Attention: Abraham isn’t the name of the Lincoln to be discussed. Attention: The name is Blanche. Yes, Blanche Lincoln, the so-called senator from Arkansas who has two faces; one residing in Arkansas when she isn't in D.C., and the other one in Washington D.C. where she is always busy trying to bamboozle the people in her state in an attempt to hide her allegiance to the party bosses. And bamboozle is the word which aptly describes her behavior and her two faces.

When the vote to end the debate on the monstrous liberty piercing health care bill was due, it took her twenty minutes to explain why she would vote yes to bring the bill to the floor of the Senate for a vote at some later point. She said she didn’t want to deprive the people of a fair hearing on the issue before them. She believed that debate would help accomplish the desired outcome. The desired outcome you ask. Yes, passage of the bill with 51 votes.

Her stand on the bill is nothing but trickery. She was against it before she showed she was for it, when in the final analysis she voted for what she was against even though she said … Oh forget it.  Therein lays the essence of her bamboozling which she thinks will fool the people in her state. Actually, her bamboozling maneuver may succeed. There are enough Lincoln lovers in the state to effect her re-election. Simply, she is a Democrat and that explains reason that people vote for her.

Lincoln hasn’t done much in the regard of bringing the bacon home to Arkansas even though the state is known for its Hogs. That is good because there isn’t one word in the Constitution that allows any one in Congress to send bacon, chicken, beef or anything else to their respective state. But it is doubtful that Lincoln knows that based on her voting record. She is content to accept the crumbs her party throws her way for being a good party apparatchik. It isn’t all small crumbs though. A large one was thrown her way and she grabbed it. She is the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee and it could be a problem since she owns a big farm in eastern Arkansas. She has always voted for the farm bill legislation, especially when an increase in farm aid was the issue. Can you say conflict of interest, anyone?

So much for the farm business, we need to revisit the insurance situation and the Constitution. She said she is against the public option. The public option is part of her bamboozle. Being against the public option is a smoke screen to hide her true intent. The truth is that the Constitution contains no authority for a national health bill with or without a public option. She also says she votes the wishes of her constituents. That is part of the problem, the constituents. Many of them think that Congress should enact into law every wish and desire they hold. Isn’t that what congressional office holders are supposed to do? No, but that’s what members of Congress do so they can be re-elected.

Since Lincoln hasn’t brought much bacon to Arkansas, she makes sounds that will get her re-elected. In that effort, she makes sure she doesn’t offend anyone in her party, for if she did, they would stop throwing crumbs and patting her on the back for being a good girl who follows the party line. After all, isn’t following the party line more important than doing what is right by following the Constitution?

Madame Lincoln could have saved the planet from a lot of hot air by uttering a few simple words, instead of her twenty-minute bloviation. Here are the simple words; “I rise today to oppose the bill before us because it is unconstitutional and thus cannot and will not vote for it. That is the right thing to do.” Thank you. 

Two faces, one for Arkansas and one for D.C describe her behavior. Which face will prevail at election time? Only time will tell as to whether her bamboozling trickery will work for or against her at the next election.

© 03-12-2010 DEC