George Rebane
Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) presents at the same time the best and worst views of a professional politician. This man has pandered his voters for years on the notion that he was like most of them, against the federal funding of abortion. Suddenly nationalized healthcare hung in the balance. Then, recognizing the man for what he is, Obama invited Stupak to the White House and took him to the wood shed behind the Rose Garden. There he explained the matter of Obamacare and Stupak’s chances of spending the rest of the year in the House broom closet working off of a card table by candle light. Obama made clear what kind of support the party would give him for his re-election in November, and then reminded him that he probably wasn’t qualified for a job as checkout clerk at the local Home Depot.
It didn’t take all that much for a very chastened Stupak to emerge from that little ‘conference’, find the nearest array of microphones, and sing the party line like a canary. And the seven or eleven or … moral midgets who had been following him around, all dutifully also fell in line. The rest is history, including today’s signing of the executive joke for which the congressman sold his soul.
In the end, Obama was merciful in delivering the coup de grace. He conceded to Stupak’s request that the signing be done behind closed doors with no press or photographers present. The last thing Stupak wanted was the picture of him standing behind a grinning Obama, putting the presidential signature on a toilet paper roll.
Actually, Obama had a little self-interest in not publicizing spineless politicians in the Oval Office. He will undoubtedly have to use this ruse again, and the memory of Stupak the Stupid plastered across front pages, blogs, and TV screens nationwide may stiffen opposition by future swallowers of this bitter pill.
But for the rest of us snuffies out here in Voterland, this should serve as a good reminder of the so-called principled people we send to Washington and the states’ capitals. Almost all of them are stupid or spineless, or both. Most illuminating.
rebanesruminations.com 
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