SAYATA

I realize, with most people, I am preaching to the choir here. But still, I feel the need to spell out exactly how egregious Harry Reid’s behavior in the Senate has been.

Among all the special deals, in part conducted in consultation with lobbyist, was the deal with Ben Nelson. In exchange for Nelson’s critical 60th vote to cut off debate early Monday morning on the Healthcare Bill, Sen. Harry Reid agreed that the federal government would pick up 100 percent of the tab for the planned Medicaid expansion in Nebraska – forever. Some in Congress and Media have tried to paint this as just business as usual. They have tried to equate with normal pork where states get bike trails, bridges, a museum, or maybe even some special grants for education. In truth, some of the pork probably should have already been questioned on legal grounds in that for example children in one state should not intentionally be given more money for education from the Federal Government than children in another state. Some of the strings the government has tied to certain grants probably do violate the constitution.

The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws". The Equal Protection Clause can be seen as an attempt to secure the promise of the United States' professed commitment to the proposition that "all men are created equal" by empowering the judiciary to enforce that principle against the states. But that same principle most certainly can be held by the states against the Federal Government when the Federal Government intrudes in commerce to the degree that it most certainly violates that principle.

So okay, let us say there is someone reading this who still thinks the deal with Ben Nelson can’t be considered discrimination or unconstitutional. Imagine for a second that Harry Reid decided he wanted to make an example of the two Republican Senators from Georgia who refuse to vote for the Healthcare Bill. Consider if Harry Reid put in this Bill that the people of Georgia will no longer be able to collect any Social Security Benefits but the people in the other 49 states would be able to collect the benefits the same as usual. Is there anyone who would think that would be Constitutional????

The deal with Ben Nelson basically does that but instead of punishing one state and rewarding 49 states, instead, the deal rewards one state and discriminates against the other 49 states. There is no way in fucking hell that the deal is constitutional.

Harry Reid is that ignorant of the Constitution and yet we are supposed to trust him and his Cohorts who have written this 2,000 plus page bill that is filled with discriminatory as well as special treatment language. The bill is an anti-choice, no privacy, and destructive of commerce bill. Most true liberals as well conservatives can agree, though for various and very different reasons, this bill is an absolute travesty.

At this point, pretty much the only people who want this bill to pass is Obama and members of Congress and others who for some reason think a bad and very questionable bill is better than no bill. They are putting their egos ahead of the interest of the American People.