There is a humorous anecdote attributed to Sir Winston Churchill in which he asks a socialite whether she would sleep with him for five million pounds. Surprised, the socialite seriously considers the offer and appears inclined to accept. But as she prepares to discuss her terms, Churchill asks whether she would sleep with him for five pounds. Deeply offended, the socialite demands, “Mr. Churchill, what kind of a woman do you think I am?!” To which Churchill responds, “Madam, we've already established that. Now we are haggling about the price.” In the course of the healthcare debate, Congressional politicians have certainly established that they are willing to sell their votes, now it is simply a matter of price.
Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu actually admitted on the Senate floor that she had received special earmarks for her state. She even corrected erroneous reports that her state would receive $100 million in additional Medicare funding—clarifying that Louisiana would receive the much more respectable amount of $300 million: “I am not going to be defensive about asking for help in this situation. And it is not a $100 million fix, it’s a $300 million fix.”
Bribery isn’t even the worst of the shameful behavior in Congress. Last week it was reported that the White House had blackmailed Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson into voting for the healthcare bill by threatening to close his state’s Offutt Air Force Base. The base, which employs 10,000 people, is home of the U.S. Strategic Command, the location where President George W. Bush spent the uncertain hours following the September 11th attacks. Chicago politics have now reached the highest office in the land.
It is beyond disgraceful to use the nation’s security as a bargaining chip to pass a healthcare bill many Americans will never benefit from, but will certainly pay for. In the end, Nelson’s vote was purchased on the promise that his state would be exempt from paying for Medicare expansion in Nebraska—shifting the burden to the other 49 states.
Secretive meetings, million dollar buy-offs, truncated debate. Is this how history is made?