Opposing Health Care Reform Is No Different, Philosophically, Than Approving Of Slavery

If given the choice between saying something productive and something completely ineffectual, Harry Reid will always choose the latter. It is his signature Quirk! It is no surprise then that last night on the Senate floor Harry Reid did this rather silly thing by comparing Republicans who oppose the health care bill to people who thought that it was okay to own other human beings as slaves. "Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, ‘Slow down, stop everything, let’s start over. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said, ‘Slow down, it’s too early, things aren’t bad enough.'" According to AP US History, this is the exact plot of the Civil War.

MEANWHILE: Michael Steele has been waiting his whole life for this. Harry Reid is NOT in the game... or Harry Reid IS in the game, and that is why Michael Steele is responding in a fashion consistent with the parameters of the game. Whatever position vis -à- vis the game that Harry Reid occupies, that is the one Michael Steele disapproves of:

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele suggested Democrats should strip Reid of his leadership position if he does not apologize for the comments.

“To suggest that passing this horrible bill is anything akin to ridding our country of slavery is terribly offensive and calls into question Mr. Reid’s suitability to lead,” said Steele, who characterized the majority leader as having “wandered far out of bounds with his absurd and offensive comments.”

“If he is going to stand by these statements, the Democrats must immediately reconsider his fitness to lead them,” Steele said.

This week's entire news cycle will be dominated by Republicans forcing Harry Reid to apologize for trying to legislate Medicare away from our nation's Civil War veterans.

[ The Hill ]