Fresh from publicly comparing opponents of the Democratic version of free-public-health-care-for-all-to-be-paid-for-by-higher-taxes-and-fewer -options on the Senate floor to opponents of civil rights, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) emerged from chambers to inform the public at a news conference that the Democrats had reached a "broad agreement" on the health care plan.

But. . .as a member in good standing of President Barack Obama's (D) "open and transparent government" he wouldn't reveal the details. Just trust him when he says "we have got something that is good".

We have a broad agreement. Now I know that people are going to ask to be given every detail of this.

(snip)

We have had a rule here for 40 years or however long we have been in existence, if you start talking about the plan and start shipping it around, it will be made public. And we want not that to be the case because we want to know the score before we start giving all the details even to our own members.

So you are not going to get answers to those questions.

(snip)

As I have indicated, we can't disclose the details of what we have done, but believe me we have got something that is good and that I think is very, for us, it moves this bill way down the road.

Let me just say, we have seen all kinds of articles in newspapers that Senator Schumer, Senator Pryor, I have said things, other parts of the tent, as Elmendorf and I talked tonight, all the things you have read in the newspapers, all the things you have read in the newspapers. The public option is gone. It's not true. O.K. Everyone understand that. So we are not going into detail.

Forty years? And who was in charge for most of the "40 years or how long we have been in existence, if you start talking about the plan and start shipping it around, it will be made public."? And certainly it shouldn't be made public in an "open and transparent government" because the public may not like what is being considered for their very personal and very private and very intimate and very important health. So according to Reid and his colleagues this is none of your damned business so don't ask questions.

And don't even think you live in a democracy.