The Battered Bulwarks

Just a reminder . . . we're running out of time to oppose this latest and most vicious round of intrusions.

At this point, the prospects do not look good. The latest New York Times account has some dispiriting indicators that legislators, by a narrow margin, are going to be able to pierce the battered bulwarks that have so far held back a complete government takeover of the medical industry. For one thing, Nancy Pelosi is continuing to refuse to make concessions to abortion opponents who are opposed to the bill, which seems to indicate that she is confident she doesn't need them. (This aspect of the story is rich with irony: Abortion opponents are in this case actually on the pro-freedom side of the fight!) Also, the House seems prepared to vote today, and it is clear they will not actually vote on it until they know they will get the answer they want, (which charade will let them pretend that they are imposing the "will of the majority").

At the moment of posting this (Sunday at 10:00 EDT), the Code Red site indicates a dead tie at 212 votes each for yea and nay, with only seven undecided Congressmen remaining. (The seven are: Brian Baird (WA), Marion Berry (AR), Kathy Dahlkemper (PA), Lincoln Davis (TN), Paul Kanjorski (PA), Michael McMahon (NY), and Earl Pomeroy (ND).)

I called a lot of Congressional offices last week, but I found it to be increasingly difficult to get through as the week progressed. By the end of the week, even when the line actually picked up and directed me to leave a message, the mailbox was typically full. I got through to only four people out of fifteen Washington offices that I called on Friday. So, at this point, email might be the most effective means of communication. Unfortunately, some of the Congressmen have the obnoxious restriction that in order to email them, you must reside in their district; this is an absurd limitation considering that their "Yea" vote threatens the life and livelihood of every American.

President Obama was accurate when he said yesterday, "Every once in a while a moment comes when you have a chance to vindicate all those best hopes that you had about yourself, about this country. This is one of those moments."[Note 1.] These are the "best hopes," of course, of the countless people who have tried to turn America from a nation that defends the rights of individuals into a European-style welfare state that views citizens as little children that must obey their (allegedly) wise rulers. Such a vision is anti-American . . . as is the abominable health care bill that is on the brink of being jammed down our throats.

NOTES

1. "Democrats, Hunting Final Health Votes, Predict Slim Margin," The New York Times, 21 Mar 2010.