Last one today ... I promise.

Over at the esteemed WaPo, the Ezra laments his lack of invitation to an Insider Administration gathering:

"All the other bloggers got fancy invites to the fancy Treasury meet-and-greet yesterday. Not me. I'm pure and unsullied."

Commenters respond:

"All the other bloggers got fancy invites to the fancy Treasury meet-and-greet yesterday. Not me. I'm pure and unsullied"

Or ... they already know they've got you in the bag, so why waste any time/money trying to court your services?

Think of it like the Dem senators being courted with delicious back-room deals for their healthcare vote now. Pure and unsullied my foot: you know how this game is played.

Once they've got you, the need to provide meet n greets, exclusive tickets, or to tuck something under your arm to bring to the folks back home... less necessary.

Seems to meet, you got a Skype w/ Diane Sawyer, a spot on a hot cable comedy show, and your mug on a Newsweek page along with the WaPo gig. You value your career advancement, and you're being compensated accordingly.

You're a kid: nobody expects you to wise up, until the numbers are staring you in the face 5, 10 years after this thing passes --- if indeed they can come up with another to get the reluctant Dem congressfolk on board too. Then you can just play dumb:
"I had no idea that the CBO figures might not hold longterm. Absolutely gobsmacked that there's not enough coming in to afford all our resolute promises back in 2010. But how can we take this necessary entitlement program away now? It will cost millions of lives and the only solution is to ... GROW the program. Oh, and catch me this Sunday morning on the Paul Ryan talking heads show..."

We can see it kiddo, even if you're still pretending you can't. Next time, hold out a little longer and you'll get gifted even more for making yourself look such a tool pushing this bloated plan.

Posted by: Mary42 | March 9, 2010

I guess Mary42 prefers the crystal ball instead of argument based on facts and numbers. That generally happens when people have their head empty or rather full of stupid GOP talking points.
Posted by: umesh409 | March 9, 2010 7:53 PM

Nope, I'm independent.

I know how to add though, and I know that Ezra's missing out on the best part of the story here: what kind of backroom deals are going down to convince enough Dems to vote for a pork-laden piece of legislation that everybody honestly knows has been cooked to allow the CBO to come up with those "deficit reducing" numbers.

Just like plenty of us didn't fall for Obama's campaign promises, plenty of which -- if you're keeping your independent eyes and ears open -- are falling to the wayside as this administration begins to adopt some of the platforms and promises his opponents campaigned on.

"No Hillary. My healthcare plan won't be mandatory like yours. No John McCain. I won't be writing a blank check with taxpayer money to help everyone get insurance -- whether they want it or not -- that will be paid directly to the insurance companies."

Fooled ya again, he did! I think Ezra's already got his lines all rehearsed too , when the numbers crunched on this thing don't turn out to be the true ones in years to come.

"I was young. I honestly didn't know! It would have been a great, money saving plan, if only reality hadn't intruded with all those non-compliant numbers. I mean, who knew you can't promise the moon to all, while cutting their premiums and taxes, with no shortages of services and magically not running up the deficit. NOBODY saw that coming."

Except ... that's simply not true either. Kill the Bill while there's still time left not to bankrupt the economy! Do the right thing Dems, or you indeed will be voted out by the independents, fiscally conservative Dems, and Republicans who will be out in force voting this fall. Just Say No to the temptations of lucrative backroom deals. You'll be glad you did!

Especially the young pols. No need for all of you to commit career suicide over this. Look at the poll numbers, and don't buy that "people will find this more to their liking once they realize it's a done deal and there's nothing they can do about it except shut up and pay the ever spiralling healthcare costs which have not been reigned in at all with the reconciliated legislations."

Posted by: Mary42 | March 9, 2010 8:19 PM

And btw, it doesn't exactly take a crystal ball to see that somebody has clearly compromised his journalistic integrity in shilling this poorly constructed bill reconciliation plan.

Just a little brains, and some basic math skills. Oh, and a dash of common sense -- something those self-professed economists sat on long ago.
Posted by: Mary42 | March 9, 2010 8:22 PM

And here I thought I was snarky and righteously indignant. Mary42, hat's off to ya.
Posted by: bgmma50 | March 9, 2010 9:36 PM

Aww, how sweet. But like the Cocker song goes, "You can leave your hat on..."

Have a great Hump Day, all.