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December 24, 2009
The moral meltdown on Capitol Hill
Ed Morrissey at Hot Air writes about what could be the most brazenly cynical statement made by a Member of Congress during the entire reform debate:
My, how times have changed. In 2006, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress by running against the "culture of corruption," pledging to operate openly and honestly on Capitol Hill. Two years later, Barack Obama rode to victory by pledging to change the way Washington DC operates, declaring that he would lead the most open and transparent government ever. Now Rep. James Clyburn, as House Majority Whip the third-ranking Democrat in the House, has declared that Republicans should join Democrats in buying and selling votes rather than complain about the corruption on Capitol Hill:
U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said Republicans need to stop complaining about deals their colleagues made.
"Rather than sitting here and carping about what Nelson got for Nebraska, I would say to my friends on the other side of the aisle: Let's get together and see what we can get for South Carolina," Clyburn said.
Clyburn responded to the news that his state's Attorney General, along with AGs in other states, would investigate the grubby deals made by Harry Reid to pass his ObamaCare bill. Those deals got hidden in a manager's amendment that didn't see the light of day until just hours before Reid presented it for a procedural vote in the Senate. They favor some states at the expense of others, which is why these AGs want to challenge both the constitutionality of the bill and shine some light on the process as well.
Encouraging more vote buying - bribing members using taxpayer money - is "illuminating" says Morrissey:
As we have already seen, Democrats had no intention of ending the "culture of corruption" in DC - they just wanted to be in charge of it. And now their hubris has grown to the point where Democratic leadership cheers corruption and demands even more of it.
Prudence, probity, and an attitude that is mindful of spending tax dollars carefully has been replaced with a wild, immoral scramble for goodies, and the devil take the taxpayer. It is a moral meltdown that has substituted cynicism for reason, political selfishness for acting for the common good of all.
All in the name of passing national health care reform? No issue is that important, that it should make "the ends justifies the means" a battle cry for the majority.
Hat Tip: Ed Lasky