Written By : TrogloPundit

Is it just me, or is this whole “we’ll pass health care ‘reform’ through reconciliation” thing becoming a little like the “Danica Patrick’s going to NASCAR” story was just a few months ago?

The “Danica to NASCAR” meme was making the rounds for well over a year before she actually did join a NASCAR team. Naturally, that didn’t stop anybody from talking about Danica Patrick and NASCAR, mainly because Danica is to readership what free drinks are to mediocre theatrical performances.

Everybody will read about Danica. Thus, everybody talked about Danica.

Except me, of course. I rose above the fray, choosing instead to report the thinly-disguised superficiality of hyping a non-story, just for the sake of posting a little Danica.

Back to reconciliation, now, which we’ve been talking about for…how long, now? Not a year yet, I don’t think. Still. I’m starting to feel like the old shepherd who has to keep dragging himself out of his warm bed just because that damned kid is yelling “wolf!” again.

The majority leader said that while Democrats have a number of options, they would likely use the budget reconciliation process to pass a series of fixes to the first healthcare bill passed by the Senate in November. These changes are needed to secure votes for passage of that original Senate bill in the House.

“We’ll do a relatively small bill to take care of what we’ve already done,” Reid said, affirming that Democrats would use the reconciliation process. “We’re going to have that done in the next 60 days.”

Again with the reconciliation. He knows, right, that he doesn’t have to talk reconciliation just to get his name in the papers?

Yeah, okay, one problem with this comparison: it’s Harry Reid bringing it up – not some minor blogger from Wisconsin screaming “Danica!” just to bring up his hit count. A blogger can’t make Danica join NASCAR. Reid actually could make reconciliation happen. Or, at least, he could bring it to a vote.

Whether he will or not, or whether he’s just talking to keep the debate alive…well, politicians will sometimes talk up an issue, just to keep its supporters happy, without really meaning to do anything about it. But it’s hard to see the payoff in that, here. The public may want “reform.” They do not want the Obama/Reid/Pelosi idea of “reform.” Continuing to push it means adding fuel to the Tea Party fire. Continuing to push it and then failing to deliver – failing, even, to hold a vote – means angering the liberal “progressive” base.

I conclude one of two things: Reid either really does mean to push reconciliation, and damn the political consequences, or he’s flailing wildly with no real idea of what he’s doing.

Guess which one I think is right?

(The TrogloPundit)

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