Mr Steel, From what I can see our elected senators and Congressmen are not much diffrent from Democrats. The only diffrence is that the dims have a plan and take action. You do not. May I offer some advice? Stop whinning about what they are doing and start taking real action. Encourgage those cowards with the R in front of their name to be bold and use every rule and parlimenty reason they can to block, obstruct and other wise bog down that monstrosity of a healthcare bill till it dies from lack of momentum. The so called message amendments better know as a CYA move was a real bright moment. Mconnell can kiss his next election goodby. Everyone I know is planning on supporting any challenger that is a conservative to unseat that idiot. Tell them their days are numbered unless they stop by any means this bill or we the pepole will replace them at first oppertunity. So get to it pal your the head of the party use it or is that just a pretend title you bear if you really want a plan their has been several really good ones posted to a blog by the name of RedState talk to Eric he can help you if you have the STONES to ask.

Why is the Senate voting late and ruining their Christmas? The real questions are why did Republicans spread disinformation and lies about the health care proposals? Why did groups like Freedom Watch pretend they had nothing to do with ugly anti-president and anti-government rallies when they were setting them up and confusing people about the proposals? Why did Republicans pretend they were being left out of the decision process when your only alternatives to Democratic health care proposals were either No or proposals that didn't break down their own costs honestly, if at all? Why can't you accept that governing America in a collaborative, honest way is more important than turning every proposal for human, not just corporate, betterment into an opportunity to trash our elected government? Why do you act as if incapacitating the US government in order to win the next elections is more important than finding ways to negotiate and achieve consensus? You are acting like the 1930s Communist Party members when they tried to take over organizations. In fact, they would talk and talk until most people left then try to force a vote.

letsgetrealnow says: maybe republicans really own do own this bill too Yes, this is on the longer side, and it is in the stream of concsiousness style (some would even say rambles) so I grant you that up front Read on if you want and for as long as a reading challenged body politic can take: the idea that the "republicans" will join the tea party movement, as expressed by mr. steele mistakes just what happened on the so called cloture vote and the meaning of the republican participation in it for example: "republicans" can try to bash their "democratic" colleagues to "win" more seats in the senate in the upcoming elections in 2010, but they should not talk of "joining" the tea party movement as they have said they would ..... in fact, a lot of Americans have seen both republicans and democratic senators compaigning non-stop...... why would we let you in, when we got to see what you did (ah hem, did not do) when, guided by your "party", you had the chance to do something but did not....it was so clear, especially, in NY that the prize you had your eye so clearly on was your own power.... whine, whine, we can't do anything we only have 40 votes, its all your fault voters, whine, whine, whine it seems like this republican "party" can't seem to figure out that they participated in the cloture vote and helped in the creation of the very vote they are now whining about (uh, I forgot, are now standing up against what could they have done, after all? they could have (politely) walked in to the vote accompanied by aides then, they (the republican "seat" holders) could have (quietly and politely) walked toward the exits and gathered there, leaving an aide in their "seat" next they (each and every single one of them) could have shouted out (proudly, firmly, and in unison if they wanted to- they could practice before hand if they were concerned about how they would sound on tv and all) "THIS IS SO BAD WE'VE GOT TO RESIGN!" We were a part of the demise of this once honorable body! We will resign and make way for people who can pick up the torch and have these seats mean something again. Good bye democratic collegues, we walked down this wrong road with you, and we hope this Senate will come to be a decent place once again! LONG LIVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WITH ITS BILL OF RIGHTS AS IS! they would then immediately leave and get out of the public limelight (okay, get medical advice for the withdrawal) the aides could place tape (comfortably) over their mouth with something like: (can't think of what right now, but you should be able to, and I'll think of something) the fact is, you are all (democrat and republican alike) freedom loving in the manner of Sir Bloomberg who just thought NYC needed him so much that he just couldn't make himself leave and nobody else in charge could either- unlike (that old white man) George Washington who really could have made himself a king Extra credit question: what would sonia have done way back in the day: stayed in power or walked away like George Washington? Not one of you, not one of you defended that white man. Its why not one of you, regardless of race, religion, gender, et al did anything other then what you did, or what your democratic colleagues did. You watched and salivated and barked a bit, so that you could jump and say "We will fight along side of the tea party to make these terrible things right!" I don't think so. You didn't even try to be subtle, for which we all owe you and your democratic collegues many thanks. You have all been functionally illiterate (just like your democratic colleagues who don't read/can't read what you can't clearly write). What do you think got the "tea party" started? How about we started to realize that none of you thought twice about the not reading, the not being able to write in clear english, or clear anything. Name the republican in the Senate who consistently insisted over the past twenty years that each bill voted on in the senate stated clearly for each and every senator all the ramifications across the board and that the couple of pages that senator Kerry said was all he could take or give off whatever the bill he was talking about was the first and only time that happened. You had all been doing it. And, having the, uh, lack of insight, shall we say, that you, as functional illiterates should not be "regulating" education, but rather you should have been receiving it, we just got sick at the thought that you were all going to entertain further regulation of "health care". Refresher course on the writing? I didn't think so. And yes, I did make calls and suggested it. Didn't know my place, I guess. Now, just to be clear: nobody is talking about bombs like the erudite mr ayers. Oh, yeah, he didn't just talk, he, and his, uh, fellow teachers made them and planned them and people were killed and he said he was justified (a legal defense) there is no senate to take back, sirs and madames...... Please, Sir Crist, would you arrange to have your "seat warmer" vacate so that Marco Rubio could get in there now and give some meaning to it? It would be like a really great Christmas present. It would also be the decent thing to do. Didn't think so. By the way, all that talk about people not wanting President Obama in power because he is black? Its gotten very clear that you all want power so much that your opponent's skin color, etc, etc doesn't mean a thing to you, or them, either. After all, where did he learn to say that some of the American people were getting all "wee wee -d up?" In those seats you are holding so tightly and the seats you have your eyes on. The power and your glory..... Republicans: you own this bill too!

