were fiddling as Rome burned.

[exhale09]

I don't believe he was fiddling, I believe he was the band LEADER.