March Madness traditionally refers to the NCAA college basketball tournament. The term is taking on a new life in 2010.
Politico is covering the frantic efforts by Obama and Pelosi to strongarm, bribe, cajole, threaten, and/or blackmail wavering Democrat House members into submission. Himself is calling lowly House members, Himself's loyal troops that still remain are gearing up to flood offices, member's donors are being strongarmed, Cabinet members are being thrown into the effort. It's a scorched-earth approach, with uncooperative members threatened with revenge from the Democrat party organization. Al Capone would be proud.
Which leads to the obvious question: If this 'health-care reform' is such a great idea, why is it such a struggle to get it passed? Why the need to hide behind so many procedural dodges? Why is this likely to be 'voted on' (or not?) sometime this weekend while the NCAA tournament will be underway?
Why? Why? Why?
For those overseas who don't follow basketball, the Full Court Press is a technique practiced by a team, usually behind in the score, with little time left on the clock. From one end of the court, the offensive player with the ball is assigned two defensive players to harass him. Sometimes, one is used to block the view of the referee, to obscure the beating administered by the other. Well executed, the tactic forces the ball to turn over, and a few quick points can be scored. It can't be sustained for long, and within a minute or two, the press is broken by passes to open players downcourt, easy layups are scored, and humiliation follows.
Time to break the Press. That little red widget on your right displays the Capitol Hill switchboard numbers. Click on the widget, and you've got the list of the Democrat members being subject most relentlessly to Obama's ChicagoLand pressure. Their contact info is there. If the members hear, once again, that the overwhelming sentiment is against this folly, they can hold out. The Press can be broken.
OS called a regional office of his House member, John Tanner. A tired-sounding woman answered the phone and took my message urging him to oppose the measure. A reminder that the 'Slaughter' approach, whereby the Members avoid that nasty 'up-or-down' vote, is odious to the Constitution was also noted, and the lady's tone turned chillier. She really did not want to hear that constituents are paying attention...
Tanner is not running for re-election, which means his local staff will all have to locate new jobs, in a depressing job market. Imagine if he votes for this nonsense, and his staffers have to go looking for work in TN-8 with their long and faithful service to the man on their resumes. It won't be pretty...
It will be hard enough if he votes 'no'. After all, Tanner bailed out early, knowing what awaited him in November.
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