I did call several members allied w/the democratic party last night as I watched, unwittingly, the demise of the political body that once was The Senate of the United States of America. However, I also called several members allied w/the republican party as well. You see, unlike the members of this ghost body that are "republicans" I knew that it could not have happened without their participation. And, it is their co-operative participation that rendered this once august body fatally slain. And, against my begging, the "republican" members, bemoaned the dereliction of the "democratic" members in public on television and vowed, in the case of Michael Steele, to join as "republicans" with the tea party movement to "fight" the uh, broken watches of their colleagues. And colleagues they all are. Now, much as the "democratic" members, the "republican" members rally to make political hay. The tea party movement as I understand it and proudly participate in it, is a statement that we watched C-Span, to see the new era of hope and change, and realized that this body that we thought was august didn't read the bills they were to sign and not a one of them figured out that they had all declared to us that they were functionally, literally functionally illiterate. No "republican" jumped up and said OMG or even WTF why are we reading this like we always did! Before they, the "republicans' knew what had happened, we saw the nakedness of the "democratics" and "republicans" and we couldn't believe it until we figured out that this was how they did it in January, and the prior January, and the January before that! And then, we, who were just so glad that our children were in school so they didn't (we hoped) see that they were being governed by men and women who couldn't write in plain English and didn't even know that they should or could. And then we started thinking: OMG, these men and women are sending out rules to improve education?!??? And then, we started to think about the truly individual nature of a doctor-patient relationship and we started to think of how doctors reached a hand out to help us by, for example, giving us samples, when we couldn't afford anything else and we got very, very worried. What can you do without your health? And now, on top of "normal" obstacles, these men and women were going to "help" the less fortunate???? Well, we met the less fortunate and they were us. The unfortunate wouldn't have a chance- oh yeah, in new york, the state forbade a doctor who made arrangements w/his patients so it could all work- but he did it without health insurance and the new york state insurance authorities stepped in and stopped him in his tracks. We saw this man tell his story and we saw that the "protectors of the people" got just embarrassed enough to "let" him proceed. I guess he didn't go to the "surgeons" prefer the money in surgery school of medicine declared by the members of the august body. You "republicans" and "democrats" alike can write: fiction. But, we don't live in fiction. So, when all is said and done, please Mr. Steele: instruct, if you are capable, the republican members how to step down and let others, like Marco Rubio, step in, because, the republican members, are acting like they have something to offer us, but the senate you will all run for has died its last breathe. it will take those who will stand up for those (white) men referred to as founders; note to the illiterati, women were quite active within their households, the center of the strength, courage, study and honor of the american revolution, and also without. George Washington, unlike Sir Bloomberg, did step down because that white man was wise enough to know what he fought for. Sir Crist of Florida, you arranged a political proxy to warm your republican seat. Can you arrange to move on and let an authentic voice in the house? I thought not. We won't wait, either. And, would somebody tell ms pelosi that we don't harbor the likes of bill ayers, who assisted the process via doing a tad bit more bombing, along with the pardoned, than any damage to those precious to her for reasons all her own. We read. We think. We got a chance to see what you were doing. The "you" is a pretty big tent. And, you all brought it down. Mr. Steele, you knew, and should have had a "plan b" like every republican walking in with their aides, and walking out yelling something like: "We quit in protest!" Their aides could have been doing, oh, I don't know, mumbling softly, in unison, "wtf" or, "I feel sick. Is there a doctor in the house." They could just keep repeating it. The democratic members: what would they have done? taken your seats? arrest the aides? who cares? you wouldn't give up your seats? you wouldn't be arrested in civil disobedience? when the cameras were rolling? but you wouldn't, couldn't, just like Sir Bloomberg. the seats in this "new" republican/democrat inhabited political body are, frankly, worthless given what this political framework has devolved to. we will look, but not the way you think and not with very much effort your way, just enough to catch a whiff........ of you, and we will move on, looking back to the past, and the future, knowing that we can never look to you, the republican party, any more than to the democratic party and any minion in service to those parties. letsgetrealnow But you wouldn't, you couldn't. Its like Sir Bloomberg................