Here we go again: Health care reform debate is becoming we said, they ignore

Keeping track of the soap opera that has become health care reform is beginning to require a scorecard.

Thwarted from getting their legislation passed the normal way, the Democrats are now trying to slip-slide their way to passage through a rarely used legislative trick.

And despite lots of positive press conferences over the weekend about the impending "historic" passage, there still seems to be some doubt that there are enough votes accounted for to make sure the Democratic leadership can try this end run.

There is nothing like positive thinking.

But with all this continued posturing and the Republicans declaring an end to bipartisanship -- like there ever really was bipartisanship in the first place; chalk that up to another round of positive thinking -- it is hard as an American citizen to know exactly what is going on.

There have been so many health care proposals and so many twists and turns in the drama that has become health care reform, it would be surprising if even the legislators themselves knew what they were voting for or against.

But in the end, all that any of us needs to remember is simply that it seems pretty clear that what the American people want really is not factoring into this decision-making process.

After resounding calls for scrapping this latest round of health care reform and trying for a new, more cost-effective and realistic measure, we are back to square one again -- like no one even heard what their constituents were saying.

And that is something that voters all over this country should remember, not only in 2010, but in 2012.

If our leaders really aren't listening, then the only people they are representing are themselves.

And who needs that.

Published in Editorials on March 15, 2010 11:02 AM