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Great train robbery’s death rattle and moral outrage

By: Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary)  |  February 28th, 2010 at 12:01 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

In Michael Crichton’s 1975 novel, The Great Train Robbery, we discover the limits of mid-19th Century England’s health care system to accurately determine when a patient has expired when reminded of the widespread demand for coffins equipped with noise making devices near the hands of the interred.

Not infrequently, undertakers were found to be premature in their under takings when sounds emanated from their pine boxes before they reached six-feet under.

But most often, the noises heard were death rattles rather than resurrections, and I wonder if the loudest non-dulcet tones emanating from Blair House last week were delayed muscular contractions of an ObamaCare corpse, as well as a convulsion of moral outrage, a decade and a half after Bill Bennett pronounced its death when perjury was, “just all about sex.”

Before moral outrage died, LBJ lied about Vietnam and chose not to seek re-election. Richard Nixon lied about a burglary cover-up, resigned the presidency in shame and repented to David Frost. Moral outrage died when Bill Clinton was impeached for repeatedly lying under oath, stayed in office and has yet to feel the need to repent.

But didn’t Paul Ryan’s Health Care Summit description of Democrats’ health care plans expose serial lying by President Barack Obama that not only was not about sex, but which is about a Dem-o-Bat blood-sucking theft of liberty from the rights of the American people to pursue health happiness that makes Watergate look infinitesimally smaller than third-rate?

Admittedly LBJ retains the prize for the most grave prevarications.

My question is, have the stimulus and health care whoppers revived moral outrage among a majority of We the People so that even if an already November-doomed Democratic Party rams thru socialized medicine, the GOP could actually reverse the enactment of an entitlement for the first time in history?

I think so.

Moral outrage that affects the wallet is back and the Democrats are exposed like a vampire to a cross at High Noon.
 

Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Minority Report columns

“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson

Originally published @ Examiner.com, where all verification links may be accessed.

COMMENTS

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  • http://hillbillypolitics.com Steph C

    but I’m a cynic. Nobody has ever turned back an entitlement onceit has been enacted.

    There’s always a first time but until it actually happens, with over 100 years of not doing anything about them, I’ll not be anxious to “suspend disbelief.”

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • qixlqatl

    from that book, when the ringleader, caught and convicted, was asked why he had worked and planned so carefully to carry out such a caper:

    “I wanted the money”

    Not likely we’ll ever get such honesty from the District of Corruption.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • Scope

    this morning. Wallace kept relying heavily on the CBO numbers. Ryan clearly made the point that the CBO can only cost legislation that is in front of them. He said it is alot of smoke and mirrors. For example, he said that the CBO has no way of costing the unnecessary tests done to cover themselves from lawsuits.

    When Kyl and Menendez were on, Wallace kept driving the point that the Republicans used Reconcillation for major legislation such as tax cuts, tax increases, and welfare reform. No matter how well Kyl tried to explain that Reconcillation is different with Obamacare, because Obamacare does not have the votes in Congress to pass, so it is being used as a vehicle to pass unpopular legislation, that cannot pass using normal legislative procedures. And, Democrat votes are not their unless they are coerced with back room deals. When the Republicans used reconcillation in the past, the votes were there in Congress to back the legislation, including Democrat votes in favor. It seemed that Wallace either didn’t want to, or couldn’t grasp the differences.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    conditions in that we should focus on them separately with a smaller remedy. Kyle was good too.

  • Vegas_Rick

    count as “rolling back an entitlement?” It was a significant reduction in Federal funds spent on welfare, which, I’m sure, qualifies as an entitlement.

    Granted, we’ll need to roll it back again since Obamao and his band of merry socialists has reinstated and expanded the most egregious provisions.

    I think Mike is correct, the moral outrage is significantly more intense now than then.

    Hope springs eternal.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • Flagstaff

    Wallace has a tendency to sound like he believes the DemSpin sometimes.

    Whatever Kyl said, it should always be clearly stated that reconciliation has never been used to pass legislation the people don’t want to have passed.

    If it weren’t for the fact that it might be hard to undo (but not impossible if done quickly, remember that the benefits don’t kick in for several years and therefore won’t be missed, while the taxes start immediately if not sooner), I’d say to the Dem’s, “Go ahead, pass it, Make My Day!”

  • http://thesandsinstitute.org Vassar Bushmills

    …if we are ever to become more edified than we think we are.

    THanks

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    had overwhelming support in Congress.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • redneck_hippie

    On repeal, time will tell because it presupposes what representatives will do. Currently, with notable exceptions (Graham on energy caps) they are representing us.

    The ensuing elections will be character elections. We ought to be able to send wise and truthful legislators and executives to DC. The crucial ingredient will be principled leadership that recognizes that giving people everything they want is foolhardy.

  • http://hillbillypolitics.com Steph C

    but will have to see it to believe it.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    since it would require 2/3 votes to override vetoes as long as Obama is prez

  • renny

    all the fees,penalties, taxes, and surcharges start immediately, but none of the “benefits” kick in until 2013 (save hiring and unionizing a few million to run the monster).

    People will already be hurting from the loss of Bush tax cuts when the hand that steals for Obamanationcare starts picking their pockets, too. People will want to reverse a law they never desired as a bill(s).

    There is precedent under Clinton with the Medicare catastrophic coverage that passed and was signed but was so opposed by AARP that six mons. later the law was rescinded by Cong.

  • cwilson

    by the Porkulus bill.

    Funny, I don’t remember any debate about that.

  • cwilson

    It was the 1988 Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act — e.g. passed by a Democratic Senate (Maj. Leader Byrd), a Democratic House (Speaker Jim Wright), and signed under Reagan (and Reagan originally pushed it in his 1986 SOTU).

    It was repealed in Novemeber 1989, just a month before its first provisions would have begun to phase in.

    From , a good description of the Geriatric Tea Party precursors that forced this repeal — a congressman chased down the street by a raging mob:

    The turning point came on August 17, 1989, when Dan Rostenkowski, House Ways and Means Chairman and one of the most powerful men in Congress, found himself fleeing a crowd of irate senior citizens protesting the Catastrophic Coverage Act.

    Representative Rostenkowski had scheduled a meeting in his home district to hear constituent concerns and speak about the advantages of the Medicare catastrophic coverage act. A crowd of angry senior citizens waved signs protesting the fact they would have to pay more taxes to fund the covered benefit. People shouted ?coward,? ?recall,? and ?impeach? after Representative Rostenkowski refused to speak with them and got in his car. One senior citizen (Leona Kozien) even jumped on the hood of Congressman Rostenkowski?s car to stop him from leaving.

    Representative Rostenkowski got out of the car and ran a block, chased by the crowd. He was then picked up by his car and whisked away. The incident resulted in front page coverage nationwide. The TV news ran footage of Rostenkowski fleeing from his constituents. Rostenkowski reportedly asked his press secretary whether the issue would go away in a few days, and was told ?Let me put it this way Congressman. When you die, they will play this clip on television.? Three months later, the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act was repealed.

  • cwilson

    Don’t blame Clinton for that one. See comment below.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine