Return Of The Empire

Remember your civics class in school where you learned how a bill becomes a law? It seemed so simple back then. Congress sees a need for a new law. A bill is written up. The Congress then votes for it. They hold hands, sing Kumbaya, and send the bill to the president to be signed into law. Simple right?

Now it is so complicated. With all the filibusters, nuclear options, ping ponging, it's no wonder few things get done in Washington. The House of Representatives is likely to bring up this week the health care bill that was passed by the Senate. They'll make their changes and ping it to the Senate. The Senate will make further revisions and pong it back to the House. Back and forth until the grand Obamacare plan is finalized. Forget about debate or objections. Changes to fifteen percent of the U.S. economy is being executed in the name of efficiency to allow the president to present his singular (truly singular) achievement in office during his State of the Union speech. This is almost like the old Soviet Union empire, with entire industries being dictated by a privileged few at the top of the government. Yes we won the Cold War but we took the enemies' ideology and transplanted it here. Sigh.

For a reminder of simpler times, for your pleasure, you can watch a video of how a bill is supposed to become law.