The Bent Page

You would be hard pressed to find a nicer guy than Congressman Joe Sestak (D Pennsylvania). Mr. Sestak is a mild-mannered, soft spoken fellow who engages people with a kindly smile and focused eyes. He served many years in the United States Navy and a couple of terms in Congress.

Nonetheless, I learned at a town hall meeting yesterday that Congressman Sestak has a tenuous grasp on the facts of American life. When I asked him how the government was going to pay for the new health care plan, he said that according to the Congressional Budget Office the cost was completely covered by the provisions in the bill. Incredible. When reminded that the CBO has been frequently in error with these predictions he continued the party line that this was fully paid for unlike so many of the previous entitlements created during other administrations.

I give Mr. Sestak credit for staying on message. He knows how to filibuster with long-winded answers that essentially dodge the facts, repeat a mantra, and serve to wear down any opposition. He failed yesterday. More than three quarters of the people present were in opposition not only to the health care plan but also many of the other programs he supports. When asked about how the government could simply take over the college loan business from private banks, Mr. Sestak casually mentioned how it would save money. Never did he address the issue of whether or not it was appropriate for the government to engage in this activity. One fell swoop, according to the good congressman, its finished. I was left wondering what else the government wolf had in mind to swallow.

And so it went. People respectfully confronted the issues only to be met with well intentioned but ill-reasoned responses. This is a sad commentary on the quality of elected officials in the United States. But its not all bad. The people are awake and on the march. If this level of interest is sustained through November, there is the possibility of a sea-change in the political make-up of the nation.