Democrats Handling of Health Care Legislation Giving Democracy a Terrible Image

Watching the president and Democrat leadership in Congress attempt to steer health care reform through the legislative process must make everyone who trusts in the principles of representative government cringe in disgust. From the very beginning that this legislation was first introduced to the public, President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry ReidSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Speaker of the House Nancy PelosiNancy Pelosi have attempted to mislead the American public and seem intent on using obscure parliamentary procedures to pass legislation which a majority of American people clearly do not want.

Some of the hallmarks of their attempts to thwart the democratic process include:

Pass it Before They Can Read It: President Obama was calling on Congress to pass the legislation before Congress’s summer recess or early August; hardly enough time for the lawmakers to understand what they would be voting on let alone the American public.

Make Repeated Calls for Bi-Partisanship, Don’t Include Republican Ideas, Then Blame Them for Being Partisan: President Obama has repeatedly called for Republicans to come forward with their ideas on health care reform, but every time they do they are shut out of the process or their ideas are voted down in committee along party lines. Then Obama has the audacity to blame Republicans for having no ideas.

Dismiss Opponents as “Astroturf” or “…angry mobs…”: When legislators were unable to meet Obama’s deadline for August passage of the bill, regular Americans came out in record numbers to protest the proposed bill at legislators’ town hall meetings throughout the country and a peaceful protest on the mall in Washington the White House dismissed these American voters as an “angry mob” that was coordinated by right-wing groups.

Pass Bills in Committee, then go Behind Closed Doors to Cook-Up Whatever You Want: The Democrats in both houses of Congress went through the appearances of democracy by public displays of their open committee meetings on health care, then after passing the bills through committee went behind closed doors to cook-up legislation that no one in the committees voted on. This is despite the fact that during the presidential campaign President Obama vowed to air the entire bill creation process on C-SPAN.

When the Numbers Don’t Work, Hide the Money: In attempt to hold to President Obama’s vow not to add one dime to the federal deficit, the Senate last week attempted to carve out $250 billion (the “Doctor Fix’) from the house’s proposed legislation to get the total for the bill under one trillion dollars.

If the Public Objects to the “Public Option”, Change the Name: One of the things that Americans object most to in the proposed health care reform is the idea of government-run health care, or so-called “Public Option”. So, in a not so concealed attempt to put lipstick on a pig, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had the audacity to suggest calling it the “Consumer Option” to make it more appealing to the American public.

Despite polls showing American’s clear disfavor with the key components of this proposed legislation, President Obama and the Democrat controlled Congress seem intent on defying the wishes of the majority of American people. This is anything but how a representative democracy is supposed to operate.