Sadly, the end of our Republic

If anything, the recent fight over the health care “deform” bill in the U.S. Senate proves only one thing: America is fading fast as a republic.

What is republicanism? It is a form of government our Founding Fathers desired, in which leaders are elected to serve their constituents. That’s why we have elections from a municipal scale all the way to a federal level, from electing a city council member all the way to voting for the president of the United States.

But what has happened to our nation in light of the health care debate? Over the weekend the Senate Democrats bribed Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) into supporting the health care bill that the White House and Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) are pushing for passage by Christmas. Sen. Nelson, for dramatic effect, appeared to hold onto his principles in opposition to the bill before the weekend, but finally caved in when Reid sweetened the deal for Nebraska (among other states):

Nelson’s might be the most blatant – a deal carved out for a single state, a permanent exemption from the state share of Medicaid expansion for Nebraska, meaning federal taxpayers have to kick in an additional $45 million in the first decade.

But another Democratic holdout, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), took credit for $10 billion in new funding for community health centers, while denying it was a “sweetheart deal.” He was clearly more enthusiastic about a bill he said he couldn’t support just three days ago.

Nelson and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) carved out an exemption for non-profit insurers in their states from a hefty excise tax. Similar insurers in the other 48 states will pay the tax.

Vermont and Massachusetts were given additional Medicaid funding, another plus for Sanders and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Three states – Pennsylvania, New York and Florida – all won protections for their Medicare Advantage beneficiaries at a time when the program is facing cuts nationwide.

All of this came on top of a $300 million increase for Medicaid in Louisiana, designed to win the vote of Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu.

What health care reform? Buried into the 2,000-plus pages of the bill are paragraphs to favor individual states over others, unfairly burdening other states to fund the exemptions and tax breaks negotiated by Reid and respective senators. All in the name of securing 60 votes to pass this monstrosity by Christmas because President Obama gave such an absurd deadline without regard to the people.

These Democrats are literally playing games with our lives. They think they are doing their constituents a favor by sending pork to their states, thinking that their voters could be bought by federal money. But they may have miscalculated in this case as opposition for the health care bill is a majority 56% according to Rasmussen.

With that poll in mind, it’s clear that the Democrats in Congress no longer represent their people. They have broken the delicate trust between people and politician in republicanism. Even leftists and liberal-friendly unions are fighting to kill this bill. The 60 senators must be living under a rock in Washington to be oblivious to the brewing storm surrounding them.

Again, this bill has no support from the Right, the Left, the unions, the pro-life organizations, the pro-choice organizations, etc. CBO has already revised its scoring of the bill. Sen. Reid and his peers are just blindly walking a path that falls off a cliff. And unfortunately, if they get their way they will drag the American people along with them.

It’s time to face the reality, Americans: we no longer live in a republic. The politicians we elect to Washington are serving themselves more than anyone. With their corrupt actions in the name of legislation, they have carved themselves into their own political class — not as liberals or conservatives, but as elitists. In their minds they are untouchable and all-powerful, and if the recent outcome of the debate on health care reform is any indication, they will continue to indulge in their abusive ways until we constantly remind them of their place:

Senator, you serve me; I pay your salary and health care; serve me or get fired.