“So at 10:43 EDT, the 216th vote was cast for the Senate’s health care bill, which means, no matter what happens on the reconciliation bill later tonight in the House or later in the year in the Senate, the largest health reform legislation since the enactment of Medicare in 1965. The final vote was 219-212, or three votes more than the minimum necessary.”
That bill will immediately go to President Obama’s desk for his signature. A few minutes after the original bill passed, the House passed the bill containing “fixes” that will then go to the Senate via reconciliation. The Senate says they have the 51 votes necessary to pass that bill and send it to President Obama.
“Until now,” Murray Hill Inc. said in a statement, “corporate interests had to rely on campaign contributions and influence peddling to achieve their goals in Washington. But thanks to an enlightened Supreme Court, now we can eliminate the middle-man and run for office ourselves.”
Murray Hill Inc. is believed to be the first “corporate person” to exercise its constitutional right to run for office. As Supreme Court observer Lyle Denniston wrote in his SCOTUSblog, “If anything, the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission conferred new dignity on corporate “persons,” treating them — under the First Amendment free-speech clause — as the equal of human beings.”
Murray Hill Inc. agrees. “The strength of America,” Murray Hill Inc. says, “is in the boardrooms, country clubs and Lear jets of America’s great corporations. We’re saying to Wal-Mart, AIG and Pfizer, if not you, who? If not now, when?”
Murray Hill Inc. plans on spending “top dollar” to protect its investment. “It’s our democracy,” Murray Hill Inc. says, “We bought it, we paid for it, and we’re going to keep it.”
[...]
Murray Hill Inc. plans on filing to run in the Republican primary in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District. Campaign Manager William Klein promises an aggressive, historic campaign that “puts people second” or even third.
“The business of America is business, as we all know,” Klein says. “But now, it’s the business of democracy too.” Klein plans to use automated robo-calls, “Astroturf” lobbying and computer-generated avatars to get out the vote.
Ah, man! Now I’m only going to have three instead of four Starbucks stores to choose from on each block. What ever will I do now?
In all honesty, I hope the 12,000 people who have their jobs terminated, land on their feet. This is not the best of times to be laid off. Except, of course, that Congress just extended unemployment benefits by 13 weeks.
A few news articles that caught my attention over the last few days:
Bill Gates warns Congress that we’re in danger of becoming stupid and un-sciency. That we’ll lose our lead role as scientific and technological innovators. Unless we act now and educate kids better.
The Bay Area has the 2nd worst roads in the US. The worst roads are in LA. Third is Honolulu, and fourth is San Jose. (Apparently San Jose isn’t part of the Bay Area…) The article makes you wonder: How do you continue to pay for a road system whose infrastructure maintenance and repair costs have soared beyond inflation rates?
California Democratic Legislators vow to protect education from Schwarzenegger’s budget cuts. This made me really happy and a tad bit emotional when I read it on the cover of the Oakland Tribune this morning: “This is a fight,” [State Senator] Perata said during a news conference… “We are committed not to make any cuts in education. None.” Democrats who believe in something and are willing to fight for it. At last!
